Try to
think how they must feel
“I started blinking my eyes a lot.
Like twenty times a minute sometimes. My mum and dad thought I needed glasses. I got some
but the doctor thought the blinking was just a habit. My eyes kept blinking. I
couldn’t stop them. The glasses didn’t help.
My shoulders would go up and down too,
like I was shrugging them. I would roll my head. I just told people my neck was tired and
I was stretching.”
“I never wanted to do bad things. I
just wanted to be good. I would try not to let an outburst go in front of my friends. But
I did plenty at home.
I even said dirty words, over and over
again as if I couldn’t stop. I don’t even like dirty words and didn’t want
to be someone who sounds like that.”
“Nobody understood me and I got
into trouble. It seems like I was crying and screaming a lot.
When I was in first year, it was awful.
Nobody new why I was so unhappy and why I would get so angry. What really bugged me was
one of my teachers kept shouting at me. She would get angry because of stuff I did, like
not being able to write out words and not finishing my work.
I just wanted to kill myself, but not
really.”
“When I wanted
something done that I needed help with, if mum or dad didn’t have time, I would get
so angry I would hit and kick. I felt as if I was really crazy.”
“It’s important
to meet other people that have Tourettes to talk to so that you don’t feel alone.
They can understand more about you. Other people can’t ever really know what you are
going through. Even if they try.”
“WHEN I WAS FIVE IS THE EARLIEST I CAN
REMEMBER HAVING TOURETTES. BUT WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG. I REMEMBER WRITING THE
SAME NUMBER OVER AND OVER IN MY WORK. I WOULD RIP A HOLE IN MY PAPER BECAUSE I WOULD WRITE
THE SAME NUMBER SO MANY TIMES.
I GOT SO UPSET I WOULDCRUMPLE UP THE PAPER
AND THROW IT AWAY. I WOULD CRY AND COULDN’T STOP.”
The Unseen Illness by Angela McLaren
They don't understand me they taunt and they laugh
Then they walk away as if I had never crossed their path
But
they are the stupid ones who are ignorant and blind.
My
tics and compulsions my obsessive mind.
The
thoughts are running deep inside.
If
only they would stop and ask not stare
Then
I could tell them and maybe they would care.
You
see I too have feelings I too can laugh and cry
Just
look beyond the behaviour.
You
can if you try.
And
what a surprise I know you’ll find.
Yes,
an intelligent person with a clever mind.
Walk
a mile in my shoes go on see how it feels.
Have
the battles and struggles that I have in my path
Then
come back and see if you can still laugh.
I
think that you won’t because deep down inside you
Realise
now what a difficult ride Touretters have in
Everything
they do.
From
now on just be grateful it’s not you.
The comments and poem above are all from children or families affected by TS