10 reasons I LOVE Tourette’s!

Like the title says, these are 10 reasons why I love having Tourette Syndrome! Of course, there are times when I get frustrated with my tics and wish I could just stop the things that I say and do. I have come to find reasons to absolutely love my Tourette’s and be thankful that I have TS. Here is my top 10:

1. Something more serious is not wrong and causing the things I do. I had tics as a kid, but they reared their big, ugly head once again as a teenager and adult. They were subtle at first, but got so bad that I could not stop moving and twisting and contorting. It hurt. I had no idea what was causing me to do what I was doing. I think back now and am grateful that something more serious was not the cause of the sudden, severe outburst of my Tourette’s. I am not saying that TS is not serious. It should be taken very seriously. There are things that would have been much more devastating that my imagination came up with during those times before my diagnosis, though.
2. It has taught me some great lessons in life, such as acceptance, kindness, not to judge people for what I observe of them. Of course, these are lessons we are all taught (hopefully) throughout our lives. However, when something like being diagnosed with a chronic illness or a traumatic experience happens to you, you tend to understand and implement these lessons in your own life even more (again, hopefully). Having dealt with mental illness such as depression and anxiety in my own life and struggled with self-injury, I had very strong feelings about not judging people by what you see or hear, but when my tics kicked in and started evolving into what they are now and what they were when they first became a real problem, I noticed the judgment and stigma around me even more. People stare, make fun, and can be downright rude at times. It can really hurt. I never want to be one of those people who misjudge someone because of what I merely observe about them. You never know why someone is doing something or why they look the way they do. Get to know a person before you judge them. You may make assumptions about someone and miss out on a great opportunity to learn, make a new friend or enjoy a great new experience that will never come again.
3. It is so freakin’ hilarious! I have never laughed harder in my life than I have at some of my tics! In fact, I even wrote a post about funny tics and hilarious moments that have happened because of a tic! Great memories have been made because of a funny tic or situation that occurred because of a funny tic. These are memories that I will have forever. They will probably be some of my fondest, even.
4. I have met some great people and made awesome new friends! If I didn’t have Tourette’s, I would know a lot of the people I have met and wouldn’t have some of the friends I have made. I have been introduced to and met people who are great advocates for TS and its parallels. These are some wonderful people who I wouldn’t even know if I didn’t have this one thing in common with them. My best friend and I probably wouldn’t be best friends if it wasn’t for TS. I wouldn’t have taken the job closer to home if I hadn’t had the bad tics that kept me from being able to drive more than 10 minutes from home before I was properly diagnosed and helped. If I hadn’t taken that job, we wouldn’t have worked together, let alone started hanging out and becoming best friends! Plus, she is one of the greatest advocates for not judging people. It bothers her when people are rude about my tics than it I am!
5. I wouldn’t have gotten help for or gotten a diagnosis for other issues I had been dealing with. After being diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, I was also diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and discovered that something I had experienced for a long time was actually sensory hypersensitivity. I do not know if I would have actually gotten those diagnoses if I didn’t have Tourette’s. If I did, I don’t know how long I would have gone without getting proper help for them. The anxiety I had experienced for a long time before my diagnosis ended up being partially due to these additional diagnoses.
6. I wouldn’t have written my children’s book if I didn’t have Tourette’s. I may have written about other things, but I who knows what it would have been? It may have been something completely uninspired and pointless. I wrote my book to help explain to kids who have it that it is not all bad. It gets frustrating at times. It’s hard at times. It can be a good thing, though. I want others to know that they, too, can 10 reasons to love Tourette’s … or even more!
7. I love myself more. I know, that sounds odd, but there was a time when I completely and utterly hated myself. Having Tourette’s and being diagnosed has put me into contact with some people who have taught me that there are so many more reasons to love myself than to hate myself. I may not like certain things about myself, but there are so many more things that I SHOULD like about myself. I never saw those things before. I saw no hope, but I have met people because of my Tourette’s who have shown me hope and what hope looks like.
8. I can educate and advocate. By telling my story of Tourette’s and its parallels, I hope I can do what these wonderful people I have met are doing. Bring hope to those who don’t see how things can get better. And …
9. Help others. I want to be an inspiration and spread love to those who don’t see it in the world around them. I want to help others see their 10 reasons to love Tourette’s and it’s parallels as well.
10. Oh, did I mention that it is FREAKIN’ HILARIOUS?! LOL!

Read more from me on my ImperfectionsRMe blog!

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