{"id":3593,"date":"2014-05-09T07:30:27","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T11:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/?p=3593"},"modified":"2014-05-09T07:30:27","modified_gmt":"2014-05-09T11:30:27","slug":"pink-elephant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/tsparents\/pink-elephant\/","title":{"rendered":"Pink Elephant"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following blog entry is a guest post from Troye Evers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>One tic, two tic, three tic, four tic,<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the way my life is.<\/p>\n

In a majority of articles, books and helpful pamphlets, you always find someones story that they are asked to \u201cStop doing that.\u201d \u00a0I\u2019ve heard it all my life; \u201cStop doing that,\u201d \u201cWhy are you doing that,\u201d or \u201cDo you know you\u2019re doing that?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Yes, I know what I\u2019m doing, why I\u2019m doing it, and no, I can\u2019t stop<\/em>.<\/p>\n

However, I will tell you this, the more you point it out, the more I will do it. \u00a0It\u2019s like the old saying, \u201cDon\u2019t think about a pink elephant.\u201d \u00a0What are you thinking about right now? \u00a0Let me guess, a pink elephant. \u00a0In fact, every time I say pink elephant, one is going to pop in your head. \u00a0I don\u2019t even have to say to think about it, or don\u2019t, I just have to say pink elephant. \u00a0The same goes for me with TS and their tics.<\/p>\n

I have list of tics that seems never-ending and I have been for almost 30 years. \u00a0Still to this day, if someone say \u201ccalm down, you neck tic is getting bad,\u201d my only thought is\u00a0Great, thanks for pointing it out, now its just going to get worse.<\/em><\/p>\n

I know it sounds odd but think about how odd we feel with the uncontrollable things that are going on in our body. Pink elephant. \u00a0As a kid, I always felt like there was a little puppet master hiding in my body telling different parts of my body to move with out my knowledge. \u00a0\u201cBlink, shake your head, twitch your nose, clear you throat, grunt.\u201d \u00a0I never gave this person permission to take control of parts of my body, but he is here, and I have come to terms with him taking over residence.<\/p>\n

This power of suggestion is not limited to only tics. \u00a0It also accompanies my OCD and my anxiety disorder. \u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t step on the cracks in the sidewalk,\u201d\u00a0now I\u2019m just going to walk in the street<\/em>, \u201cDid you press the elevator button 3 times?\u201d \u00a0Yes, I did, but now I have to do it three more times, and I might just take the stair up the six flights.<\/p>\n

My favorite is, \u201cRelax,\u201d\u00a0HELLO, I have anxiety disorder<\/em>. I wish it were that easy. \u00a0Even though I took my med, I still have anxiety. \u00a0I have also had people suggest yoga and no, yoga is not going to help me. \u00a0Have you ever tried downward facing dog while shaking your head back and forth, it\u2019s a little scary. \u00a0Plus, with my OCD\u2019s and germaphobia, there\u2019s no way I\u2019m sitting on the floor where a dozen other people have sweated out their DNA.<\/p>\n

I have found over the year that whether I\u2019m having pink elephant moment (Don\u2019t think of it) or just a regular TS moment, I just go with it. \u00a0I don\u2019t find excuses, or find myself apologizing for what uncontrollable motion I might be doing. \u00a0If I have to tic, then I tic. \u00a0My friends and family don\u2019t make an issue of it; in fact, they don\u2019t even acknowledge it or make an issue of it. \u00a0The conversation continues without a hiccup, unless my old hiccup tic decides to make an appearance.<\/p>\n

As for my anxiety and OCD, I have learned to take a time out. \u00a0I can feel things getting to the boiling point and I have to keep in mind to walk away and take a break. \u00a0Go sit on the sofa and watch 30 minutes of mindless TV, take the dogs for a nice long walk, etc. \u00a0I know what \u201cI\u201d need to do, but that\u2019s not always the solution.<\/p>\n

If someone else is around me or perhaps part of the cause of the anxiety, I need to walk away from them, and I hope they walk away from me. \u00a0The last thing I need at that moment is someone else telling me to calm down, or even suggesting taking a time out. \u00a0All this does, is build to the already boiling anxiety. \u00a0For myself, in most cases, if I walk away from whatever situation or activity that maybe causing the stress, I am back to normal, or close to it within 5-10 minutes. \u00a0(Thanks ADD)<\/p>\n

With all these triggers to the power of suggestion, I\u2019m beginning to think the puppeteer that has taken over residence in my body has oppositional defiant disorder. \u00a0He never want to hear suggestions from anyone else during these times of need, especially when I know what ever is suggested is the right thing to do and coming from someone who cares for me. I know in these times that I need to take a time out, but I don\u2019t need you telling me.<\/p>\n

A suggestion of a \u201cTime out\u201d can be a valued tool for any person with TS as long as it is discussed before the situation, and it is not suggested that \u201cYou need at time out.\u201d The fact is, don\u2019t we all need a time out.\u00a0 Besides doing this for my own well-being, I have done this in other situations with children with TS at camp, schools and TS events.\u00a0 Separate them from the cause of anxiety. \u201cThis situation is making my anxiety worse, which is making my tics worse so I\u2019m going to walk away and do something else until I have calmed down.\u00a0 We are going to take a time out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pink elephant (don\u2019t think about it).<\/p>\n

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