Tourette's is quite possibly one of the most misunderstood conditions - Tourettes Action want to change that!

Tourette's is still very misunderstood and when asked, most members of the public will think that it is a rare behavioural condition, whereby everyone with the condition swears. All of which are in fact FALSE statements. Tourette’s is quite a common condition, affecting 1 in 100 school aged children, giving it a similar prevalence to Autism and childhood epilepsy. Coprolalia (involuntary swearing or profane outbursts) affects only about 10% - 20% of people with TS. Coprolalia is in fact not a criteria for diagnosis. For a TS diagnosis, a person needs to have at least one vocal tic and multiple motor tics and they need to have had tics for over 1 year.

This misunderstanding and peoples perceptions of the condition often brings with it a stigma and makes people with the condition feel isolated. Tourette's Action want to do everything they can to raise awareness during the awareness month as they believe that with awareness comes acceptance.

This awareness month Tourettes Action have launched a campaign called #ItsWhatMakesMeTic which is following 5 individuals with the condition as they open up and share their stories on TA the TikTok channel Tourette’s Awareness month runs from 15th May until 15th June with Tourette’s Awareness Day itself taking place on the 7th June. The charity is calling for the whole country to get involved.

TS is still very misunderstood and when asked, most members of the public will think that it is a rare behavioural condition, whereby everyone with the condition swears. All of which are in fact FALSE statements. Tourette’s is quite a common condition, affecting 1 in 100 school aged children, giving it a similar prevalence to Autism and childhood epilepsy. Coprolalia (involuntary swearing or profane outbursts) affects only about 10% - 20% of people with TS. Coprolalia is in fact not a criteria for diagnosis. For a TS diagnosis, a person needs to have at least one vocal tic and multiple motor tics and then need to have had tics for over 1 year.

The misunderstanding around swearing often brings with it a stigma and makes people with the condition feel isolated. We want to do everything we can to raise awareness during the awareness month as we believe that with awareness comes acceptance.

This awareness month Tourettes Action have launched a campaign called #ItsWhatMakesMeTic which is following 5 individuals with the condition as they open up and share their stories on TA the TikTok channel http://www.tiktok.com/@tourettes_action . As part of the campaign they are also holding weekly IG Lives where influential people with Tourette’s are sharing their experiences of the condition. They are hoping that that this will make others with the condition feel less alone and that they are not the ‘only one’.

Emma McNally, CEO of Tourettes Action, says: “It’s shocking that a condition so prevalent is still so badly misunderstood. More than 300,000 people in the UK are known to have Tourette’s. Research tells us that many people will experience discrimination because of their Tourette’s and 75% of people will actively conceal their condition for fear of discrimination. People with Tourette’s often feel isolated and excluded because the level of awareness in society is so low. It’s our goal to change that. We want to use Tourette’s Awareness Month to help raise awareness of the condition, to stop the stigma and enable people who live with Tourette’s to be fully included in society.

“Tourettes Action are making an impact on how society views Tourette Syndrome. By having our five ambassadors and individuals like Billy Lockett share their stories as part of our #ItWhatMakesMeTic campaign, we can help to destigmatise the condition and put a spotlight on what it really means for people living with Tourette’s every day. We believe that through candid conversations, we can make vital progress in bringing assurance and hope to our community while changing public attitudes towards this misunderstood condition.”

Billy Lockett says “Tourettes is something I’ve lived with my whole life. I’d got so used to people not understanding what it truly is that over the years that I’ve become an expert at hiding it. It’s nice that in the last few months I feel like the tide is turning and people are starting to be a lot more understanding and kind about the whole thing”.

Tourettes Action works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is the leading support and research charity for people with Tourette Syndrome and their families. We want people with TS to receive the practical support and social acceptance they need to help them live their lives to the full. http://www.tourettes-action.org.uk