Myths about Tourette Syndrome (and why they are false)

Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, better known as Tourette syndrome, is a neurological disorder characterized by many motor and phonic tics that last for more than a year. It manifests first in childhood or adolescence, before the age of 18 and worldwide, only 3% of the population suffers from it. It is a curious syndrome that causes a lot of controversy among people and consequently, many myths and false beliefs have been created about it.

• We recommend you read: "Tourette Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment"

What is Tourette syndrome?

As we mentioned, the symptoms that occur mainly are involuntary movements or tics, in the arms, in the neck, in the trunk, in the face and in the members of the body. The most common of these involuntary movements is the facial tic, in the eyelids, grimaces on the face and nose. These tics cannot be controlled by the patient and in extreme cases, can significantly impair the person's life. Fortunately, most cases fall into the mild category and the individual is capable of leading a functional life.

The exact cause of the syndrome is unknown, and therefore a multifactorial component triggered by a combination of inherited, genetic, and environmental factors is assumed. Likewise, research also suggests that certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin may be involved.

Nevertheless, yes there are related risk factors such as having a family history of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome or other tic disorders and gender. In fact, men are three to four times more likely than women to develop Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

In short, the combination of the clear visibility of tics and the little information that exists both in society and in the community of health professionals, makes that erroneous beliefs about the syndrome flourish that, as a consequence, hinder the integration of these people, their diagnosis and, of course, the solutions therapeutic. In today's article, we will discuss this in depth.

ticks

Before continuing, it is important to make a paragraph on tics. These are the most common symptoms of Tourette Syndrome and therefore it is crucial to understand them well. Tics are defined as sudden twitches, movements, or sounds that people make repeatedly that they cannot voluntarily control.. For us to get used to the idea, it's like having hiccups. You may not want to hiccup, but your body does it anyway. In this regard, there are two types of tics, motor and vocal:

• motor tics: They are movements of the body. Some examples are blinking, shrugging, or waving an arm.
• vocal tics: These are sounds that the person makes with their own voice, such as humming, clearing their throat, or shouting a word or phrase.

This does not end here. Tics can also be simple or complex:

• simple ticks: Involve only a few body parts such as squinting or making a sniffing sound.
• complex tics: Involve various parts of the body and may have a pattern. A clear example is nodding and waving one arm at a time and then jumping.

Myths about Tourette syndrome

Now that we better understand Tourette Syndrome and tics, here are the most common myths about Tourette Syndrome:

• “Movements and sounds can be controlled”. Of course not. Tics are a consequence of altered brain structure and function. Therefore, they are completely involuntary and uncontrollable.

• “They only say obscene words”. It isn't true. This occurs only in 15% or 19% of people diagnosed with the syndrome. It is a myth that has been regularly portrayed in the media, however, it is essential to rectify it since it generates prejudices against these people.

• "An unhappy childhood is the cause". Stress is capable of aggravating all the symptoms, however, this statement is not true. As we mentioned at the beginning, the causes are unknown and a multifactorial component is assumed.

• “They are dangerous people”. It is a neurobiological disorder, they are not crazy or dangerous. Although there may be psychiatric comorbidity with anxiety or depression, we are not talking about a mental illness.

• “They have mental retardation”. Quite the opposite. They have a normal level of intelligence and even on many occasions higher than the population average.

• “It is contagious and you can die”. It is a condition that is inherited and at some point in development it manifests itself. We are not talking about a virus that can be spread by coughing or saliva. It also does not cause death and lifelong treatment is not needed.

• “He manifests the same symptoms all the time”. It isn't true. In most cases (80%), the disorder improves. The rest remain the same and of them only a small percentage worsens over time. Going one step further, even tics change in quantity and form.

• “If you don't have tics, that's fine”. Tics can be temporarily reduced, some symptoms come and go but make no mistake, this does not mean that they do not exist. That statement is completely false.

• “They have tics because they are nervous”. While it is true that tics are aggravated when these individuals get nervous, it is their genetic and neurological condition that causes them.

• “It is more common in some ethnic groups”. Completely wrong. It does not occur in any particular ethnic or racial group.

• “It does not allow us to lead a normal life”. For extreme cases, this is true. However, many manage to live their lives satisfactorily and full of fulfillment. In fact, they manage to be excellent students, becoming great professionals.