Good Morning
This morning I’m heading off for an interview on ITV’s This Morning. I’m a bit nervous but also pleased and excited to have the opportunity to share my experience of living with Tourettes on such a popular show.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind – I’ve done lots of radio and newspaper interviews and as a result many more people have been finding and enjoying this site.
I’ve had incredible messages of support and lot’s of encouraging comments online.
‘You are an inspiration! I love it that you are using humour to deal with what is a very challenging condition. My 12 yr old son has Tourettes – his tics are more discrete than yours and he is able to suppress them for a time and then release them when he is at home, but sometimes he has to let them out. But if more people understood about TS and there wasn’t the stigma about it, people could tic freely without fear of being mocked or misunderstood. We encourage our son to do what he feels comfortable with and hopefully one day he will have your confidence to tic freely.’
There have also been some negative comments and I know Fat Sister reads these and worries about how they might affect me.
One person rather unflatteringly described me as a ‘Parasite.’ But nasty comments aren’t new – they’re often the sorts of things strangers have said on busses or in shops. But each time I, or someone else with Tourettes, speak openly and publicly about the condition, the likelihood of a negative comment or experience becomes a little less likely.
Speaking out about Tourettes isn’t simply a decision I’ve made – it’s a vital tool in limiting the social impact my tics have on my life.
Touretteshero is for everyone, with and without Tourettes. It’s about embracing the humour and creativity of one of the most misunderstood conditions on the planet.
Together we can change attitudes and replace fear and ridicule with understanding and empathy, one tic at a time.
If you’ve just found the site, please take time to look around and enjoy exploring it. You can learn more about the ups and downs of my life with Tourettes in the daily blog, browse thousands of tics, and marvel at the amazing art they’ve inspired in the gallery.
If you saw me on This Morning and liked the “Stuff my mouth with pencils” T-shirt I was wearing, please visit the shop and pick one up for yourself. All the money we raise goes towards putting on creative events for children and young people with Tourettes and maintaining this site.
You can see fantastic event photos here and discover how a new team of young Tourettes superheroes saved the world in this video.
If you like what we’re doing, get involved:
Spread the word on Twitter and Facebook.
Share your comments in the blog
Help us keep going by making a donation.
Together we can transform attitudes and make life better for the 300,000 children and adults living with Tourettes in the UK.
(If you want to show this website to a child or young person, you can remove all explicit content by turning on SafeMode.)
Jennandtonic says:
Hi TH!! It’s Jenna, from the FB message 🙂 Just wondering if there was a way for your fans in the US to see the programs you are on? I loved the podcast you were a part of as well- thedialogueproject.
lillysmote says:
Fantastic interview this morning. Really enjoyed it.
My sons best tic so far has been ”Put honey on the pigeon” i never thought about getting a t-shirt made up of it 🙂 Fab idea.
Congratulations on spreading awarenes with humour and enthusiasm.
garyobese says:
Saw you on This Morning this morning.
Mincemeatpies says:
I thought you were fantastic on This Morning, what an inspiration! The interview gave a great insight into TS in a funny and thought provoking way. 🙂
CazDoc says:
Really enjoyed your interview on This morning! We are currently in the process of getting our daughter diagnosed with Tourette’s and it was a nice insight to how you deal with it.
BISCUITS ALL THE WAY LOL xx
Muzlanova says:
You were absolutely brilliant!
Lady Tic-A-Lot says:
Another job nicely done! So proud of what you’re doing- incredible stuff!!!
Domsk says:
Jess,
I just watched the This Morning interview on facebook and looked up your site straight away. It is so wonderful that you have found and accepted the valuable side of this condition to reveal creativity and empower others. What an inspiration you are to others, not just with Tourettes.
I work as an Actress, Director and Drama Facilitator with young people and adults so am always exploring what it is to be human and trying to help other people to discover and express this. I believe that we all have enormous potential and anything which assists us in understanding and revealing that potential is amazing.
Good work. I will be following your blog to hear more about what you do.
Domsk
x
raceytj says:
ur a star,my daughter has just been told she has tourettes after 5 yrs of fighting and being sent round the nhs system for every one to fail time and time again, at long last i can now get her the help she will need,
zykta says:
saw your interview on this morning .. just wanted to say again what a amazing lady you are .. great interview
kareny says:
Watched your interview, wow, it was wonderful to hear you explain what Tourettes is and how it affects your life. My daughter is 13 and was diagnosed 2 years ago, you really gave me an insight into her world, THANKYOU