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Picture of Sam

Sam

I started Dealing with Disorder as a person with Tourette, OCD and (too) many of the co-occurring conditions.

Dealing with Disorder was created out of pure frustration.

The first articles were published during lockdown. A time when my symptoms felt all the more apparent, and many of us realised how fragile our health is. Physically and mentally.

I was diagnosed with Tourette, OCD and ADHD at the age of nine, with little information after that. 

My family struggled to find valuable support online. I was placed on medication but nowhere could we find information to help deal with the struggles and co-occurring conditions. 

So many of us with neurological disorders find ourselves playing catch-up with society, or not fitting in at all. 

This isn’t because we are doing things ‘wrong’. Society just isn’t set up to help us understand ourselves and reach our full potential.

Dancing to our own beat is so difficult, but so important.

My overall aim for this website is to help improve the quality of life for myself and others in a similar position. 

This will be achieved by:

  • Providing up-to-date, accurate information on Tourette and OCD through lived experience and insights from professionals
  • Tackling myths, misrepresentations, bullying and discrimination in any form
  • Working with individuals and groups in the community to help increase awareness and support
Talking to sufferers with lived experience, as well as professionals, is vital to achieve these aims.

Lived experience is different for everyone. It's finding the right questions more than giving a generic answer.

Tourette and OCD symptoms vary. A lot.

The belief that Tourette is a ‘swearing disease‘, and that OCD is a ‘cleaning disease‘ are outdated and incorrect. 

Granted, some people swear, some people clean. But there’s so much more to these conditions.

Articles on the endless ways TS and OCD manifest will help people gain a better understanding, and get the relevant diagnosis sooner.

Roughly 1.2% of the population has OCD, and around 1% has Tourette.

The statistics will likely change over time. 

In fact, these numbers have been changing. The more a society has access to information and treatment, the more people are being diagnosed with these conditions.

Thanks to the internet, this number is likely to increase further.

Thank you for helping dealing with disorder grow.

I run this website in my spare time, with a dream of doing so on a full-time basis. 

So far, my articles have been read in over 158 countries, with a growing audience month by month. For this I am extremely grateful.

Every view, every click and every subscription helps to keep things moving, with many exciting plans in store. From vlogs to interviews, to collaborations with organisations, charities and allies. This is- and will remain- the place to be for those dealing with disorder. 

Thank you for helping to make this happen.