If you came here wondering if you are faking tics, you’re not.
People that fake tics don’t Google ‘am i faking tics’. And there’s a reason for that.
You see, anyone that woke up with an agenda to fake tics would simply, fake them. A dishonest person isn’t Googling whether they are faking tics, because they don’t care.
You are Googling, because you do care. You’re a good person. And probably one that is suffering from a tic disorder.
So why the doubt?
To be honest, I can’t know for sure but as a sufferer that suffers with co-occurring OCD, I have an idea how it could come about for some people.
According to the International OCD Foundation, up to 60% of Tourette sufferers have symptoms of OCD.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a disorder consisting of obsessions and intrusive thoughts.
That’s right. A worry that one is faking tics can be a manifestation of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
OCD fills us with negative thoughts. Thoughts that make us doubt our morals and intentions. It makes sense that so many people with legit symptoms feel they might be faking it.
Our symptoms can be different to what is portrayed in the media
Television often portrayed Tourette as a ‘swearing disease‘. Comedies have regularly thrown us character after character, swearing uncontrollably.
I can totally see how some sufferers see tics in the media, find it unrelatable, and with that, doubt their own lived experience.
More of us are now able to share our stories to the world, showing that it isn’t always Coprolalia.
Many weird and wonderful variations of tics are being seen, helping to eliminate stereotypes.
Trust your lived experience
Having Tourette is exhausting.
Even in mild cases, Tourette isn’t easy to live with.
Sleeping problems. Persistent pain. Impulsivity. Behavioural problems and embarrassment tics can cause. Anxiety and low mood.
Tics are often just the tip of the Tourette iceberg.
Being able to fake the other 90% of ways Tourette affects us would be extremely difficult.
You probably aren’t faking it, you are doing an inspirational job of coping with it.
Don't be afraid to open up to a specialist
If you are in a position to speak to a professional, open up to them. Tell them that you have these doubts.
It would be a load off your mind… and they would probably tell you how often they hear the same thing from other patients!
‘am i faking?’ is just another negative thought our minds enjoy to throw at us from time to time.
It’s no different to ‘am I a good person?’ or ‘did I just run someone over in my car?’
It is painfully easy for our brains to come up with these questions. They stick because fear, guilt and shame are such dominant emotions, even when we are thinking of hypothetical situations.
And if you fear you are faking tics, you’re probably not. And it sounds like you are a good person.
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