TOURETTE’S WITHOUT LOVE
What was it like to grow up with Tourette syndrome before most people even knew what Tourette’s was? For many people born between the 1970s and 1990s, tics were rarely recognised as signs of a neurological condition. They were often interpreted as bad habits, nervousness, misbehaviour or something that had to be stopped. Reprimands, punishment…
Tourette Syndrome and ADHD: When the Mind Never Stops
Tourette syndrome and ADHD frequently occur together, and when they do, everyday life can become significantly more demanding. It is not only a matter of managing motor or vocal tics. Attention, impulsivity, restlessness, mental fatigue and the constant need for stimulation can all interact. Creating a brain that sometimes feels as though it never truly…
Tourette’s and intrusive thoughts: when your mind won’t leave you in peace
Intrusive thoughts can be one of the least visible and most distressing experiences associated with Tourette syndrome and related conditions such as OCD. They can appear suddenly as images, words, doubts or disturbing scenarios that feel completely out of character and impossible to control. In this episode, we explore what intrusive thoughts actually are, why…
The Brain and Movement: The Chemistry of Tourette’s
To understand Tourette syndrome, it helps to look beyond the visible tics and focus on what is happening inside the brain. Movement, impulse control, attention and emotional regulation all depend on complex communication between different brain regions, and that communication is influenced by neurotransmitters such as dopamine, GABA, glutamate and serotonin. In this episode, we…
Tourette’s and Obsessions: When the Mind Gets Stuck
Tourette syndrome is not only expressed through visible movements or sounds. Sometimes the most exhausting symptoms occur inside the mind, where intrusive thoughts, images or impulses can repeat for hours and become extremely difficult to dismiss. In this episode, we explore what obsessions really are, why the brain can become trapped in a repetitive thought…
Tourette’s and Anger: Understanding Emotional Overload
Anger in Tourette’s is often misunderstood as bad behaviour or a personality flaw, when in reality it is frequently the result of an overloaded nervous system struggling to regulate emotional and physical tension. The same brain that works constantly to manage tics and impulses can, at times, reach a breaking point where frustration erupts suddenly…
Tourette’s and Impulsivity: Creating Space Between Impulse and Action
Impulsivity can make it feel as though the body or the voice acts before the mind has time to intervene. In Tourette’s, this is not simply carelessness or a lack of self-control, but a difficulty in the brain’s response-inhibition system, which normally creates a pause between an impulse and an action. In this episode, we…
Tourette’s and Defiance: Breaking the Cycle of Conflict
Oppositional behaviour can make everyday life with Tourette’s feel like a constant struggle. Requests become arguments, limits trigger intense reactions and relationships with parents, teachers or other authority figures can quickly turn into battles. In this episode, we explore the connection between Tourette syndrome and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, explaining why cognitive rigidity, emotional overload and…
Tourette’s and Anxiety: Breaking the Cycle That Fuels Tics
Anxiety can act as a hidden amplifier of Tourette’s, increasing physical tension, nervous-system arousal and the frequency or intensity of tics. At the same time, the fear of having a tic in public can create even more anxiety, producing a difficult cycle of worry, movement and social discomfort. In this episode, we explore the biological…
Tourette’s and Stress: Breaking the Cycle of Tension and Tics
Stress does not simply affect how we feel: it directly influences the nervous system and can significantly increase the frequency and intensity of tics. At the same time, the physical effort, social pressure and exhaustion caused by tics can generate even more stress, creating a cycle that is difficult to break. In this episode, we…