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... disorder. 40 to 60 % of children with ADHD grow up to have symptoms as adults. (Shimberg, 1995, p. 62) More than 10 million Americans are thought to have ADHD. 2 out of every 3 children with Tourette syndrome also complain of tactile sensitivity. This is called sensory integrative disorder, and is not uncommon in TS, although tactile sensitivity is found in those who do not duffer from TS. Sensory integration disorder is characterized by hypersensitivity of the senses. It can be misinterpreted as behavior problems. It is not uncommon to have an auditory sensitivity accompany skin sensitivity.
This makes it difficult for the person to concentrate with background noises. (Shimberg, 1995, p. 45) Out of a survey of 132 respondents, 93 % of the Touretters identified having a mental or physical awareness, and urge, a feeling an impulse or a need to experience a tic. (Shimberg, 1995, p. 29). Some people say it is a pressure. Others say it is a brain itch or an aching feeling. Some adults and children become very adept in masking symptoms around others.
Tics may be temporarily inhibited and suppressed to some degree, but when a suppressed tic is let loose, it may be violent or severe. Tics may magically disappear for days, weeks, sometimes even months. But, they do return if not the same tic, then a new one. The further outlook for someone with Tourette has many positive aspects to consider. Although there is not a cure, the disease is not life threatening, nor does it shorten life expectancy. Research shows that the symptoms often disappear when the person is totally focused.
Some symptoms lessen with age. 30 to 40 % of the overall symptoms diminish markedly. (Shimberg, 1995, p. 34) Tourette syndrome often appears in the same family. Parents of Touretters usually exhibit some symptoms, as well as siblings. TS definitely has a genetic tendency. The possible underlying neurological factor in TS is implicated by the hypersensitivity of the dopamine glands and the dopamine receptors in the substantia nigra (a midbrain structure) pathway.
TS is closely related with dopamine (feels good) and serotonin (depression). A specific gene has still not been located. TS has an autosomal dominant inheritance, and has incomplete penitence, or silent carrier. Females that ca 5 ry TS have a 70 % chance of developing symptoms. Males that carry TS have a 99 % chance of developing symptoms. There is a full 30 % chance that female carriers will show no symptoms at all.
Males only show a 1 % chance of having no symptoms. Tourette syndrome and chronic tics are more likely to be had by males, whereas females are more likely to develop Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder symptoms. Many studies show that 10 % of children who do inherit the TS gene have symptoms severe enough to seek treatment. Most people are never diagnosed because they do not seek medical attention. This is why it is difficult to count how many people have TS. At the present time, there are no genetic or biochemical tests to determine if a person is a carrier for TS, or whether the child will develop TS if the gene is inherited.
there is no prenatal testing to determine the type of symptoms the child will have, or the severity of the symptoms. A person must wait until the TS gene is developed. There are also several additional possible causes. In the early 1990 s, research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island (MHRI) showed that antibodies that are associated with strep infection may provide the environmental trigger in susceptible families for a variety of movement disorders, including Tourette Syndrome (Shimberg, 1995, p. 110). Investigators speculate that an immunological reaction to neuronal tissue set off by these streptococcal products contribute to the development of tics and their combination as well as ICD symptoms (Shimberg, 1995, p. 111). This research may prove family history of tics, OCD, ADHD, and rheumatic fever.
As presently known, environmental factors of themselves, do not cause TS. Many TS symptoms resemble those of allergies, such as blinking, sniffing, throat clearing, and coughing. Treatment for allergies may help reduce and relieve some of the symptoms of TS. At the present time there is no cure for Tourette syndrome. However, there are many different treatments available, both medical and non-medical, that have been proven effective in treating, and reducing the severity and frequency of the tics in some people, some of the time. Nothing works all of the time.
The uniqueness of every persons symptoms makes TS impossible to treat in a one for all type of order. There are vast differences in the type, severity, and frequency of the symptoms expressed, from extremely mild tics to disabling, chronic illness. 70 % of people with TS have mild symptoms and do not require medical attention. The most common form of treatment for TS is pharmacotherapy, or treatment with drugs. The most frequently prescribed drugs are Hall, and Clonidine. There are immense side effects that go along with these medications. They range from fatigue and weight gain to sedation and irritability.
Other side effects include personality changes, depression, dry mouth dizziness, and in some rare cases, Tardive Dyskinsia, a condition that involves involuntary chewing like motions and tongue thrusts. (Shimberg, 1995, p. 57) There are also several alternative therapies, such as hypnosis, and biofeedback. In some cases, these therapies may lessen the side effects of medications. Hypnosis is proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation, as does biofeedback. These therapies may also reduce the frequency and severity of tics. It also appears that when some childrens allergy symptoms respond favorably to allergy treatments, their manifestations of TS are at the same time reduced. There are also some who believe touch therapy helps some Tourette sufferers.
Tourette Syndrome carries many problems. Some children and adults have difficulty in handling frustration and anger. They may strike out at others and at themselves. They may hit, kick, bite, or throw things.
Some people with Tourette have touching tics. They feel a compulsion to touch breakables, hair, or clothing. Some may touch the ground as they walk; others touch things with their nose or tongue. More serious problems arise when the person touches their breasts and genitals in public. Some may even touch hot stoves and electrical wires. Many people with TS have the need to smell things.
Some smell their shoes before they put them on; others smell their underwear after they take them off. Some smell the grass and the leaves, and some others smell people. This obviously creates a dilemma. Some TS sufferers develop self-injurious behavior. These people feel the need to cause themselves pain, to make themselves bleed, and generally just hurt themselves. They may cut themselves with razors, bang their heads on the wall, or hit their hand against something until they hear their bones crack.
Some Touretters develop sleep disorders. TS sufferers do have sleeping tics, both motor and phonic, and suffer from disturbed sleeping patterns. Some have difficulty in falling asleep, early waking, sleep walking and sleep apnea. Children are likely to have night terrors and bed wetting problems. For Touretters, going out in public and dealing with strangers can be major ordeal. But most sufferers try to explain to the staring strangers that they have a medical condition.
Others ignore the starer and like there is nothing wrong. Wearing a medic alert bracelet or necklace can help with medical and police emergency situations. People with TS learn to cope with their condition and accommodate their needs quite sufficiently. They go out carefully planned, non-peak hours because they do realize that others have rights to see a movie or dine in peace. Researching this paper has had a profound impact on me. I really feel for the sufferers of this senseless disease.
Sometimes we take things for granted, like the simple act of walking undisturbed, and unnoticed down the street. People with TS are constantly gawked at. They are very misunderstood. People who do not know about the disease can be down right cruel. The next time I see someone walking and ticking, I will not stare.
Instead, I will know what is wrong with that person and I know that they cannot control their disease and did not ask for it. In conclusion, I end with the words of Jason Valencia, a Tourette sufferer. Who are you to judge Because you think odd of what you see? Have you never given a second thought If you look beyond my physical traits Fighting something I am not able to hide.
How do I explain these things to you, When I hear the taunting words you say. And you, my friend, may need me near Differently, nor cut me lots of slack, American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV Washington D. C. , 1994 American Journal of Psychology, Premonitory Urges in TS, 150: 1, Jan. 93 Dreher, Nancy. What is Tourette? Current Health, Oct. 1996, V. 23, p. 21 Shimberg, Elaine Fantle. Living with Tourette, NY, NY. 1995, Fireside.
The New Yorker, Moma when its jerking, April 1995, V. 71 p. 34 - 36 Bibliography: American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV Washington D. C. , 1994 American Journal of Psychology, Premonitory Urges in TS, 150: 1, Jan. 93 Dreher, Nancy. What is Tourette? Current Health, Oct. 1996, V. 23, p. 21 Shimberg, Elaine Fantle. Living with Tourette, NY, NY. 1995, Fireside. The New Yorker, Moma when its jerking, April 1995, V. 71 p. 34 - 36
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Research essay sample on American Psychiatric Association Tourette Syndrome
