Ghosty

Something I have heard literally nobody talk about is how disabling tourettes can be. Which, obviously, it's a disability. They disable you. But I have always seen and heard people think of it as silly or funny. Treat it as if it's not a disability.

But it is.

It makes everything I do in my life much harder. I can't use a knife without being hypervigilant of any premonitory urges. I can't write or draw without it taking twice as long. Same with typing. I can't walk without a cane because I have knee buckling tics. For fucks sake, I can't even breathe easily when my tics get bad. It affects every aspect of my life and I'm tired of people laughing, joking, and ignoring my pain because they don't think it's as serious or disabling as any other disability.

And don't even get me started on the exhaustion. I'm constantly moving no matter what and even when my tics are waning, I don't get more than 15-30 minutes without a tic. I've been in pain and crying from pure exhaustion while a family member giggles and jokingly dances because apparently my tics were making a beat. It really just kinda shocks me at this point how little people I know seem to understand that this isn't fun. That it is in fact a disability.

Just popping in to say that my body my choice extends to disabled people and if someone doesn't want to be medicated or try to find a "fix", forcing them is pretending they don't have autonomy over their body and being a piece of shit. M'kay buh-bye now!

"It's probably just anxiety-" Doc I feel like if you up dosage on my anxiety meds anymore you'll be breaking a fucking law. I assure you, it's not.

Little reminder to myself when I start to doubt if I'm really disabled/need a cane. Dumbass you have a tic that makes your legs give out from under you and you tic in your sleep. Yes, you're disabled and yes you need a cane and probably crutches if we can manage. Shut up and stomp anyone who says different with your cane.

Hey! Able-bodied people who know someone with tics or want to learn more! Pls stop to read this really quick if you can. I'm someone with tourettes and I would like to kindly remind you to not do the following. 1. please for the love of fuck do not give someone who is ticcing (or in general disabled) fake pity looks. You know the ones where you look at us in an almost pitying way, but it isn't really that genuine because you kinda care but it's not effecting you and you can't really bring yourself to care much. Yeah, cut that shit out. 2. if someone's tics cause them to hit themselves, don't get mad when/if they hit you. Most likely it will happen if you are around them a good amount. You can be hurt - obviously tics like that hurt - but if I see you demanding comfort, pity, and apologies angrily from the person ticcing I'm going to stomp you with my cane. Especially if you don't show you care when they are hitting themselves nonstop daily. 3. I shouldn't have to say this but even if the person ticcing doesn't seem overly upset, don't trigger their tics on purpose. Just don't. The person ticcing might not care much but why do you feel the need to? Like, unless explicitly asked for whatever reason, just don't. It's kinda rude, can be dangerous, and you don't have any reason to (again unless asked). 4. please, please, please don't be awkward when someone is complaining about the pain their tics put them in. Don't just stare at them weird after they talk as if they did something wrong or it's so odd that they just expressed any amount of discomfort of their disability. And for the love of goodness do not be rude to them about it or gaslight them. 5. in general you shouldn't do this at all but we're talking about tourettes so here we go. If someone needs a mobility aid due to tics, don't touch it. Don't pick it up without permission or play with it. Don't try to take it as a form of punishment (parents this is for you). don't doubt they need it. Again, don't gaslight them into thinking they don't need it. Don't tell them they're being dramatic. 6. the last one. Do NOT fakeclaim ANYONE. Please. Tics can develop at any age and tourettes is not the only tic disorder. Sure, you can't be diagnosed with tourettes if you developed them after 18, but you can have tics. Tics can be sudden or gradual when developing. If you want to fakeclaim your friend, roommate, family member, or even that rando on the internet. Just shut your mouth. It's not that hard. Most people don't do this so don't feel targeted unless you have done these. If you have done these, just stop. It's not that hard.

Everyone say it with me, the disability comes before the diagnosis ever can/does. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

People are weird. I was in front of a store today looking at some flowers and walking along with my cane. Some middle-aged man walks by me and with the most judgy look says "you're too young for a cane." multiple times. Never have I ever seen someone with that much of The Audacity. Like, what??? I was quite literally stunned into silence.

Do any disabled people know how to deal with the effects of your disability on your physical, emotional, and mental health? Cause o far the only things I've done are have a break down crying over not having control over my body, laughing at the hospital to make myself feel better, or simply get distracted by the auditory hallucinations because life went to shit and they popped back up. I would like some help/advice/ideas other than anxiety meds from a random doctor who doesn't know more about Tourette's than cursing and the uncontrollability of the disorder.

I can't be the only one with anxiety that makes me so anxious at night that I can't look outside. Because if I look outside then the thing I can feel watching me from my window will see me and know I know it's there. Then it'll get inside. So that means I need to go outside of my room to check that all the windows and doors are locked but I can't do that because not only what if it's already inside the house or what if there are more of it? What if there's another one on the balcony that will see me through the glass sliding door? And that door not only doesn't have curtains, it also doesn't have a lock because the door handle broke off. So, I'll sit in my room until I pass out from exhaustion because I can't move anymore because I'm so scared.

Heyyy. So, I would do an intro thingy, but I already have what people can call me and my prns so that's not very important. BUT what is important is my question. Can you get burns from hot water when a certain part of your hand has been touching it on and off for around 2 hours.