Tourette's is one of those conditions that everybody says they want. "I could swear whenever I want", "if I mess up, I can just say it was a tic", "I'll get away with everything". To the people that say these things; I can guarantee that if you had Tourette's for just one day, you'd be begging to take those comments back. Before my tics started, I was ignorant about what Tourette's was. In all honesty, I didn't know - nor did I take the time to find out. All I "knew" about it was that it made people swear. Now I live with it, though, I realise that there is more to it than meets the eye. The following are subcategories that I intend to elaborate on throughout Tourette's awareness month... Comorbidities Comorbidities are very common. Typically, Tourette's comes hand in hand with at least one comorbidity. This could be OCD, ADHD, Autism and/or struggles with various mental health conditions Premonitory sensation Tics often are accompanied with what's known as a premonitory sensation or urge. Essentially, it's the physical signal that tells your body to tic. People describe these differently, but I like to describe it as a similar feeling to when you get a sudden shiver down your spine. Stigma Tourette's comes with a lot of stigma. No matter the tic, volume or situation, somebody will have a problem with what's going on. Why, in this day and age, is neurodiversity discouraged? Why is neurodiversity shunned? Reactions People often don't know how to act around somebody when they're ticcing and this can usually result in a negative response. Do you laugh? Do you ignore it? Do you comment? The answer to this is never linear. Everybody has a different preference, and this can often change depending on the tics and their severity. If you don't know, ask! :) This is just the start, but please do pay attention. Tourette's is more than meets the eye. The TS community is so desperate for acceptance and understanding because every day life becomes a struggle when society is ill-equipped to cope. We can change the misconceptions surrounding TS.