What Makes Me Tic My Life


What Makes Me Tic

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LineFromTo

You ready?

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We sniff, jerk, blink and swear.

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BLEEP. BLEEP.

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But we just can't help it.

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It's me, hi.

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I'm Grace, I'm 14.

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I've got Tourette's.

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I've got a big show coming up.

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I'm hoping my Tourette's won't get in the way.

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Nice deep breath.

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Nice and slow.

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Hello! I'm Rupert, and I'm 12.

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I've got Tourette's Syndrome, too.

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HE GRUNTS

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I'm about to start the therapy that I hope will change my life.

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Don't roll those eyes at all.

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Hello.

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I'm Connor.

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My Tourette's makes me scream and swear.

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BLEEP, BLEEP.

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So I usually just stay at home.

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But I know I need to force myself to get out more.

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-I have to get through it.

-BLEEP.

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Just stop my fears and just do it.

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I want everyone to understand what life is like

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with Tourette's Syndrome...

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-ALL:

-And what makes me tic.

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HE GRUNTS

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One morning, about six months ago, I woke up gasping.

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I had no idea what was going on.

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The doctor said I had Tourette's Syndrome

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and that the gasp was a tic.

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HE GRUNTS

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It's like a cycle.

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It's, like, feel the urge,

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make the tic to send the urge away.

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A few minutes or however long it takes,

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the urge comes back, starts again.

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A tic is basically when a bit of your body, like, does something,

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like, you can't help it.

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A tic feels like something that you have to do,

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like when you have to blink.

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Like, you know when you have

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that urge to scratch or that urge to sneeze?

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It's like that.

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Having Tourette's Syndrome means you do lots of tics.

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And it can be annoying.

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My mum and dad have heard about a treatment where some people

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can learn to control tics some of the time.

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So I'm going to London to find out about it.

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My Tourette's is bad and I need some help to suppress the tics

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so that I don't do them as much.

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I'm feeling a bit anxious, because...

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Well, I don't really know what's going to happen.

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But then, I'm excited as well.

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Have you had an outbreak of tics in the last week?

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That's a tic, so something you can't control.

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-No.

-Eye tics, anything?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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-Roaming of the eyes?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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-What about roaming of the nostrils? Flaring of the nostrils.

-Like this?

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-Yeah.

-No.

-No? Not that one.

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-Sniffing?

-Yeah.

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HE SNIFFS

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This is Dr Tara Murphy.

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She's a specialist in Tourette's

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and I'm hoping she might have some answers.

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What I want you to know is I've heard about those compulsive tics,

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-you can definitely treat them.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Sure.

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ERP,

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exposure response prevention, is exactly the way to treat

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-these compulsive tics.

-Oh, OK.

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So it's about feeling an urge, and what you'd really like to do

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is learn to resist it.

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To do ERP,

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I will sit quietly for half an hour a day and try not to do my tics.

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It sounds tough, but if I practise enough, hopefully,

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I will learn to control the constant urge to tic.

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Keep working on it, then the feeling

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-of wanting to do it will go away.

-Yeah?

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'Dr Murphy tells me about group therapy for children

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'with Tourette's.'

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You'd like to come to the group treatment?

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It would be mainly boys, but there will be a girl or two there,

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-as you know Tourette's Syndrome affects mostly boys.

-Yes.

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That's eight sessions where we learn about tics.

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Do you like that idea?

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I think I might like to try it.

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I still haven't met anyone else who has Tourette's.

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I'd like to see how other people

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with Tourette's deal with Tourette's.

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I think it went pretty well.

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She knows what she's talking about and she can tell me things that I

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didn't know about Tourette's before.

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Everybody has something that makes them who they are,

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and Tourette's makes me who I am.

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I can happily say, I've got Tourette's Syndrome.

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I'm Grace, I'm 14.

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My main tics are rolling my head, sniffing and wrinkling my nose.

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I can feel when a tic is coming on

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and I've learnt many ways to deal with them, but it's hard work.

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I can suppress one major tic for lots of smaller tics.

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So, if I need to swing my arm,

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I can just tense my muscles and that will get it out of the way.

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I show what I want to show, because I feel that if I showed me ticcing,

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punching myself, swinging my arm, I would get judged,

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because I'm doing these strange movements.

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I do hide them, maybe more than I should,

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because I am a very self-conscious in a lot of ways.

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My passion is musicals and drama, and on Saturdays,

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I rehearse with my drama group and my dad normally takes me.

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So, are you ready for rehearsals today?

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-Yeah.

-How many more have you got before your show?

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I think we've got maybe two or three more.

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Do you find that being on the stage, you're not ticcing as much?

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Before I go on stage, I'm ticcing like crazy, because I'm nervous,

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and when I'm nervous, I get really, really ticcy.

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Will it be worse when you know that your parents are sitting

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-in the front row of the show?

-Yeah!

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-Are you front row?

-Oh, I intend to be.

-Aw.

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For the opening pieces, I'm quite a main part in the dance,

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and that is so exciting,

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because they don't normally choose me for big things.

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OK, well done, guys. Excellent.

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Them knowing that I am capable of doing this, it meant a lot.

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I'm playing the piano in the showcase.

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# Flame on, burn, desire

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# Love with tongues of fire

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# Purge the soul

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# Make love your goal. #

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Beforehand, I'm ticcing like crazy, because I'm nervous.

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And when I get nervous, my hands go stone-cold.

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And playing the piano with cold hands isn't easy.

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I just hope, when the big night comes,

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the nerves and the tics won't get the better of me.

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APPLAUSE

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Hello!

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Dr Murphy has told my mum and me how to practise ERP,

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so we've been doing it every day, and it's really hard.

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So no eye rolls in ten minutes, OK?

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-OK.

-Go!

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My mum sets a timer on her phone and I try not to do a tic

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for as long as I can.

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Are you having any urges at the moment?

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-No.

-You're not?

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Any urges in your eyes?

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No. My mum or my dad might try and talk about the urge,

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cos that usually makes it worse.

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I've got a bit of an urge in my eye, just popped up.

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Right, don't roll those eyes at all.

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So you're going to push it down, the urge?

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-OK.

-Are you pushing?

-Mm-hm.

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And pushing... Where's the urge now?

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Strong or weak?

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-Strong.

-Is it?

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-Yes, but I'm going to try...

-Just push.

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And when he pushes the urge down, his eyes close a bit.

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Has it gone yet?

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-No.

-It is strong?

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Yes.

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Good boy, keep pushing down.

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And this is a strong one, isn't it?

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I can see.

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-Has it gone yet?

-No.

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OK. Push, push, push.

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You're doing really well, Rupert.

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Don't roll those eyes.

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Mm-hmm.

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-Did it.

-Did it?

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Has it gone? Good boy.

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My life with Tourette's is...

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Glorious!

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-BLEEP.

-Sorry,

-BLEEP.

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Sometimes, it's absolutely hilarious.

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BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP.

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I have a lot of swearing tics and, like, screaming, like...

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-HE SCREAMS

-I hit myself.

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I'm making noises.

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But other than that, that's it.

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And nodding. That.

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Yes! Through the post has come my new tracksuit.

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My name's Connor and I'm 13.

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Most people who have Tourette's Syndrome

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have other conditions too.

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I have anxiety.

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Does it smell good then, yeah?

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It's called separation anxiety, where, like,

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you can't really go away from your parents, you just think that

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they're never going to come back or they going to die

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or going to leave you. That's why I can't really go out.

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HE SCREAMS

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BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP,

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BLEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP.

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(Sorry.)

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It's a combination of my Tourette's and my anxiety which stops me

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from doing any after-school clubs,

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unlike my brother, Ryan.

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Do you ever think about joining clubs?

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Quite a lot. But it's just hard.

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You know, with anxieties and stuff, it's just a bit...

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Annoying. It kind of takes over your life.

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-Do you ever sort of feel left out?

-Just a little bit, yeah.

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I need a card, but it doesn't want to show up.

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Do you think it'd be easier if you join a club with me in it?

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Your big brother coming in a club with you would just be like, nah.

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How do you feel, living with someone with Tourette's?

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Well, it can be quite worrying, but also funny.

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It's really hard to, like,

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have one sort of emotion and feeling about it.

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-You've won, haven't you?

-Rummy!

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How did you get rummy?

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Victory dance.

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I would love to go out sometimes,

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but I've got to just work towards it,

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so you've just got to take baby steps and then progress

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to bigger steps, and then finally you're there.

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You definitely can't see me?

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Yeah, that big blue thing right there.

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I love playing video games with my friend Will.

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WILL YELLS

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Ready, three, two, one...

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Blast off!

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But I haven't seen him since I started doing my ERP therapy.

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What was your first Tourette's symptom? Was it...

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-HE GRUNTS

-..that one?

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Yeah, that's it.

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-Yeah.

-Wait. Do you want to be an angel, do you want a jet pack,

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-or whatever?

-I'm guessing you're getting very,

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very good at controlling your Tourette's?

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I hope so.

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Do you think you will ever get rid of Tourette's or will you

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-have it forever?

-No.

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I will have Tourette's for my whole life,

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but hopefully I can control it enough

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where it won't be very prominent.

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Oh.

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But I still do get looks from people, like, "Oh, what's he doing?"

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People aren't a fan of difference.

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They like normal.

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Guess so.

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# Sorry, I ain't got no money I'm not tryin' to be funny

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# But I left it all at home today. #

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If my friends were to describe me,

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they'd probably describe me as caring, weird and funny.

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# Ain't got no money I'm not trying to be funny... #

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This is my best friend, Saskia.

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She's always there for me.

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We don't go to the same school any more,

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but we go to drama club together.

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Are you excited for the showcase?

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I'm very excited, but I'm a bit nervous.

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They're so much stress.

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Do you know my hands go cold when I'm nervous?

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-Yeah, especially when you're playing keyboard.

-Yeah, exactly.

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So if I'm... If my hands are cold and I'm ticcing,

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that's probably not going to end very well, but it makes me who I am.

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-Mm, yeah.

-Like, if I didn't have Tourette's,

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-then I wouldn't be...

-Unique.

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Exactly! Like, you've got big ears, I've got Tourette's!

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-THEY LAUGH

-Thanks(!)

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Well, we've all got our own thing.

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When you're ticcing a lot, what calms you down?

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Probably Luna.

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I know it sounds sad,

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but she is, like, my best friend,

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apart from you, obviously!

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-Thank you.

-And I feel like we've got a special bond.

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There we go. Nice one.

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Have you ever seen me ticcing and go,

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"Was that a tic or just a weird movement?"

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Yes. We were doing dance or something, and then...

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-you were doing your arm thing?

-Yeah.

-And I was like...

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"That's not part of the dance!"

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"Did we do that in the dance, or...?"

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And I was like, "Oh, no, she must be ticcing."

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I was having dinner with my auntie and I threw a sausage at her,

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because it was on the end of my fork and...

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-That's hilarious!

-Yeah, she was like,

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"Was that a tic, or did you mean to do that?"

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You can get away with it,

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-throwing sausages are people.

-I know, I can! Yeah.

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I can get away with a lot of things.

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Some days you get lucky and you don't tic,

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but some days you just tic,

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some days you just tic through the whole amount of the day.

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It's kind of unpredictable, and the days that I have

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like, my downs, obviously,

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it's really constant and it happens every second.

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Hiya.

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It's Thursday and I've woken up

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with a really bad neck tic.

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Which is this.

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Like that.

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Just over and over again.

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It really hurts.

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It's really painful...

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..to constantly do that.

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If you did your ERP, would that help you stop the neck tic?

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-SOBS:

-I don't know.

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I don't want to see you like this.

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It really hurts, my neck.

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OK.

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Well, I'll have to phone the school then and say you can't go in

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because of your tic today.

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OK.

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My neck is better now, it's the end of the day, it's better. Good.

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Three, two, one, go!

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I don't like to miss school, but the fact is,

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I still have bad days even with therapy.

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But then my sister Prudence is there to cheer me up.

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When you actually got diagnosed properly,

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I think it was a massive shock to all of us, and especially to me,

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as we're so close as brother and sister.

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Is it hard for you to explain to people what you've got?

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I feel, like, over time, I've gotten a lot better at explaining it.

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You think?

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Yeah. I think I can tell people

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a lot easier now and help to make them understand.

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Yeah.

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It's life-changing for you.

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And even though you're so good at controlling,

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you do have peak times where you're

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not the best at controlling.

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-You know?

-Yeah.

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And you have helped me out a lot.

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You've been there for me, which really helps me.

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If you ever need me, then I'm always there.

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-Always.

-Yeah.

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My drama showcase is just days away,

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and things are beginning to get on top of me.

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It's very stressful at the moment.

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And my tics have been really not helping.

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I've been really, really ticcy.

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There have been quite a few jokes or comments

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or sneers about them at school.

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SHE SIGHS

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It's just not the best of times at the moment.

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But the good news is,

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I can always rely on my friend Saskia to cheer me up.

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Reasons why I love you.

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Who gave it to you?

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This girl!

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I'm too cute. It was one of the days

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when you were just feeling really bad

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and I was at home, and I was like, "I have an idea."

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And I just thought it would be nice.

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I think it's really cute, so, thank you.

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"You make me feel at home in because you practically live..."

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You are my best friend!

0:17:160:17:17

-That's my favourite.

-And then I drew a little stickman!

0:17:170:17:20

"You are fun," with a smiley face and a weird nose!

0:17:200:17:23

It's nice to know that she's there,

0:17:230:17:26

with her little message that she wrote to cheer me up.

0:17:260:17:29

-I do read these when I'm sad.

-Aw!

0:17:290:17:32

As part of my treatment at Great Ormond Street,

0:17:360:17:39

my mum's been taking me to London for group therapy.

0:17:390:17:42

All the children in the group have Tourette's.

0:17:420:17:45

It's a place to share experiences and learn to handle our tic.

0:17:450:17:49

We've been working on tic blockers, haven't we?

0:17:490:17:52

OK.

0:17:520:17:53

So, would anybody like to talk a bit about what tic they had

0:17:530:17:57

that they've worked on?

0:17:570:17:59

A tic blocker is an alternative action that you do

0:17:590:18:02

instead of a big or noisy tic, and it takes some practice.

0:18:020:18:06

I've got actually four tic blockers,

0:18:060:18:10

and one of them stops two.

0:18:100:18:15

It's just you have to keep it in really far back.

0:18:150:18:17

So your tic blocker is putting your chin far back?

0:18:170:18:20

-Yes.

-Is that right? Well done.

0:18:200:18:21

And are you doing that tic blocker now?

0:18:210:18:23

Cos I can't see the tic now.

0:18:230:18:25

Good job! OK.

0:18:250:18:26

And do you think knowing good tic blockers

0:18:260:18:29

-helps you to know when the tic is about to come?

-Yeah.

0:18:290:18:32

And then you can do your tic blocker

0:18:320:18:34

and hopefully control at least some of your tics.

0:18:340:18:38

I have a toe crunching one.

0:18:380:18:40

Toe...toe crunching?

0:18:400:18:42

-Yeah.

-My tic blocker is to point my toes upwards.

0:18:420:18:47

Yeah.

0:18:470:18:48

Rupert, what tic have you been working on?

0:18:480:18:51

My throat noise tic.

0:18:510:18:53

And my tic blocker is that I will breathe in through my mouth

0:18:530:18:58

and slowly and then out from my mouth slowly.

0:18:580:19:02

But I have to make sure that I don't do it too loud.

0:19:020:19:05

Because breathing slowly and quietly

0:19:050:19:07

is much less socially noticeable than doing a squeak, isn't it?

0:19:070:19:10

-Yeah.

-That's really important one. Thank you for that.

0:19:100:19:13

We're coming to the end of our group treatment.

0:19:130:19:16

You've been working away on all those tics.

0:19:160:19:19

How have you found the group treatment?

0:19:190:19:21

When you see other people ticcing, it's like,

0:19:210:19:24

kind of a relief that you're not the only one who's doing those tics.

0:19:240:19:28

It's really nice to not feel that you're alone with these tics.

0:19:280:19:32

OK, I think you all did really brilliantly.

0:19:320:19:34

-Thank you very much.

-Big smiles, that's it! Lovely.

0:19:340:19:38

Group therapy was really helpful and it showed me ways to manage my tics

0:19:380:19:43

and be more confident about my Tourette's.

0:19:430:19:46

And do you know what? I think you are doing amazingly well.

0:19:460:19:50

-Thanks.

-Very proud of you.

-Thanks.

0:19:500:19:54

HE SQUEALS

0:19:540:19:57

I find going anywhere on my own really difficult.

0:19:580:20:01

And at school, I worry about ticcing in front of other people.

0:20:010:20:04

So for the moment,

0:20:040:20:06

I'M taught with only a few others in a special unit run by Mr Rowland.

0:20:060:20:09

And I hit the...

0:20:090:20:11

Right, so we have to say choo-choo when you land on a station.

0:20:110:20:14

-Choo-choo!

-No, you need to say it with enthusiasm, sir.

0:20:140:20:17

-I'm sorry. Choo-choo!

-No, no, no...

-That was a bit angry, wasn't it?

0:20:170:20:21

-Choo-choo! Was that better?

-Choo-choo!

0:20:210:20:24

He's got 400.

0:20:240:20:25

He's just on the easiest sum on the Monopoly maths board there.

0:20:250:20:29

Inside the unit, everyone's understanding about my tics.

0:20:290:20:32

I haven't got the confidence to have lessons in the main school yet,

0:20:320:20:35

but Mr Rowland is helping me.

0:20:350:20:37

How is your year going, Connor, do you think?

0:20:370:20:41

Yeah, it's been all right, I guess.

0:20:410:20:43

-Were you ticcing at school in year seven?

-No, not really.

0:20:430:20:45

-Why weren't you ticcing at school?

-Cos it was always embarrassing.

0:20:450:20:48

I was, like, holding it in, but it made me worse.

0:20:480:20:50

What was worse, like, the tics?

0:20:500:20:52

-Yeah.

-So then what changed in year eight?

0:20:520:20:54

-I don't know.

-You started ticcing, didn't you?

0:20:540:20:56

-Yeah, that's it.

-What do you think the reactions were from people

0:20:560:20:59

when you started ticcing?

0:20:590:21:00

-Surprised.

-Remember that day when you started ticcing in here?

0:21:000:21:03

What was the reaction, like, from people that age?

0:21:030:21:05

-Funny.

-The first time everyone heard you ticcing here,

0:21:050:21:08

you were well like, "Sorry, I've got Tourette's.

0:21:080:21:11

"That's the way it is." It is the way it is.

0:21:110:21:13

It's easier to learn the mechanisms to cope with it,

0:21:130:21:16

have that sentence ready, "Sorry, I've got Tourette's."

0:21:160:21:18

So, what do you reckon for next year, then?

0:21:180:21:21

-What do you reckon about going back into lessons?

-No.

0:21:210:21:23

You say no, but would you like to go back into lessons?

0:21:230:21:26

-Yes.

-Yeah.

0:21:260:21:28

So I reckon your target for next year

0:21:280:21:30

should be to start ticcing in front of everybody in classes.

0:21:300:21:33

Yeah, I know.

0:21:330:21:35

If I'm doing a tic, nobody really minds about it,

0:21:350:21:38

because I already told the class.

0:21:380:21:41

Now they know about my tics, it's much easier and way easier.

0:21:410:21:45

We can't help it.

0:21:450:21:47

And all of us wants to be accepted for who we are.

0:21:470:21:51

Like, it's just hard not to be,

0:21:510:21:55

I don't know, able to do things.

0:21:550:21:58

A lot of the time, it's very difficult and tricky,

0:21:580:22:01

but I have to get through it.

0:22:010:22:03

-HE SQUEALS

-BLEEP.

0:22:030:22:05

Just stop my fears and just do it.

0:22:080:22:10

Tonight is the showcase.

0:22:110:22:13

My mum, my dad and my grandma are coming.

0:22:130:22:16

And I'm so excited to see you guys on stage.

0:22:160:22:19

Just go out there and just give it everything, OK?

0:22:190:22:23

-One, two, three...

-ALL:

-Whooo!

0:22:230:22:26

# The many chances I blew To bring my life to anew

0:22:260:22:28

# Clear blue and unconditional... #

0:22:280:22:30

The show started and my piano piece is coming up any minute,

0:22:300:22:34

but my tics are really bad.

0:22:340:22:36

My hands are cold and I'm wondering if I can do it.

0:22:360:22:38

My hands are cold!

0:22:400:22:41

I'm so scared I'm going to mess up.

0:22:410:22:44

SHE SOBS

0:22:440:22:46

-You just need to relax.

-Take a break and go outside.

0:22:460:22:49

I'm just really scared I'm going to mess up on the piano.

0:22:570:23:01

No, you're not, you're not.

0:23:010:23:02

Cool down, cos it's going to be really hot behind there, OK?

0:23:020:23:05

-Yeah.

-You've done really well.

-Thank you.

0:23:050:23:07

-This is really tricky for you, with everything else.

-Yeah.

0:23:070:23:10

Nice deep breath. Nice deep breath.

0:23:100:23:12

-(OK.)

-OK?

-Yeah.

-OK, are you sure?

0:23:140:23:18

-Yeah.

-Only when you're ready.

0:23:180:23:21

I'm sorry. I'm just scared it's not going to work.

0:23:290:23:32

APPLAUSE

0:23:320:23:34

-It's going to be brilliant.

-Seriously, so good.

0:23:340:23:36

# Aye

0:23:480:23:53

# Mm-mm

0:23:530:23:56

# The power of love

0:24:030:24:07

# That falls from above

0:24:070:24:11

# Cleaning my soul. #

0:24:110:24:13

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:24:130:24:16

That was great!

0:24:160:24:17

Oh, my God.

0:24:280:24:30

Had a nervous breakdown.

0:24:300:24:32

When I played, my hands were shaking.

0:24:320:24:34

But once I did it, I just had a massive smile on my face.

0:24:340:24:37

I'm really happy that I did it now.

0:24:370:24:39

-Oh, you were so fantastic.

-Thank you.

-I was so proud of you.

0:24:440:24:48

-I'm really sweaty!

-You were wonderful.

-Thank you.

0:24:480:24:50

That was brilliant, darling, well done.

0:24:500:24:52

-Thank you.

-A great Father's Day present.

0:24:520:24:56

We've been making this documentary for nearly six months now.

0:24:560:24:59

So far, we've not met each other, so we've arranged to meet in Brighton.

0:24:590:25:04

I hope Connor can find the courage to come and meet us too.

0:25:040:25:07

-Hi, I'm Grace.

-Oh, hi.

0:25:070:25:09

-You must be Rupert.

-Yeah.

0:25:090:25:11

Hi. So have you been to Brighton before?

0:25:110:25:13

No, this is the first time I've actually come here.

0:25:130:25:16

I know Rupert's done therapy for his Tourette's Syndrome.

0:25:160:25:19

Did it help?

0:25:190:25:20

For the longest time,

0:25:200:25:22

I just really felt like no-one understood what I was going through.

0:25:220:25:26

Yeah, I understand.

0:25:260:25:28

Because... I, like...

0:25:280:25:30

It's weird. I felt like an alien.

0:25:300:25:32

-Yeah.

-It's so weird. Like, everyone else was so different to me.

0:25:320:25:36

But then, obviously, I met a lot of people with Tourette's,

0:25:370:25:41

and, like, that's reassuring.

0:25:410:25:43

With the film, I'm a bit more confident showing my tics.

0:25:430:25:46

-Yeah.

-I can't control them a bit better,

0:25:460:25:49

which gives you more confidence to go out and stuff.

0:25:490:25:52

-Do you like rides?

-Yeah.

0:25:520:25:54

Do you like fast rides?

0:25:540:25:56

-Yeah.

-Right, let's go around here.

0:25:560:25:59

Right, you go on the turkey, I'll go on the horse.

0:26:010:26:04

Whoo! Oh!

0:26:040:26:06

Coming into Brighton to meet Grace and Rupert is a big step for me.

0:26:090:26:13

Till now, my tics have held me back.

0:26:150:26:17

But I'm hoping it'll all be fine because they've got Tourette's too.

0:26:180:26:21

A little bit nervous, but curious to see,

0:26:220:26:26

are you going to get on with them, or are you not?

0:26:260:26:28

-Hi! I'm Grace. This is Rupert.

-Hi, it's nice to meet you.

0:26:310:26:35

-We could go on these, if you want?

-Yeah, that might be fun.

-Cool.

0:26:350:26:38

Is that what you want to do?

0:26:380:26:39

Cool, yeah.

0:26:390:26:41

THEY LAUGH

0:26:450:26:47

This is amazeballs.

0:26:470:26:49

What's your most active tic?

0:26:540:26:56

Mine's like doing my chin and things.

0:26:560:26:57

My face. Doing that.

0:26:570:26:59

I do blinks, like that.

0:26:590:27:01

-I do that.

-Put my face up.

-Yeah.

0:27:010:27:02

Here we go!

0:27:020:27:04

-Do you swear?

-I don't, no.

0:27:040:27:05

-You are well lucky.

-Do you?

0:27:050:27:07

-Yeah.

-Aw. I can't believe we're talking about this!

0:27:070:27:10

Whoa!

0:27:100:27:13

Grace and Rupert are really understanding.

0:27:130:27:15

It's been an amazing day with them and I hope to do it again.

0:27:150:27:18

What did you guys like the most about doing this?

0:27:180:27:21

When this goes out and people with Tourette's

0:27:210:27:23

might watch it and feel a lot

0:27:230:27:26

more comfortable with their Tourette's.

0:27:260:27:28

It's OK to sometimes feel self-conscious of your tics

0:27:280:27:32

and it's OK to acknowledge them,

0:27:320:27:33

and it's OK to tell people.

0:27:330:27:35

And you shouldn't be scared of letting people know

0:27:350:27:37

that you've got this thing that you can't help.

0:27:370:27:39

What about you, Rupert?

0:27:390:27:40

If someone has Tourette's, they are still them.

0:27:400:27:44

-Yeah.

-It doesn't change who they are.

0:27:440:27:47

-Yeah.

-It's been nice meeting you guys here.

0:27:470:27:50

-Very nice.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for today. Let's go.

0:27:500:27:53

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