Billie Eilish she came back to talk about Tourette syndrome from which she suffers and the numerous tics that the disease causes. Speaking at podcasts Good Hang with Amy Poehlerthe singer told of difficulties he encounters in public. «When I’m with someone, for example for an interview, I try to hold back». But, Billie Eilish continued, «as soon as I leave the room they all explode at once». This is precisely one of the most characteristic mechanisms of this neurological syndrome, which for this reason is often called “tic disease“. But that often, especially at the cinema (for example in A group therapywith Claudio Bisio) is told in stereotypes to arouse comical moments. So what really is Tourette syndrome? What does it involve, how does it manifest itself, how is it treated? Here you are everything you need to know.
What is Tourette syndrome, the “tic disease”
Tourette’s syndrome is a neuropsychiatric disorder (i.e. affects the brain and behavior) that manifests itself with motor and vocal ticsthat is, involuntary, sudden and repetitive movements and sounds. And it is precisely the presence of tics that defines the disease. According to the page dedicated to Tourette syndrome on the website ofHigher Institute of Health. these tics can be simple (such as blinking or clearing the throat) or more complex, involving sequences of movements or words.
The cause of the disorder, however, is still unknown: it is believed, clarifies the ISS, «that the origin is neurological and associated with the malfunctioning of some areas of the brain, known as basal gangliaresponsible for controlling body movements.” But it is a theory that at the moment has no certain confirmation.
Why tics can be held back (but then they “return”)
As he says Billie Eilishmany people with Tourette’s are able to temporarily control ticsespecially in public or social situations. However, it is a partial and tiring control. According to the MSD Manualthis suppression requires a continuous effort and it cannot be maintained for long. When the tension is released, the tics tend to return even more intensely: a “release” effect which explains the experience described by Billie Eilish.
It’s not the “disease of swear words”: what’s true
Films and TV series have sometimes contributed to fixing a distorted image of Tourette’sespecially when it is associated exclusively with the involuntary emission of swear words or offensive phrases, the so-called coprolalia. In fact, according to theAirc this is one minority demonstration. The most common verbal tics are others: sounds, grunts, repetitions of words or sentences. International literature also confirms that only a limited proportion of people with Tourette have coprolalia, often between approximately 10% and 15% of cases.
The symptoms: how they really manifest themselves
Tics can be of interest different parts of the body and take very different forms. They can concern the face, neck, shoulders, or manifest themselves with involuntary sounds such as coughing, clicking or vocalizing. THE’Airc also points out that Tourette’s often doesn’t occur on its own: it can associated with other diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which in some cases affect the quality of life more than the tics themselves.
How to reach the diagnosis
The diagnosis is clinical, based onobservation of symptoms over time. But there is no specific test that allows it to be directly identified, and for this reason it is often diagnosed it’s difficult. According to theHigher Institute of HealthTourette’s syndrome can be considered established if the individual has disorders not caused by other diseases or by taking medications, the appearance of tics before the age of 18, the presence of several motor tics and at least one vocal tic, the presence of tics that occur several times during the day, practically every day and persistence of tics for at least one year.
Cures and treatments: what can be done
At the moment there is no definitive curebut there are several strategies for managing symptoms. According to theBambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in milder cases no specific treatment may be necessary. However, when tics interfere with daily life, action can be taken behavioral therapies such as Habit Reversal Training and Exposure and Response Prevention, or with drugs (especially neuroleptics).
