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chris09
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26 Feb 2011, 1:50 am

Hi guys, first post here. I have been doing quite a bit of research on this topic and have some questions. First off I am sure you get this question here all the time, but I am looking for some guidance.

I am 19 years old and about 8 years ago I was diagnosed with tourettes syndrome. I have always accepted the diagnoses and never questioned it. I learned to control it to a degree while in public. Thing about my "tourettes" though, is it is voluntary tics, not involuntary. I preform my tics because I feel that I need to. Like when I am board or excited... I feel like I need to do it, sort of like an itch and it needs to be scratched.. or I need to feel my self doing the tic.

My tics include; flapping my hands, stretching or contorting my muscles (like back and neck arms elbows ect.), facial grimises, blinking, snapping, humming, whistling, sniffing, mimicking noises IE animals (my favorite is peacock lol), and sometimes grunting. Like I said, I am really good at holding these back and most people never notice.. at least don't say anything. Also I don't have the urge to do the tics if I am busy doing something fun like BMX racing or riding four wheelers.

Along with the tics I am a bit socially awkward. I have a lot of symptoms that are synonymous with AS. I suck at talking on the phone... like I don't know when it is my turn to talk and that creates awkward pauses. Sometimes I cut people off too. I became a bit better at this though when I had a job for AT&T in customer service. Also I don't know where to look while in public.. like today I was in the barber shop waiting to get my hair cut and there were a lot of people and I didn't know what to focus my eyes on.. Thank god for my iphone... that is usually my trick for that. I also feel like my arms are awkwardly positioned, I don't know where to put them either.

Also I hate meeting new people.. my ex GF always tried to drag me to dances and I usually just sat in the corner with one of my friends while she socialized. I can't just walk up to a girl and say hey I like you and we should date. This makes me nervous that I will never find another GF. The only way I got my ex was because we were friends since we were like 4 or 5.

I hate when people come to visit unannounced. Especially if I haven't had a chance to get in the shower.. That is the first thing I HAVE to do when I wake up or it throws my whole day off.

I often say or do things that may be inappropriate in situations and usually cause embarrassment or make someone else mad. I never get the clue until someone tells me later what I did.

Another thing (Gosh this is soo long.. sorry) I am terrible with verbal directions and that is very embarrassing, especially in school/at work. This also means that I am terrible with driving directions as well. Also I sometimes get sort of lost in my own town.. or forget to go left or right out of my driveway depending on where I am going.. that's usually embarrassing as well.

I have trouble finding things.. like at the grocery store. I am supposed to get a certain thing and there are so many other things hanging up on the wall I can't pick it out / find it and get discouraged and give up. Also I shop sporadically and go allover the store for things instead of in order like up and down each isle.

Gonna wrap up here ;) I also like to run every where I go.. like through the house outside, to the neighbors.. ect. Another thing is I walk on my tip toes all the time. I am sort of clumsy as well, just on my feet I have broken a few bones just doing stupid things like running or falling out of a swing. But you put me on my BMX bike or four wheeler and I am a beast... one with the bike. As well as clumsiness on my feet, I spill food and drink all the time. I am 19 and literally can't have a drink out of the kitchen without a lid lol. I also like to jump all the time, like I have the urge to jump over everything; trash cans, mail boxes, ect.

I also get don't get board with things. Like I love computers and RC air planes. I can work on my plane and fly it for hours. Same with the computer. This is also true with activities with friends. Like we sometimes put a purse on a string and put it in the road and wait for people to grab it, then pull it back lol (great fun). My friends get board and want to quit after like a half hour.. I will sit there and do it all day, loving every minute.

So what you guys think.. could tourettes have been a misdiagnoses? Is there any hope for any type of therapy?

I also am apprehensive about bringing this up with my parents... Kind of embarrassed to point all of this out to them.

Should I see a doctor?

Also I took the aspie quiz and it said I was very likely to have AS. I know that can't always be trusted though.

Thanks in advance :)



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26 Feb 2011, 2:06 am

Thoughts:
--Yes, autism-related stims can be mistaken for tics
--It's not uncommon for autistic people to have tics as well as stims, or to have both autism and Tourette's
--It's possible to have "repetitive movement disorder" alone rather than autism in general
--Many people with Tourette's can suppress their tics for shorter or longer periods of time
--Tics tend to decrease naturally with age; autism-related stims may increase, decrease, or be actively suppressed and redirected into more subtle forms
--There are reasons other than autism or Tourette's that you might have repetitive movements, ranging from various neurological disorders to anxiety disorders, sensory integration issues, etc., and lots of "not otherwise specified" stuff that's yet to be categorized.


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ShadesOfMe
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26 Feb 2011, 3:54 am

Those sound like stims to me. :)



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26 Feb 2011, 2:34 pm

It sounds like you may benefit from trying adaptations that Aspies use to better deal with the activities of daily life. For instance, I like to shop when the stores are empty.



chris09
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26 Feb 2011, 10:08 pm

BTDT wrote:
It sounds like you may benefit from trying adaptations that Aspies use to better deal with the activities of daily life. For instance, I like to shop when the stores are empty.


Thats what I do. A crowded store makes me nuts I lose my mind. There are too many people and I feel like they are all looking at me and studying me even though I know they are not.

It also helps to have a friend with me at the store. Then I am more focused on having fun with my friend then all the other people shopping.



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27 Feb 2011, 9:44 am

The doctor may have discounted Aspergers based on your interaction with friends.



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15 Feb 2012, 7:17 pm

i can def. identify with all the stuff youve outlined as far as your behaviors and your compulsive need to "perform" tics ! !! i also relate to your discomfort and distaste for meeting new / unknown people - as i am the same way ~ ~ ~ EVEN with friends of friends.....hell even w/ RELATIVES of good friends......i'm uneasy around them and have extreme difficulty feigning pleasure

as for the "getting lost in the forest" syndrome - i experience that too //// i'll be going to the mall, forget what i went there for, then buy a coffee, then i have to use the potty ; then i went potty so now i'm hungry ; then i grab a bite to eat; then i walk back out to the parkin lot ; pull my truck out and - BAM ! !! i suddenly remember why i came by the mall in the FIRST place :*( pretty dumb s**t, huh ? so - trust me / your NOT alone in this , and it sounds like you might more likely than NOT have aspergers - but tell me this : do you have interests that you get soooo into that you pursue them to the exclusion of everything else ? are your interests those of solitary pursuit ; vs shared experiences ? do you often feel the need to "run away and hide" from others, like too much social interaction causes you to be "overstimulated" ?? those are other classic signs of asperger's - and * DO NOT * listen to those who say aspies can't make eye contact or hang out w/ others, cuz i do both - its just that i can't be around other ppl for extended periods of time w/out becoming super-duper cranky and bitchy; oh and i have a baaaad habit of staring at ppl ( so i'm told ) ; so the eye contact factor as an "element" of diagnosis is BS; but dont forget......aspies live in their "own little world" and appear self-absorbed //// NOT selfish...just clueless and oblivious. take a friend ; or better yet : a relative w/you whose known you since childhood to describe you to the doctor; as they often can paint a more accurate picture of your actions to the diagnosing professional. GOOD LUCK !



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24 Feb 2012, 4:01 pm

tourette's and asperger's are on the same spectrum. same with non-verbal learning disorder.

i have all three

my tourettes is minor - throat clearing, blinking, word repetition, occasional involuntary hand and head movements

it's all one big happy bucket


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24 Feb 2012, 4:09 pm

From my experinxe (one person) tourrets is not like autism. Yeah tics can be similar to tpurettes. My cousin is very out going and in no way autistic.

Sorry for typos



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24 Feb 2012, 4:10 pm

From my experinxe (one person) tourrets is not like autism. Yeah tics can be similar to tpurettes. My cousin is very out going and in no way autistic.

Sorry for typos