How To Have Tourette’s

How To Have Tourette’s Part 29 – Back To The Drawing Board

Yesterday in the library a man told me “If you are going to walk around honking like a royal swan (a bizarre phrase that was the only silver lining) you don’t belong in this library.” He was rude. I was mad. I embarrassed him and embarrassed myself as well, while pretending it was funny. The [...]

May 18, 2011 READ MORE →

You are invited! How To Have Tourette’s Show – Tonight in Salt Lake City

Greetings gang, if you are in the Salt Lake City area, or live within 100 miles, I would like to invite you to the Main Library location tonight at 7 PM. I’ll be performing How To Have Tourette’s from 7 to about 8:15 or so. If nobody shows up but my mom it will probably [...]

October 21, 2010 READ MORE →

The Final How To Have Tourette’s Post – Cured

Of all the nonsensical things I have said on this blog, this feels the strangest: I am cured. I no longer have Tourette’s Syndrome. I look at those words and part of me wonders if I’m still asleep. Nope. For well over a year now I have been writing about my struggles with this disorder, [...]

October 18, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 27 – Go Easy On Yourself

I have been getting a lot of emails about Tourette’s Syndrome from people who are being broken by it. Just as telling are the statistics I check every so often to see which keywords people are using to find my blog. They are becoming increasingly Tourette’s related. In the past two months people have typed [...]

October 7, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 26 – Tics In Children

A couple of days ago I got to spend some time with a lot of Tourette’s kids. (Note, this is the most common way to spell Tourette’s–I’m seeing a lot of ‘terrets’ out there recently) Seeing tics in childrenand Tourettes in children is not easy for me, especially when I can tell it bothers them. [...]

August 4, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 25 – You Have Earned A Vengeance Voucher

Something happened this week that I never could have predicted.  Without going into too many details: I was in a situation where another person with Tourette’s Syndrome was within earshot of me for several hours. In my experience, when two tickers get together, they set each other off and create a spastic din that dwarfs [...]

June 17, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 24 – Two Days Without Tics

Life is good, my friend. Despite the manic birds that start tweeting outside my window at 4 every morning, life is good. If you have ever put together a bunch of  sleepless nights in a row, you know that you can become accustomed to something as horrible as being tired, lethargic, and slow. If it [...]

May 27, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 23 – Nothing Wrong With Normal

Note from Josh on comments: In the comments, debate is welcome, criticism is fine, but personal attacks will be deleted. I am the most normal person I know. You might be tempted to argue, but bear with me. Recently, a friend wrote to me and asked some questions. She mentioned several people she knows who [...]

May 13, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 22 – Every Second Is A Choice

This past Friday I was in the dentist’s chair getting a tooth repaired. On the TV in the ceiling, the Joker said, “Because if you’re good at something, you don’t do it for free.” The music in the office was truly wretched, Muzak that somehow managed to get through the whine of the drill and [...]

May 5, 2010 READ MORE →

How To Have Tourette’s Part 21 – Kapow! Sock! Wham!

I’ve spent the last 24 hours tottering around with tiny little Geisha steps. I put the toe of one size 14 next to the heel of the other, then kind of lurch forward and catch myself before reversing position. The recent triumphs of 8400 seconds, Sitting Here In Silence, and The Science of Happiness have [...]

April 28, 2010 READ MORE →