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cont from
MYTH: Anger and Rage are much more common in TS
These words do not reflect a single
type of behavior. The behavior we label
needs to be further delineated as to what precedes and follows the behavior, how
long the build-up takes, the duration of the episode, and what makes it better
or worse. (This is the same kind of careful analysis we are expected to do with
any symptom.) Although angry episodes can indeed be a major problem for some
persons with TS, many children and adults without TS have bad tempers, too.
Claims that this is more common amongst those with TS, or has unique
characteristics, should be tempered with caution until better information is
available. We are now seeing the ultimate confusion: children or adults referred
without any tic history, but whose outbursts of anger are interpreted as "tic
equivalents." (We might as well interpret any other symptoms or changes as tics
or as related to the still unfound "TS gene," as some authored colleagues do.
Although this seems to satisfy some who would like a complete explanation for
everything, it seems more like spreading a concept to the point where it becomes
scientifically meaningless.)
MYTH: People with TS have a characteristic Personality
Thirty to 35 years ago it seemed generally accepted, as part of
"psychosomatic medicine," that certain diseases or conditions were associated
with a specific type of personality. This idea, attractive to many, has not
disappeared yet, though in most instances it has been rejected by good research.
This includes the "Type A personality" and peptic ulcer (now thought to be
caused by an infection), psoriasis, eczema, epilepsy and ulcerative colitis.
It's worth pointing out that before the mechanism of tuberculosis was known,
the same thing was said about that disease. World literature was full of
descriptions of the relationship of creativity to TB. Might something like this
also be true for TS?
A Final Comment
Diseases that seemed separate have become unified: two examples are scrofula
("the King's evil") and consumption as forms of TB, and shingles as a
manifestation of the chicken pox virus. On the other hand, what once seemed
unitary may end up split into many related or unrelated disorders. At present we
simply do not know enough about the boundaries and overlaps of
Tourette Syndrome,
OCD,
ADHD,
and learning disability (to name a few combinations). Once an inherited disease
or disorder is well understood, we then can know who carries it, how often it is
expressed, and in what ways. For all of our progress, that is still in the
future for TS. In the meantime, the various claims you will hear may be based on
biased samples, personal prejudices, or powerful personal experiences, not good
science. Although efficiency of communication requires short-cuts in our
language, this will continue to create problems if we are not clear about the
certainty of our knowledge.
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Treatment of Tourette Syndrome
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Reviewed: 03/2006
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