Appalled
I've recently been visiting a few TS message boards. I can't believe the number of parents that are giving their kids 3 or 4 medications for their TS. A lot of them are giving meds just for tics. I can understand this practice if the tic is disabling. I got the impression that many of these parents were embarrassed by their child's tics and medicated them in the hope that they would appear "normal".
We have been blessed that Z's tics have been fairly minor. Just normal eye-blinking, eye-rolling, weird noises, throat clearing, hissing, foot thumping, etc, etc, etc. Stay tuned for the tic of the month. We've always tried to deal with tics with a sense of humor.
I'm also upset by the number of parents that are trying to "teach" their child to inhibit their tics. We all know that this only leads to a "rush" of tics, usually at the worst possible time. This "rush" only increases the kid's embarrassment. Inhibiting tics also takes a lot of concentration and Lord knows TS kids don't need to be wasting their limited concentration on this!
Let's all just do our part as parents and encourage our children to be PROUD of themselves; tics and all!!
posted by tshsmom @ 4:05 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Hi there,
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I really admire your decision to homeschool your son - this takes such patience and discipline. I don't know much about TS, but I know a lot about being marginalized and bullied. I wish you and your son and your family all the best in this journey, and I'll keep stopping by to catch up.
I mentioned tics to Gary last night, and he pointed out that even for people without TS, it's tough to be calm and composed ALL THE TIME. He sells insurance and said by the end of the day he's ready to spazz out. So true! You wouldn't expect a kid without TS to be "normal" 24/7, so the parents who are trying to medicate them into normality are actually trying to make their kids super-normal, above-average.
I am a parent how medicates TS in my chid. I did this as it was interfering with his life. I had him on a medication and then tookhim off due to my concerns with that drug. We went to another Dr. and he said medication was right but reduced dosage. My child asked me to please never take it away again. Said it was the only thing he ever took that made him feel "right".
We are not trying to medicate our children out of their issues but rather trying to make a better life for them if we can.
We are all judged so harshly for our children and their challenges it makes me sad to see us judging each other for choices we make.
Medication works like a charm for many kids (it helped me as a teen with depression), but no way should young children be taking adult drugs or adult dosages of drugs. It seems a lot of parents and doctors are abusing the health care system to get what they want out of their kids/patients.
I've had Tourette's for nearly nine years. I'm 19 years old now.
It amazes me how different you and my parents are when it comes to handling Tourette's.
For years my parents thought I had a habit and constantly punished me and yelled at me to stop and be normal.
Even now after I've been diagnosed, I'm still being yelled at (mostly by my dad) to stop and that I could if I really tried.
My father even sometimes mocks me when I have a tic I can't shake for a while. It's embarrassing.
Anyway, I got off topic. What I meant to say was, I admire your parenting! I love my parents to death, but you seem like the type of parent every TS child should have.
~Ashley
ashley_kay1988@yahoo.com
I was wondering how homeschooling is working with your son....I also allow my son to express his tics..Its just part of him and our friends are great, show him alot of respect....But he has thoses days when his mind will not let it work for him...Thanks, I seen that but you know the school....
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