Remember when I told you that some of my "friends" weren't so tolerant? Well I recently added another to that unfortunate list. It started with a trip to the grocery store.
I was having a bad day, but just couldn't stand being in the apartment any more so Dad took me to the local super market. We go there often and roughly 60% of the staff know me. So I feel pretty safe there.
During check out a woman was ahead of us, and I began Ticing. I yelled "F*ker" a bit and the woman stopped dead in her tracks. My Dad looked at her and told her I have Tourette's. She looked right at me and said, "no you don't." I was stunned. I'd heard of people going through this before; a stranger not believing they had it, but I never was told that.
"Actually, I do." I told her, a little annoyed.
"No, you don't." She scoffed and walked away.
More than a little bothered by that encounter, I went on Facebook and told the story on my timeline. Right away, my FB family told me to not worry, she is just ignorant and I'll probably never see her again. Then my now ex-friend, (let's call her Jane Smith) commented.
'Im sorry, but I don't think you really have Tourette's either.'
I was stunned. Though not entirely surprised, she had been a little more than rude to me before at an anime convention earlier this year. I just never thought she'd say something like that on the Internet where all our friends could see.
'It's not unheard of to experience tics later in life Jane.'
'Alle, you self diagnosed your mutism last year and now you suddenly have severe Tourette's? I don't think so.'
I'd like to take a minute to clear up a few things. Yes I had problems talking in school, I had been through some trauma, and had to suddenly move half way through my senior year. My physiologist knew it was a temporary thing and I worked hard to be able to talk by the end of the year, and I did. I never 'self diagnosed' anything. And I explained that to her. Second I don't have severe Tourette's. I am able to work, able to go to school, able to do anything. I just tic and sometimes need a little extra time to complete tasks. No big deal. I explained this to her as well.
By now my friends from the TS page I joined on Facebook had caught hold of this thread and began giving Jane their two cents as well. 'Where's your support?' 'She met a Nerologist, he diagnosed her, she doesn't need to prove anything to you.'
Jane slowly dug herself a deeper hole by trying to sound smart. She argued that people who see Neurologists have physical handicaps and the proper doctor to diagnose Tourette's is a Speech Tharipist. Yeah. I laughed a little at that.
I then was curious and asked her what she thought the definition of Tourette Syndrome was.
She never replied, but she did unfriend me.
I was sad to loose another friend to ignorance and unwillingness to understand, but I don't have room for people like her in my life
If you have had any similar experiences or comments, please feel free to leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!
Have a tic-tastic day!
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