Tourette's syndrome is a genetic and hereditary condition where people have uncontrollable vocal and physical tics. This differs for each person and that’s why the spectrum is also very broad. Roy Roos, customer service employee at VodafoneZiggo: “I have a relatively mild form, but there are also people with a severe variant, as a result of which they can no longer function normally in society.”
Shouting in class
Roy’s tics started when he was at primary school. “I felt the uncontrollable urge to shout out in class or at home, and also had a blinking tic and spontaneous arm and shoulder movements. I was ultimately diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome by a child psychiatrist. Since then, I have been prescribed a variant of Ritalin, which ensures that my blood pressure is lowered, as a result of which I become calmer and I can concentrate better.
Stress = more tics
For the most part, his condition doesn’t constitute an impairment, but there are exceptions. Roy: “In general, I can handle my tics in everyday life and during my work very well. I only develop considerably more tics if I go through a longer period of stress. And lots of shoulder tics, for example, can cause pain in the long run. Consequently, I can end up in a vicious circle, because if I feel that pain, it’s difficult for me not to focus on that and I therefore have an extra stress factor.
No hindrance
Regarding the role that Tourette's syndrome plays in his work at the customer service centre in Nijmegen, he says: “My team leaders see that my condition does not hinder my customer contact and my performance. My colleagues know about it and deal with it in a relaxed way. My Tourette's syndrome also doesn’t play a major role in my telephone conversations with customers. People usually ignore my audible tics and if they do ask about it, I simply explain it.”
Opportunities and understanding
Roy can confirm that a condition does not play any role in terms of the opportunities that you are given at VodafoneZiggo: “I have moved on to various positions within a year, including adviser and analyst. That says a lot about the opportunities that you are given here. Moreover, there is also flexibility and understanding, for example if I’m not feeling so good and I let my team leader and colleagues know.”
Adjusting the image
The image that exists in society when it comes to Tourette's syndrome could do with being adjusted in Roy’s opinion: “The focus in television programmes is often placed on the severe variants with lots of tics and swearing. That has to do with the entertainment value I think. I believe that more attention should be paid to the milder variants and the fact that the condition often goes hand in hand with autism, ADD, ADHD, bipolar disorders, compulsive behaviour or obsessive thinking and depression. That would increase understanding in society.”
Scatman
Nevertheless, humour is important concludes Roy: “I can really be doubled up with laughter with my friends when I have a certain tic. Thanks to my tics, I’ve been given nicknames like ‘Scatman’, ‘Beatboxer’ and ‘R2D2’. Life is a lot easier if you can see the humour in your own condition.
More information can be found on the website of Tourettes Action https://tourette.org/
