Anyone know good books which have main characters who have tics? Tourette's syndrome is also fine, but I already have a series I love for that. Looking for something where the character(s) has something less... defined? known? And I don't know how to look for books where the portrayal would be positive, and I know there are bad stereotypes out there (having run into a few myself).

As a bit of background, I have a case of "tics" (they couldn't find anything better, and it helped to get medication) which is partially controlled with meds, but it's a bit lonely since I don't know anyone else like me. All the support goes to Tourette's, which is understandable because that is by definition more severe, but I would like to see people who have to deal with something that is unclear.

@bobble Do you have a preference for the kind of story? I've got a friend who reads a lot of queer/marginalized/disability romance novels and I'd be surprised if they couldn't recommend at least one or two where somebody with a tic gets a Happily Ever After.

@BESW sci-fi/fantasy appreciated, but anything where the portrayal is positive really

I know romance isn't everybody cup of tea, though personally I came around on it when I learned just how much more variety and nuance there is in the genre than I'd thought.

romance is fine too :) I just don't know where to look. I want them to be happy.

I'll ask around!

There's a series I adore, but one book in it is uncomfortable to read because of a minor antagonist who intentionally inflicts tics on the main character, just to "win" in a game.

Aaaah that's not good

Also the minor antagonist is ostracized for being "weird" and having tics...

it's not a good situation, in sum

Then the only other representation I've found is that one series (Michael Vey), where a standard "boy and friends fight evil adults" is made special by the boy very openly having Tourette's

ahh wrong link

rpg.stackexchange.com/suggested-edits/14739

that one

My friend is looking into it. I'm doing some searching but only finding Tourette's-specific examples so far.

Tourette's is the most known and culturally visible version of tics, yeah

The distinction is that to have Tourette's you must have both vocal and motor tics for over a year. I have a constellation of severe motor tics for over a year, but no vocal tics thus no Tourette's.

Usually I have to explain tics by saying "oh yeah like Tourette's, just no vocal stuff"

thanks for looking, by the way :)

No problem! I'm having an unusually hard time finding useful keywords. "novel" gets me scientific articles about "novel" treatments.

The keyword "fiction" fills the page with "fact and fiction" listicles.

I'm lucky that the first-line drug the neurologist prescribed has worked well enough, so no experimental treatments for me.

(though I guess technically it's experimental in the sense it isn't approved for tics)

Ah, yeah, my dad's Parkinson's treatment included several "Okay so this was made for something else entirely but it's the most effective treatment we've got despite not being approved yet."

Mine is officially for ADHD and high blood pressure

o\ I must go to sleep, but ping me if you find anything.

I can definitely say that finding even just a few series written by and about autistic protagonists has really given me a lot of joy XD

There's something pretty special about media that actually gets things right and doesn't fall into all the stereotypes and stigma

Well made by autistic authors with autistic protagonists whoops XD

@bobble I'm planning on outlining a book/story/something in time for nanowrimo, and part of my intention is to include realistic depictions of these sorts of things. I'm happy to try and include a character with tics if I can make it not feel artificial?

Sure! I can answer questions if you like, though remember that I have just one experience and am not representative of the "normal" profile of someone with tics

I also have several rambles/rants about tics that you may find interesting or not.

Of course, if it ever got published, I hope to pass it by sensitivity readers of all sorts

@bobble I'm confident I'd find them interesting

Would you be interested in how I got diagnosed, or more in daily life?

I may disappear at any moment, but either/or

Or both

mm, here's a tidbit then

The main way they tried to diagnose me was by purposefully triggering all kinds of epilepsy while I was connected to a brain-electrode thingy. I had to skip school and sit in a room while they did flashy lights at my eyes, had me blow on a little pinwheel, etc. Then afterwards they said "well, we didn't find anything, and you don't exactly match tics, but here's your diagnoses anyways"

Hgmm that is interesting

When did they start?

During Summer 2019 I started having involuntary shakes while sitting, but not very often. That progressed to more kinds of and more intense shakes. My mom had me go in (Fall 2019, I think) when I nearly dropped a cup of water. I kept insisting I was fine and that it was really nothing, since I had it in my head it was just something I should deal with alone.

The doctors kept asking if we had a history of neurological problems in my family, but as far as anyone knows I'm the first. (Other than dementia in the very old folks, but that's probably not related)

Hopefully not related

They also did blood tests to confirm I wasn't high, just to check

Heh

Thanks for talking me through that, it's been really helpful and interesting

(that's the start of one time I dealt with a tic attack by talking on SE chat to a friend. feel free to read)

@bobble oh wow

That seems intense and harrowing, if that doesn't sound unfair to say

I haven't had attacks for a while, the meds are working right now

That's excellent

99% of tics are not part of tic attacks. The attacks are just more... memorable.

I bet they are... Crikey

Still not boring? I always worry.

Never, I love learning

So before this conversation, I had planned on something happening (unwanted brain implants) to the main character that would have given them some abilities but without any side effects. Now, I feels like the implants probably would have side effects, but it also doesn't feel like it's respectful to "explain away" tics as a side effect of anything, let along something like that.

What do you mean by "explain away"?

The alternative would be to introduce a character or change the main character to have had tics from before the story began. I'm not sure how to work that in at the moment but I've not fully dismissed it as an idea.

I sort of mean dismiss by explaining it

It's sort of the Sheldon from big bang theory issue? They explain away his social problems but just saying "oh he's just autistic"

Which is a gross misrepresentation of autism

You'd also have to choose if the tics are limited, specific movements (regular tics), or a more general uncontrolled-movements thing (which is what I have).

That I think I could do?

This is my only visual experience with anything tic related:

I'll be back later, going to put a YouTube video on so I can focus on non-fun things like linting our sofa

\o

Surfacing for coffee and cookies

@bobble this was actually part of my eventual autism, or in my case at the time Asbergers, Diagnosis

they thought I had epilepsy because I didn't immediately answer questions when an adult asked me a question

so they thought I was having seizures or something

Ah yes, because all kids are eager to immediately answer questions from any adult

well yes that is a little,... presumptive XD

I read blog by someone with autism, who was asked by a psychiatrist/psychologist if they heard voices in their head. They answered yes, but only as they could hear the doctors voice out loud in their head.

They were definitely misdiagnosed for a while 😕

yeah

there are most likely a lot of examples of kids, autistic or otherwise, who were asked questions by adults and answered too literally

I always feel a little guilty trying to ease into a space meant for people with Tourette's, but there really isn't anything I can find for "regular" tics.

and the adults took the answers too literally too XD

@bobble it feels wrong their hogging the limelight so to speak

@trogdor all too often

They get all the scholarships and research :/

I sent off a form a while back for an adult evaluation of ADHD, so I could get some medication, but I also managed to grab the pages in the form about autism that is suspect I have, and submitted them as well

honestly, the entire way that neurodivergence is treated and diagnosed needs to be subjected to sweeping change

Doctors assured my parents I would "grow out" of tics in a year, apparently having tics for a short time is "normal" for adolescents, especially boys.

that doesn't seem right

I don't remember myself or any of my peers being in that position

There's actually an entirely separate diagnosis for "tics for less than a year" (Transient) than "tics for more than a year" (Chronic)

Officially moving from one to the other, and starting to have tic attacks that interfered with my ability to function, was what led to me finally getting medication

fair enough

@bobble glad you got some meds

I am on a dose of 2.5 pills a day, which is enough unless I'm under stress and then it very much isn't

@bobble That sound unfortunately precarious...?

Stress is a very, very strong trigger for tics, and it also sabotages my usual unconscious suppression so it's doubly bad. Not much I can do about that.

My other triggers include being very cold (shivers lead to tics) and having just had a tic (i.e. they come in waves)

This is all interesting to know

Also super unpleasant obviously

I have a million tiny stories about tics. None of them are good, exactly, but I get used to it. Good for starting conversations at least.

Icebreakers