h he states it still makes him self-conscious (Rowley 76). Rowley also states that she knew a man who had TS for 45 years before he found out what it was by watching a PBS special (76). Remarkably this was not the only case in which I came across of a diagnosis by watching TV. And the website called, A doctor in your house.com, states that more people realize they have TS from watching television than from consulting a physician. Symptoms seem to range from the very mild to the most severe and in certain situations that vary from one case to the next. It seems it may be brought on by the stress from being in public or some just stress in any form. It seems that nearly every child with TS can tell you heart-breaking stories of being ostracized by their peers, taunted, teased, and isolated. Childish cruelty is a reality that many Tourette kids must deal with on a daily basis. The Tourette Syndrome Association encourages children and parents to talk about their TS with their friends and classmates. They urge them to give a short talk to their class about what their specific condition is like and that way there is an understanding. This makes a lot of sense and will help to make them feel more comfortable (TSA).The media has also found a fascination with Coprolalia. It has been featured in movies such as, Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo, and What About Bob. Leading to the image of Tourette syndrome as the “cursing disease”. This is misleading as only a minority actually ever develops it. In this case the public’s image is largely due to media fascination with the more extreme or unusual cases. Some with Tourette find that difficult to watch. In this case a woman with Tourette finds it offending when a comment in the movie, What about Bob, strikes her anger. “I count it personally offensive for his lead character to have told the child in the movie that having Tourette was worse than dying” (Rowley 23...
