Amaranthe

People keep trying my patience. Mainly a blog about what it’s like having Tourette’s [she/her][teen] ask me anything

[louintotheocean]

The neurodivergent experience is talking about your brain as if it's a separate entity from your self

[amaxranthe]

My Tics Aren’t Cute

(Inspired by previous reblog)

When you see me scrunch up my nose “like a little bunny rabbit 🐰 UwU” stop telling me it’s cute. When you see me doing that, chances are I’ve been doing that for atleast an hour since I’ve woken up, and because I’ve been ticcing so hard and so often for so long that my body’s kind of broken, it only takes just about an hour for me to be in a lot of discomfort or most likely pain just from doing a tic.

So no, I don’t find the cause of my pain and psychological torture— because let’s be blunt that’s what Tourette’s is like for a lot of people, to be “cute.”

[marzipanandminutiae]

dear people without Tourette Syndrome

please just…don’t call my tics “cute.” please. few things in this world make me cringe quite so hard

some people don’t mind that sort of thing, and that’s fine. but for me, it feels like you’re complimenting a false impression of me. I’m not one to try and dissociate myself from my TS, but like. that’s not me. it’s not something I did consciously or even something I want

it’s a series of disvoluntary actions and sounds brought on by a neurological disorder. it’s not a reflection of who I am as a person. I’m self-conscious about it, I don’t like it, and people complimenting me on it makes me feel like they think it represents who I am in some way. which, of course, it doesn’t

I don’t have a  lot of angst about the situation. I’m lucky- my tics are quite mild. but please, please don’t do that. it makes me deeply uncomfortable

[howdidthattaste]

Is this a new tic? Fuckin I hope not. - an autobiography

[amaxranthe]

What Tourette’s feels like-- a guide for people who don’t have it

For people who don’t have Tourette’s, I want you to partake in this fun, fresh, and exciting exercise, using my FAVORITE tic as an example.

1. Clear your throat, hard enough that you can hear it. Did you do it? Could you hear it? Okay now,

2. Do it again

3.Do it again

4.Keep doing it and only stop when you’re sleeping, or heavily involved/fascinated with something that it’s enough to distract your brain from sending the signal to do it again.

I think that when people see Tourette’s, they understand that it must be annoying to have to do a vocal tic like clearing your throat or producing a sound, even doing a motor tic is understandable a nuisance, but I don’t think people understand the literal physical toll of it.

Clearing my throat isn’t a big deal, but after doing it for an hour over and over and over again, that ish gets old real quick. My throat gets dry, it feels uncomfortable, it might even start to hurt. After doing it for an entire day, wow that sucked. After doing it every day, every second I’m awake, for 3 months straight, omg put me out of my misery it’s a wonder I even have a voice at all.

I have a tic that makes me roll my eyes. It gets me in trouble obviously with people who don’t know I have Tourette’s, but it also makes my LITERAL EYEBALLS HURT! People without Tourette’s, how often do your eyeballs hurt, just asking as a frame of reference.

People without a motor/vocal tic disorder need to realize that simple things like blinking or throat clearing or wrist flicking become LITERALL HELL when done repeatedly against your will. Blinking is so insignificant to non-ticcers, harmless even. “Oh you have to blink a lot? That’s not so bad.” If I smile, or contort my face in any way (like maybe the sun was too bright and I flinch) my face 9/10 automatically cramps, MY ENTIRE FREAKING FACE CRAMPS, and I’m stuck like that until I can break out of it. When it gets really bad, if I do anything other than have a straight face, BAM instant full face cramp. Can you imagine, can you fathom having your face cramp? And I look stupid too when I do it. If youve ever paused a video in the middle of an actor talking and landed on some funny images, that’s what I look like during a cramp. It sucks, but “BliNKing ISnt THat BAd.” Sure.

Tldr; if you don’t have Tourette’s, don’t downplay someone’s tics. Stuff like blinking or throat clearing may seem harmless, but doing it 24/7 can lead to some real consequences

[disabilityuserboxes]

this user has tourette’s syndrome

[tourettish]

Has this been done yet

[squimshmallow]

Okay, so this has been a long time coming.

I’ve noticed people have begun to headcanon Remus as having Tourettes Syndrome as a way to explain his outbursts and cursing, and like, I know representation matters, but the way people are doing it is harmful to actual people with Tourettes.

Tourettes isn’t just people who say inappropriate things. Tourettes is scrunching up your face, or blinking rapidly, or shaking your hands, or scuffing your feet against the floor, or jerky arm movements, or small squeaks, or clearing your throat, or humming.

Tourettes isn’t just a convenient headcanon for a character who’s inappropriate, and treating it as such is not only extremely upsetting for people with Tourettes, but it also spreads the idea that Tourettes is a bad thing.

Tourettes is more than blurting curses or being nasty. Tourettes is people crying because their ticks take everything out of them, but they still can’t stop, because it’s involuntary, and they have to ride it out until their muscles are so sore that they burn and ache the next day.

Tourettes is also people getting anxious for a test and clicking their tongue, and having to be escorted from the room for a private place where they won’t disrupt their classmates.

Tourettes is parents heading into the earliest opportunity to meet a teacher, and sitting the teacher down to explain their kids ticks and explaining what times they need to take their medicine and the proper way to calm their child during an episode so they don’t work themselves up badly.

Tourettes is doctors keeping in mind that their patients are more likely to have things like anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder.

Tourettes is people who hit 20 and their ticks are gone, while others are 50 and still experience them.

Tourettes is getting asked, “Omg, is that why you curse?” and having to explain that no, your cursing is a choice, much like it is with most people.

Tourettes is not telling your classmates because they start referencing Family Guy and other media that makes fun of people with Tourettes.

Tourettes is also finding out your friend bought you a gift and spending the day squeaking and slapping any flat surface as fast as you can from excitement.

Tourettes is parents knowing when their kids are getting sick, because their ticks increase, and they know to take them to the doctor to get checked out so whatever sickness is going on can be treated.

Tourettes isn’t the ugly thing some of y’all twist it to be, and some people are uncomfortable when they see someone ticking in public, only to assign this headcanon to characters who fit negative stereotypes and say, “I’m so inclusive!”

Stop. If you’re going to headcanon a character with Tourettes, do it correctly, or don’t do it at all.

[dressingupcurves]

EVERYONE needs to feel beautiful ! dissing someone won’t make you feel/look better.

[amaxranthe]

Truth

[amaxranthe]

✨Body positivity is for ALL bodies✨

This isn’t a new development, but I’m just tired of seeing the same people say things like “yass Queen slay...thanks for the 🍰... omg ur so pretty,” on photos of plus-sized women, and then turn around and say “go eat a hamburger...are you anorexic...I’m just worried for you...beanpole...you know you can eat right?” on a skinny girl’s picture.

I know that larger women face more scrutiny in the eyes of society and are constantly shamed, and that shouldn’t be happening at all. No one deserves to be made to feel less than or not worthy of love or affection. Steps absolutely need to be taken to stop this kind of discrimination. I however disagree that the steps that should be taken, are ones that shame girls to lift the self esteem of others.

It truly isn’t helpful to ANYONE to claim body positivity and turn a blind eye when skinny girls are shamed, teased, mocked, or insulted. Yes they’re skinny, but they’re still girls, aka humans, aka living thinking beings with thoughts and feelings and a self esteem.

I’m tired of seeing comments like “it doesn’t matter what I say, she’s skinny and the media loves people like her🙃” Samantha the sixteen year old skinny girl isn’t responsible for what magazines chose to celebrate, and all of societies beliefs don’t originate from her. Her responsibility goes as far as calling out body discrimination when she sees it, and holding perpetrators accountable by not turning a blind eye to it, and of course being accepting of all bodies. SHE CAN NOT CONTROL WHO MASSIVE FASHION LABELS UPHOLD AS THE PERFECT BODY. Ergo, if you’ve been shamed for being overweight, don’t take out your frustration on the nearest skinny girl you see. Don’t do what others did to you, break the cycle.