I want to talk in this post about society’s acceptance and how it is portrayed in the media.
I think that there is a lot of prejudice about people with Tourette that comes mainly from movies that portray Tourette as only with the cursing aspect, but there are more aspects to the Tourette and you almost don't see them in the movies. The cursing aspect of Tourette affects only a small percent of the people that have Tourette and there are many more aspects and varieties of Tourette. Every person has a different aspect of Tourette, and it's rare that there are two individuals with the same aspect of the syndrome. I think that the movies are doing an injustice to people with Tourette and it affects what people think about it. It also fuels the prejudice that people already have about Tourette and doesn’t help the acceptance process of people with Tourette into society.
I saw two movies about Tourette that I will talk about. The two movies are: "In front of the class" and "The road within."
In the movie "The road within," I sympathize completely with the character that is portrayed there and all the things that he says there. I felt like it's a movie on my life and it was a mirror to myself in every aspect. I have great support from my family and friends, but I still have these feelings most of the time. I try to make them vanish when they come and think about all the positive things that I have and have achieved, but it doesn't work all of the time. It sometimes takes time for these feelings to vanish.
The movie "In Front of a Class" is a true story about Brad Cohen, and I think that he is an amazing person who succeeded despite the Tourette. I took a lot of inspiration and strength from this movie: the fact that it is possible for a person with Tourette to have a healthy life and succeed in the goals that he sets for himself.
To be sincere and honest, I had a tough time when I watched both of them and I had to do breaks to relax and gather my mental strength to continue watching. When I looked at the movies, all of the emotion and feelings that I have about my personal experience with Tourette arose, and I couldn't control this whirlpool sensation.
I suggest these movies to everyone and I think these are movies that everyone must see because I believe that these movies transfer the message perfectly of how a person with Tourette feels and his difficulties in blending into society.
I believe that the knowledge of Tourette in Israel is good, but we need to improve in this area. I think that the awareness that the organization of Tourette is creating is excellent, but we need to do more publicity: mainly to promote the personal aspect of dealing with Tourette. I talk freely about it to my friends or people that ask and also in the workplaces or public places. I think if more individuals with Tourette talk about it, society will become better aware of it and it will help the people with Tourette to be a part of the community.
Here are the links to the trailers of the two movies that I mentioned:
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