Corprolalia-The Dark Side Of Tourette Syndrome

According to the Tourette Society, less that five percent of individuals with Tourette Syndrome have a rare and misunderstood symptom called Corprolalia. This is defined as involuntary swearing or the involuntary utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks. As fate would have it, I suffer from these bizarre outbursts, and have been socially isolated and imprisoned in my own home as a result. I find it interesting and frustrating at the same time, that as America preaches racial equality and empathy for their fellow man, that I am being segregated for an illness I was destined to have as I developed in my mothers womb. Just as a person wants equal treatment despite his or her skin color, don't I deserve the same consideration for actions that are beyond my control? When someone sees a person with an affliction such as Muscular Dystrophy, Downs Syndrome, or mental retardation just to name a few, those affected individuals are generally given respect and consideration? But anytime I go in public, uncomfortable situations always occur. It may be the person that stares at me from around the corner and laughs, or the child that says "whats wrong with that weird man, or the person that blatantly says "you had better not be talking to me". Either way, the situations make me feel unwanted, further lower my already fragile self esteem, or make me angry and self defensive. I have tried to educate these ignorant individuals about my condition and convince them that my outbursts are beyond my control, but the end result is generally a blank stare or even a provocation of a fight . As bizarre as Corprolalia may be, why can't people understand that Tourette's is a real illness, and give me the same consideration that the aforementioned people are given? The forefathers of our great country wrote a constitution that gives every American several liberties, one of which is freedom of speech. It is a double standard; however, that one can say as they please, curse when they are angry, or even refer to one another with racial slogans. But when these same words involuntarily come from my mouth, everyone within hearing distance wants to censor me. This issue is just one of many that makes living with Tourette Syndrome unbearable. If everyone would get to know me for who I am without judging me based on my condition, they would find that I am a great person of reasonable intelligence, and would make a true and loyal friend. Maybe people shun me because they fear what they don't understand. Whatever the reason; however, it makes for a miserable and lonely life. I pray that the world will become more understanding of my condition before I stay home permanately and become totally disconnected from society. Maybe it's partially my fault for not doing more to promote public awareness of TS, but even if I made that my primary objective in life, there would always be the ignorant naysayers. So I will continue to stay at home and spare the public from the dreaded words that they themself use so freely. Maybe one day the world will become a place where Tourette Sufferers can enjoy the same liberties that "normal" people come to expect. But will that happen in my lifetime? The unfortunate answer is no.