Tic Mythology 17 - Being Wound Up

Individuals with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) often experience increased anxiety and challenges related to higher levels of anxiety. When we talk about “problems with anxiety” what we usually mean is the response to the anxiety, not anxiety itself (similar to how allergies are a “problem with the immune response” not the immune system itself).
As a result, individuals with TS may appear to be “wound up” or “stressed out” - they will often exhibit perfectionistic behavior, higher frustration, lower patience, and rapid responses. These things can actually all be useful in some situations, but the brain doesn’t typically do a good job of figuring out when it should and should not use those things, so individuals with TS are likely to develop anxiety about their anxiety and become more impatient in how they react with others. This can manifest as higher irritability and anger outbursts, which are certainly frustrating for everyone!