WJ #11 Reaction to Sedaris

"A plague of tics" is exactly how I can explain living with that condition; a plague. Through my entire life I have struggled with impulse tics, and Sedaris captures what it is like to live with the disorder. The way the boy talks about the complicated processes that he goes through each day made me remember a time in my life where I had very little control over my own tics. Sedaris states, "a person had to do these things because nothing was worse than the anguish of not doing them." The aches that I would go through if I did not satisfy the tics was unbearable and prompted me to shake my head, open my mouth, or roll my eyes. My childhood consisted of frequent doctor visits and diagnosis for what new types of pills I should take to try and subdue the tics. Needless to say, I was very similar to the boy in the story. However, my family was always supportive, and understood that I could not control some of the things I was doing. I felt so terrible for the boy in the story because I could not imagine ever getting over the disorder without the love and support of my family; in particular my mother. The way his mother was making fun of the boy's condition to his teachers made me sick to my stomach. Although tics can be terrible at a young age, they do become more subtle and controllable as you get older. I had a problem with controlling my tics up until high school where I was able to start gaining a mental advantage over my impulses. It was very interesting how the boy started to gain control in college after being introduced to drugs, drinking, and smoking. It is particularly interesting to me, because I was also able to shed my habits through experiencing with drugs, smoking, and alcohol. Overall, this story was perfectly written and really summarized what its like to live with tics and habits on a daily basis. Reading this story made me feel better about my life, because it showed me that I was not the only kid to encounter such problems. This story is encouraging to any child who currently suffers with their tics because, you CAN and WILL get better. It just takes time.