6 Myths About Tourette’s and Why They’re More Harmful Than the Disorder

Many people are aware of neurodivergent conditions, but so few of us truly understand them. Tourette’s syndrome is a good example of this. It is one of the most recognized neurodivergent conditions, but often for the wrong reasons. While many people’s whole knowledge of Tourette’s is that it causes uncontrollable swearing, this is a very small part of the syndrome. Focusing on this one element creates misconceptions that can be potentially just as damaging for people with Tourette’s as the condition itself. 

Here are six common misconceptions about Tourette’s and the real harm they can cause. 

1. “Tourette’s Is a Swearing Disease”

This is the idea that so many people revert to when they’re asked to describe Tourette’s, and it’s these types of myths about Tourette’s that cause harm.

The involuntary use of bad language is actually classed as a condition called Coprolalia and affects around 1 in 10 people with Tourette’s.¹ This means that the vast majority won’t exhibit this behavior, and instead, experience motor tics like eye blinking or vocal tics like throat clearing.

It’s not difficult to see why this myth is so widespread, as the use of obscene or inappropriate language in public gets real attention. People are much more likely to remember the odd occasion where they do encounter someone with Coprolalia than if they met a person with a throat-clearing tic.

The media portrayal of this side of Tourette’s doesn’t help the situation either. Research shows that online videos that focus on the coprolalia side of Tourette’s received significantly more views than well-rounded and more accurate portrayals of Tourette’s.² The result is a version of Tourette’s that exists in the public imagination but has very little in common with how most people actually experience the condition.

2. “People Can Control Their Tics if They Try Hard Enough”

Some people with Tourette’s can temporarily suppress their tics, but the effort required to do so is enormous. It creates an escalating internal pressure, known as a premonitory urge, which has been compared to holding back a sneeze.¹ When the person eventually gives up on trying to suppress the tics, they can return with even greater intensity.¹

This misconception causes genuine harm to those with Tourette’s. Research has found that a lot of people with Tourette’s reported that their tics were dismissed as faked, or attention seeking, and for those in school, sometimes resulted in punishment.³

Researchers use the term “dysvoluntary” to help describe actions that can technically be delayed but are difficult to resist.⁴ This kind of distinction is incredibly important as it moves the conversation away from a lack of willpower, towards neurology, which is where it belongs.

3. “Tics Reveal What a Person Is Really Thinking”

When someone with Tourette’s says something offensive, it’s understandable that the people around them assume it reflects their real thoughts. But this gets the neurology completely backwards, as tics can compel people to say precisely what they most want to avoid.

Taboo words are more strongly encoded in the brain’s emotional and language networks, which makes them more likely to surface as tics.⁵ Jess Thom, a Tourette’s advocate, illustrated the point perfectly on her blog: 

“When I visited the American Embassy recently to get a visa, I ticced “Shoot me in the foot” as soon as I saw the armed police. I wasn’t thinking about them consciously, but their presence triggered an automatic and lightning-fast response from my brain.”⁶

This experience shows two things in particular: the first is that tics cannot be controlled, and the second is that what’s being said is not always true.

4. “Tourette’s Is a Mental Illness”

Tourette’s is classified as a neurological and neurodevelopmental condition, which is distinct from a psychiatric illness. Research has shown that Tourette’s is linked to how certain parts of the brain are structured and how brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin work.⁷

But this misconception doesn’t come from nowhere. Tourette’s syndrome frequently co-occurs with psychiatric conditions, and this is where confusion often sets in. Studies show that more than five in six children with Tourette’s have at least one additional condition, usually in the form of ADHD or OCD.¹

But still, treating Tourette’s as a psychiatric problem leads to a misunderstanding of both what causes it and what kind of support may actually help.

5. “Everyone With a Tic Has Tourette’s”

Tics are much more common than most people realize, and the majority of them are temporary. For example, a child who develops a brief period of blinking or throat clearing doesn’t necessarily have Tourette’s. Assuming so can lead to negative outcomes like misdiagnosis of Tourette’s or unnecessary concern for loved ones.

Tics exist on a spectrum, with provisional tic disorder lasting less than a year, and persistent tic disorder, which involves a tic lasting over a year.⁸ For Tourette’s specifically, a person must have at least two motor tics and at least one vocal tic that are present for more than a year.⁸

Confusing general tics with Tourette’s can cause real problems in both directions. It can lead to children being labeled with a condition they don’t have, but it can also mean that those with genuine Tourette’s have their diagnosis questioned, as their presentation doesn’t match what others expect.

6. “Tourette’s Is a Childhood Condition You Grow Out Of”

Tics typically peak between the ages of 10 and 12 and may decrease in late adolescence.⁹ This has led to the assumption that Tourette’s is something you “grow out” of. But this doesn’t happen for everyone, and research shows that for some people, symptoms persist into adulthood.⁹

This means that adults with Tourette’s can be left without the support they need because the people around them assume the condition has been resolved.

If you’re an adult living with Tourette’s and you’ve been told you should have grown out of it by now, that’s not a reflection of your experience. It’s a reflection of how poorly the condition is understood by others.

How to Educate Others About Tourette’s

Dealing with stigma in Tourette’s can feel exhausting, especially when the same misconceptions keep coming up with different people. But some people living with the condition have found that taking an active role in educating others about Tourette’s makes a real difference to how they’re treated in their own lives. Here are some practical approaches that you can try for yourself.

Give Simple Explanations

The general public doesn’t have a strong understanding of Tourette’s beyond what they’ve seen on screen. This means that if the situation calls for it, a short and clear explanation of what your tics are and why they happen can go a lot further than you might expect.

One advocate described how, instead of apologizing for his tics at work, he started lightly explaining his condition to those around him. He noted that when his colleagues and managers started to understand his condition, everything changed for the better.¹⁰

Remember That Not Every Situation Requires an Explanation

You don’t owe everyone you meet a detailed explanation, and not every situation calls for one. But when someone is going to be around you regularly, like a new friend, a brief conversation early on can prevent misunderstandings from building. 

The Tourette Association of America describes self-advocacy for neurodiverse adults as the ability to communicate your own needs effectively.¹¹ Nobody knows those needs better than you do, so you can decide if and when an explanation is needed.

Correct Myths About Tourette’s if They Appear

If someone assumes your tics are voluntary or that you can stop them if you try, a calm correction can be a lot more effective than frustration, even when frustration is justified. Something as simple as “My tics are neurological and I can’t control them” gives the other person the information they need without it turning into a confrontation.

Connect With Others With Tourette’s

Support groups and online communities can provide a space where you don’t have to explain yourself at all. But they can also be a great source of language and strategies that make educating others easier. Hearing how someone else handles a situation you’ve been struggling with can give you tools you didn’t know you needed.

AMFM: Expert Support for Adults With Neurodivergent Conditions

If you’ve experienced distress related to Tourette’s or the misconceptions around it, that’s something to take seriously. Conditions like ADHD or OCD commonly co-occur with Tourette’s, meaning it’s not necessarily the Tourette’s that needs treatment, but possibly the mental health conditions that can sit alongside it.

A Mission For Michael provides treatment for many of the conditions associated with Tourette’s, including ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression. If you’ve been managing the psychological weight of living with Tourette’s without support, or if a co-occurring condition has started to affect how you function day to day, our team can help you work through it.

Sometimes the hardest part is knowing whether what you’re dealing with warrants professional support. If it’s on your mind, that’s reason enough to have the conversation. Contact AMFM today, and a member of our team will be happy to talk you through your options.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 22). Five things you may not know about Tourette syndrome. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/articles/five-things-about-tourette-syndrome.html
2. Fat, M. J. L., Sell, E., Barrowman, N., & Doja, A. (2012). Public perception of Tourette syndrome on YouTube. Journal of Child Neurology, 27(8), 1011–1016. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073811432294
3. Martindale, J. M., Chapman, L., Carson, A. J., Reilly, K., Malli, M., Storch, E. A., Salsman, J., & Daniel, S. (2026). Beyond the tics: Experiences of stigma and psychosocial impact in Tourette syndrome. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-026-01965-0
4. Hayden, B. (2011, October 30). Diseases of the free will system. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/the-decision-tree/201110/diseases-the-free-will-system
5. Zito, R. (2026). Taboo tics like shouting curses and slurs are uncommon in Tourette syndrome but people who have them suffer harsh social stigma. https://doi.org/10.64628/aai.t9gd9gsku
6. Oppositional Me. (2020, February 1). Oppositional me. Touretteshero. https://www.touretteshero.com/2020/02/01/oppositional-me/
7. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2023). Tourette syndrome. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/tourette-syndrome
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, February 15). Diagnosis for tic disorders. https://www.cdc.gov/tourette-syndrome/diagnosis/index.html
9. Jones, K. S., Saylam, E., & Ramphul, K. (2021). Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499958/
10. Pagliarulo, J. (2025, October 30). Letter from a CAS member: Navigating Tourette’s, advocacy, and the workplace. Casualty Actuarial Society. https://blog.casact.org/2025/10/30/letter-from-a-cas-member-navigating-tourettes-advocacy-and-the-workplace/
11. Tourette Association of America. (2019, July 23). What is advocacy?https://tourette.org/what-is-advocacy/