An Update on Self Esteem for People with Tourette Syndrome

I read an article from the Tourette Syndrome website in the USA about uplifting your self- esteem. I talked about it before and i decided to post this entry as a follow-up about that personally because I find this also very relevant. Furthermore, the information that i will be sharing with you came from a TS diagnosed himself, Paul Devore, who despite his struggles about Tourette syndrome managed to become so successful in his life.

In the article, he wrote many things about himself but what I want to share are the tools that he enumerated to help build self- esteem. According to him, the following are the tools that you can use.

1. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE
Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses.

2. SET OBJECTIVES
Find and set the importance goals in your life.

3. BRING VALUE TO OTHERS
Focus on the positive, hang out with winners!

4. THINK OPTIMISTIC
Surely bad things happen in this world, but respond positively to it!

5. IMPROVE THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOOD AT

There may be other ways by which you can improve or enhance your self- esteem, you might be able to get the strategies deep down inside you. Another thing that struck me through reading his article was when he said that "SCHOOLS TEND TO FOCUS ON THE WEAKNESS".
He said that this might be different today but for many years this has been the tendency. The author claimed that when he was in grade school, he couldn't draw much. His teacher was always giving him exercises to work on his drawing skills. Most teachers go away with the weakness by letting the student work on something that possibly might not be his or her interest at all. The end result is forgetting about what the student is really good at that could be used to his full advantage. Paul Devore even said and I quote:

"...if we focus on those things we’re good at and we like, we have a possibility, the potential, to not only enjoy our life but to develop a passion for what we do. And that is, a passion is, how you become excellent at something."

6. PROJECT YOUR BEST QUALITIES
Take pride in your strengths, accept compliments

7. NEVER MAKE A PROMISE UNLESS YOU CAN KEEP IT
According to Paul , this is a credibility builder. This will also build your reputation for other people.

8. CHANNEL PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF LAYERING THEM
Don't waste time thinking about problems one after the other (layering), instead focus on each one, assess and give solutions to it until you have one problem solved (channeling). Take your time into it.

9. LEARN AND GROW
"How can you make life better for people with Tourette Syndrome? Give praise to others at every opportunity. You deserve high self-esteem. You don’t have to be perfect. There is no need for perfection. You don’t have to be good at everything. Just make the best of your strengths. Reduce the focus on your weakness. Identify and work on your unique abilities. Pursue them and achieve great things. Feel good about who you are because you are terrific."

I Don't Think Tourette Syndrome's Funny

A Letter for a Grateful Mother

A letter surprised me from my inbox this morning. I got pretty excited again to think that TAWM site and my drive for TS awareness in the Philippines (PTSA) has been serving its purpose.

Here goes my reply:

Hello Ms. Cynthia. I am very grateful that there are people like you who are appreciating the work that I’m doing here in TAWM site and in behalf of all the PTSA heads and members. I may not be able to relieve your pain of dealing with TS eversince your child has been diagnosed to have it but by understanding and believing in it, I hope I can make it possible for you to bear it. Your experiences and struggles are the same as those people who are also dealing with TS themselves. You are not alone. Being a parent of a kid with TS is truly not a simple task. The confusions and assumptions before the diagnosis are already challenges. Moreover, upon diagnosis and the managements after the diagnosis are great challenges furthermore.

I admire you for educating yourself about the disorder. This is what we all need prior, during and after diagnosis. Everybody needs to know if not a lot, even a little about the disorder. This will help us understand the facts instead of placing our judgements on misconceptions. I would just like to remind you to keep doing that and learn about TS in all perspectives (medical, psychological, behavioral, etc.) In that way, your ideas will not be single-focused. It is important for the TS- diagnosed to be understood in all levels.

Please continue to be an active member of PTSA network. Although, we are buds in this endeavor, through yours and the other members’ help, the possibilities are endless.

Regards to you and your family, and I’m looking forward to see you in all of PTSA’s future activities.

Micronesia Update

1st Picture: Marlon and I posing together with Leske's Mom and Grandfather

2nd Picture: Leske and his mom with the two registered nurses of St. Lukes Medical Center

3rd Picture: Leske and Family

I had a previous post about my new friend from Micronesia. I just want to share the pictures that we had at St. Lukes Pediatric Suite where Leske, the kid who was diagnosed with TS, chose the Philippines to have medical assistance regarding Tourette. They were surely taken cared of with all the assessments and lab works they underwent. They went back to Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia as satisfied foreign customer last September 24.

To leske and family, thank you for choosing the Philippines. You guys are always welcome to come back.

TS is Not a Hindrance to Success

Being a proud friend that I am, I would just like to share with you some insipring experiences of Marlon, a filipino with Tourette syndrome. Marlon went through the usual challenges as a kid, teenager and now an adult in dealing with tourette syndrome.

As a kid, sometimes he was being reprimanded for doing the tic. As a result, he would often suppress to please his parents. It became more difficult for him as the suppression just worsen tic occurences.

As a teenager, he would feel shameful about doing the tics in public. He felt like most of the time, he was forced to explain the reasons behind the tic just so other people could understand and not judge. That scenario became usual that he came to a point where he got tired to just let other people know that he was suffering from a disorder called Tourette syndrome.

As an adult, he understood the disorder even better because of his drive to read more about TS. But as years passed by, managing his own disorder just reached Marlon's limit. He stopped taking medications in 1993. But from that time on, Marlon did not let his disorder stopped him from where he wanted to be.

Truly TS is not a hindrance to success. Marlon is already a band member of a popular band called 3rd avenue. They have been having Mall Tours, radio and tv shows, bar gigs and others. Marlon may be an inspiration to kids who are just beginning to discover their condition. This is just a reminder that TS is never really a hindrance to your dreams. Don't stop dreaming!
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Article appeared in www.marlonbarnuevo.multiply.com