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A woman with Tourette's Syndrome has revealed what it's like to travel on public transport with the condition, sharing her experience to raise awareness of it.
You can watch the video below:
Zara – who goes by @zeezee25 on TikTok – took to the video sharing platform to post a video, reflecting her reality of travelling on a bus with tourettes.
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"Public transport is a RARE occurence for me, but when I do have to travel this is how stressful it can be," she explained.
In the video, Zara can be seen standing up on a bus, as she experiences a number of different tics.
As the video continues, Zara explains she's becoming more and more anxious, as other people on the bus begin to look and stare.
"I hope no-one asks me questions," she explains. "Thanks a lot tourettes."
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In the comments section, Zara added that the risks associated with her tourettes can sometimes be worrying. She said: "I have to be super careful in public as i have been shouted at before and obviously at more risk of being assaulted etc."
Tourette's syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements – these are referred to as tics.
Tourettes usually begins during childhood, and the tics can improve or go away completely. While there's no cure for Tourette's syndrome, treatment can help manage symptoms.
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Examples of physical tics include blinking, eye rolling, shrugging, jumping and jerking, meanwhile vocal tics can include grunting, swearing, whistling, making animal sounds or saying random words and phrases.
Many followers on Zara's page took to the comments to thank her for raising awareness of such a challenging part of living with the syndrome.
One person asked: "I appreciate you sharing these experiences, Zara. If I were to see someone experiencing something similar, would it be helpful to sit with them and try to make friends? I always want to reduce anxiety if possible but never intend to be rude or judgemental."
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While another wrote: "I feel like people need to realize Tourette’s is a thing and they need to get over it."
And another asked: "So if we see this. Is there a way me as a stranger can provide comfort or be friendly so they don’t feel alone?"
You can find out more over on Zara's TikTok.
Lucy Devine