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A woman with Tourette's syndrome has opened up about the challenges it can create when it comes to intimate moments.
Thirty-year-old Anita has lived with Tourette's for as long as she can remember, and says she even had tics before she was able to speak. You can see her talk about it here:
Despite showing clear signs of Tourette's, Anita said she was told by doctors ‘three or four times’ that there was nothing wrong with her and that was most likely ‘looking for attention’ and would grow out of it.
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Obviously, that didn’t happen and Anita and when she was in her early 20s she went to the hospital and demanded that medics get to the bottom of her tics.
When she was 27, Anita finally got her official diagnosis and her ‘life started’ - but the diagnosis doesn’t mean that Anita’s life suddenly became problem free.
Opening up to UNILAD for its Minutes With series about the potential to ruin an intimate moment, Anita said: “When I focus and fixate on something without distraction, the tics go away.
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"Weirdly… maybe I shouldn’t bring this up but I’m going to anyway… sex is one of those things.
“A lot of people who have Tourette's tend to report that they have fewer tics, or none, during sex. But the thing about that is, that’s because it engages your focus so it only applies to good sex, which is really f***ing brutal.
“Because I’ve never hurt a guy’s ego more than simply going [pop] during an intimate moment.
“And I have had tics… like, I punched a dude in the d**k and he stayed with me for five years after that, so he was a champ.” Sounds like a keeper to me.
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Having absolutely no control over her tics means that Anita has taken to telling taxi drivers that she has Tourettes so not to worry if she suddenly shouts ‘cats’ while they’re driving.
But ‘cats’ isn’t the only thing she needs to worry about blurting out mid-journey.
Anita revealed that she’s taken to introducing herself to cabbies by saying: “Hi, I have Tourette's, if I shout ‘cats’, don’t slam the brakes. If I offer you a fisting, don’t try to make me up on the offer.”
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Thankfully, Anita said most people take the rather unusual introduction quite well and that it’s a good way to break the ice.
Topics: Health, Life, Sex and Relationships
Claire Reid