A messsage from John Davidson to our younger members...
Making a difference!
Having Tourette's when you're young is hard, especially on top of all the usual problems being young brings.
The last thing we want, is to be given a label and to be seen as being different from everyone else around you.
All we want is to be understood and to be accepted for who we are, but HOW, you might find yourself asking on a regular basis.
Within society there is so much ignorance towards TS and the associated problems that are connected to the condition. So how do we try to take away people's ignorance?
Well, firstly, ignorance is created with lack of knowledge and understanding, so what we need to do is stand up and tell people what it's really like to live with a condition that's not well understood. We need to educate our friends, our teachers, our neighbours and our peers, so that we can gain empathy, not sympathy, so that we are able to bring the best out within ourselves.
Secondly, we need to overcome our own fears and anxieties about Tourette's, so that WE can accept our condition and allow people to see that we are no different from the next and that if we can be understood and be made to feel respected as members of society, we can therefore allow all of our own special qualities to be uncovered.
WE ARE ALL PLAYING IN THE SAME TEAM, SO LET'S GET TOGETHER AND MAKE IT THE BEST TEAM THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN!
It is my belief, that together we WILL make a difference.
All the best.
Johnny D