Billie Eilish shares 'troubling' misconception people have about her Tourette's
Billie Eilish says living with Tourette syndrome (TS) can be 'exhausting', but it's part of who she is.
The 'What Was I Made For' singer, 24, was first diagnosed with TS when she was 11 years old.
The neurological condition causes you to 'make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements (tics)'.
"There is no cure, but treatment can help manage the tics. Tics can involve repetitive sounds (vocal tics) or movements (motor tics) you do not choose to make and cannot control," according to the NHS.
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In a recent episode of Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, the 24-year-old said it can be 'frustrating' when others don't understand it, as Eilish tries to keep her tics 'pretty quiet' during interviews, but it takes 'everything in my power' to do so.
"And as soon as I leave the room, I have to let them all out," she said, describing her condition as 'intrusive thoughts, but your mouth has to say them out loud'.
The Academy Award winning artist said the most 'troubling' part of TS is that people are quick to assume that the tics bother her.
"If I start having a tic attack or whatever, like a lot of tics in a row, ... people are like, 'Are you okay?' You know, this is very much normal," she said.
"It’s like, if you didn’t see me tic today, you’re not looking at my knees, which are tic-ing constantly under this table, and my elbows that are like… I’m clenching my arms the entire time.
"It’s because I’m currently on camera and I’m having a conversation, and I’m trying not to be distracting.
"I’m really doing this the whole time – as much fun as I’m having – I’m doing everything I can to suppress every single tic that’s visible, from the top of my head to [my waist]."
She acknowledged that not everyone with TS has the 'privilege of getting to suppress' the tics.
"That’s how we, as people with Tourette’s, pretty much spend our days. Some people don’t even have the privilege of getting to suppress them at all in any way. The not understanding of that is really frustrating, as a person with Tourette’s," Eilish added.
TS affects an estimated 0.5 percent to one percent of children and adults worldwide.
Symptoms of Tourette syndrome
The NHS says that tics involving sounds may include:
- whistling
- sniffing or clearing your throat a lot
- making animal sounds
- repeating a sound, word or phrase
- swearing (this is rare)
Tics involving movement:
- rolling your eyes or blinking
- shrugging your shoulders
- jerking or twitching movements
- tensing your stomach muscles
- jumping
Topics: Billie Eilish, Celebrity, Music
Anish Vij