Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month: Let's Talk Co-Morbids

I have mentioned co-morbids several times in the past, and I thought it was time to explain more about what co-morbids are and how they affect those with Tourette Syndrome.  Co-morbids are other medical conditions (neurological, psychological, or behavioral) that can appear alongside a main condition, such as Tourette Syndrome.  You might see a person with TS state that they have TS+, a term used to generalize the diagnosis of TS with co-morbids.  Knowing more about co-morbids can help us to gain a better understanding of how much those with TS struggle to overcome just to function on a daily basis.

There are several types of co-morbids that can exist for those with TS.  Below are a few examples.  Please keep in mind that there could be more conditions not described here.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Intrusive thoughts, ritualized behavior, OCD related anxiety

Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and other non-OCD related anxiety

Mood Disorders: Disorders such as bi-polar and depression

Attention Deficit Disorder:  ADD or ADHD

Autism Spectrum Disorders:  Asperger's and other forms of autism

Rage Attacks:  These can also be known as 'meltdowns' or 'storms'

Sensory Disorders:  Sensory Processing Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder

P.A.N.D.A.S.:  TS+ symptoms that can be related to infections such as strep

Sleep Disorders:  For example, insomnia

Other Learning Disorders:  Dyslexia, dysgraphia, discalculia, and more

Comorbid Conditions & Tourette Syndrome

Today is day 8 of Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month, which (as I've stated in a previous post) runs from May 15 to June 15.  I want to take the opportunity today to share a little about comorbid conditions.  I've used the term many times in the past, yet I've still received a lot of question about the term "comorbid".  It seems that what throws most people off is the word "morbid", which is most commonly thought of as "gruesome" or "unwholesomely gloomy".  Dictionary.com gives four definitions for the word "morbid", including the two more common definitions I just mentioned.  However, it can also mean "affected by, caused by, causting, or characteristic of disease" or "pertaining to diseased parts".  In the case of co-morbid conditions, it would be more the "affected by,..." definition.

Comorbid condition of Tourette Syndrome can include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bipolar, depression, anxiety, and rage. They can also include learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia.  In many cases, these comorbid conditions are actually harder on the individual with TS than the actual tics are.

It is important to remember that these can appear together but do not always.  Some people may have one or two comorbids with their TS, some may have none, some may have many.  Like the difference in tics, it seems that you can have a room full of ticcers and not see a completely matching list of comorbids between two individuals.  It is also important to realize that just because a child exhibits one of the comorbids, it doesn't mean that the child has Tourette Syndrome.  A child with ADHD could just have ADHD.  A child with OCD could just have OCD.  These are all conditions that can occur on their own or along with other conditions.