School Experiences

Posted Thu 8th Sep 2016 at 08:13
by Charlotte Rushton

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The first day of any school year is a particularly poignant moment for many students – new teachers and students, new books, and most of all, a year older and closer to the top of the school. For me, that first day of the new year was also a marker for the beginning of the end, as I am now in Year 13, the last year of school. So, in this post, I am going to talk about my school career, and will cover both the good and the bad, as well as my journey to where I am now.

When I started in Year Seven, aged eleven, I had no signs of tics, anxiety or anything even remotely similar. I made some amazing friends very quickly, and, apart from a nosebleed and my skirt falling down on the first day, everything went smoothly. Troubles started when I got my first tic – severe cramps in both legs. I won’t go into details about my tic progression over the years – that is all in my first post. Needless to say, my tics got worse, and by the time I was nearing the end of Year Eight, things were starting to get really bad. I was thirteen at the time, starting to experience puberty and unbalanced hormone levels, and finding it hard to cope with tics and a medication that didn’t suit me. I spiralled into a severe depression, which lasted for nearly a year. My tics were at their worst during this time, for example, my Mum often counted me ticcing eighty times in fifteen minutes at the dinner table. I was scared to go to school, for no reason; after all, my school always has been a huge source of support for me, for which I am eternally thankful. For thirteen year old me, however, the combination of severe Tourette’s, the ever-present thoughts of tests and exams, and what was rapidly emerging to be an anxiety disorder, made me believe that school was something to be scared of. However, even when I only got into school for one or two lessons, I still went in, and that is where, I think, things began to turn around and due to the continual support of my family, friends, and as mentioned earlier, school, I made it through that part of my life. Of course, I didn’t improve over night – in fact, just six months before I took my GCSEs in the summer of 2015, my parents were having to think about pulling me out of school. I carried on, however, and am now in Year 13, completing my A-Levels. In May, I was made Head Girl of my school, a role I hope to fulfil to the same standard as the school met when helping me. If I get anywhere near that standard, I will be happy.

As my Mum likes to say, everything in life happens for a reason. If I hadn’t got Tourette’s and had such a bad year, perhaps I wouldn’t be able to be as resilient and determined as I am. Perhaps I wouldn’t have found my passion for writing, which in turn wouldn’t have resulted in the play that is being produced at my school being written by me. Most of all, perhaps I wouldn’t be able to look back now and see how far I’ve come, be able to recognise all the good stuff in my life, and be proud of myself.

So, whether you are a Tourette’s sufferer of any age, a parent or guardian, a teacher, a friend, or even someone who has no links to Tourette’s or any other illnesses, remember to look back sometimes and be proud of what you have achieved. Support those around you; after all, no one has a trouble-free life. Try to see the positive side to every situation. As an ancient proverb says, “success isn't how far you have got, but the distance you have travelled from where you started”.

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