#According to some research ocd is an allergy in the brain

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I am being prescribed psychiatric medicine so potent the viruses just slide off of me

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Gut-Brain Connection: Diet, Serotonin & 3 Books to Read

Gut-Brain Connection:

The gut-brain connection is not anything we need to let go of; it could link anxiety to stomach problems and much more. Have you ever had a "gut-wrenching" experience? Do certain conditions make you "sense nauseous"? Do you feel at times that there are “butterflies" in your stomach? We use those expressions for a reason. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation, all these sorts of feelings are the cause of signs and symptoms in the gut.

The brain has a right way effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very idea of consuming can release the stomach's juices before food gets there. This connection goes each way.

This is specifically true in cases in which a person experiences gastrointestinal dissatisfaction with no obvious physical cause. When it comes to functional GI illnesses, it might be difficult to heal a disturbed gut without considering the influence of stress and emotion.

Gut-Brain Connection Diet:

A few corporations of meals are mainly useful for the intestine-mind axis.

Here are several of the maximum vital ones:

Omega-3 Fat:

These kinds of fats are in oily fish and additionally in excessive portions withinside the human mind. Studies in people and animals display that omega-3s can boom top micro-organisms withinside the intestine and decrease the chance of mental disorders.

Fermented Ingredients:

Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and cheese all include wholesome microbes which include lactic acid microorganisms. Fermented meals had been proven to adjust mind activity.

High-fiber Meals:

Whole grains, nuts, seeds, end result, and greens all incorporate prebiotic fibers which are properly on your intestine microorganism. Prebiotics can lessen pressure hormone naturally in people.

Polyphenol-rich Meals:

Cocoa, inexperienced tea, olive oil, and espresso all include polyphenols, which can be planted chemical compounds that might be digested through your intestine microorganism. Polyphenols boom wholesome intestine microorganisms and can enhance.

Tryptophan-rich Meals:

Tryptophan is an amino acid this is transformed into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Foods that might be excessive in tryptophan consist of turkey, eggs, and cheese.

Gut-Brain Connection Depression:

A disturbed intestine transmits messages to the brain in the same way that a troubled brain does. As a result, stomach or intestinal discomfort might be the result or cause of worry, stress, or melancholy. That's because of the connection of the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system.

Gut-Brain Connection Books:

Title of the Book: The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health: About this book:

A realistic guide in the tradition of Wheat Belly and Grain Brain that decisively demonstrates the inextricable, biological link between brain-spirit, integration neurology with the latest discoveries on the human microbiota.

At some point in our lives, we've all had the sensation of a link between our mind and our gut—a decision we made because it "felt right"; the butterflies in our stomach before a big meeting or it can be the stressful stomach rumbling when we’re stressed out.

While some ancient healing traditions, such as Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, recognize the connection between the gut and the brain, Western medicine has struggled to comprehend the complexity of how the brain, gut, and, more recently, the microbiome (the microorganisms that reside inside humans) communicate Dr. Emeran Mayer, executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress, wrote The Mind-Gut Connection, a groundbreaking look at this emerging science that shows us how to harness the power of the mind-gut connection to take control of our health.

The Mind-Gut Connection is what shows how to keep the brain-gut communication clear and balanced to:

Heal the gut by focusing on a plant-based diet:

Balance the microbiome by eating fermented foods and probiotics, fasting, and cutting out sugar and processed foods;

Promote weight loss by detoxifying and ensuring healthy digestion and maximum nutrient absorption;

Boost the immune system and prevent brain disorders like Parkinson's;

Generate a joyful mindset and reduce fatigue, moodiness, anxiety, and depression.

Also, it prevents and heal GI disorders such as leaky gut syndrome, food sensitivities and allergies, and IBS, as well as digestive soreness such as heartburn and bloating.

Also Read: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Major Causes & Treatments

Title of the Book: The Food-Mood Connection: About this book:

An indispensable guide by surprising foods. This Guide provides everything that is necessary for you to craft a nutritional program focused on optimizing brain health and performance.

Did you realize that blueberries can help you cope with the after-effects of trauma? That eating salami may make you depressed, or that increasing your Vitamin D intake can help you deal with anxiety?

Most people's nutrition concerns revolve around weight loss, exercise, heart health, and lifespan. The food we eat affects our brain too. And, according to new research, food can have a significant influence on a variety of mental health issues, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, OCD, dementia, and more.

Dr. Uma Naidoo is a board-certified psychiatrist, nutritionist, and chef with extensive experience. She uses cutting-edge research in The Food-Mood Connection to explain how food affects our mental health in a variety of ways, and how a healthy diet may help cure and prevent a variety of psychological and cognitive disorders.

The Food-Mood Connection is the go-to reference for maximizing your psychological health with food, with fascinating neuroscience, practical nutritional suggestions, and tasty, brain-healthy recipes.

Title of the Book: Brain Games About this book:

This book is especially for kids and it's very amazing.

Packed with science, puzzles, and tons of fun, this activity book primarily based totally on the hit National Geographic television show will fire up your neural network!

Calling all lovers of the Brain Games TV show! Exercise your intellectual muscle with wonderful challenges, wacky logic puzzles, optical illusions, and brain-busting riddles. Write-in pages include both games and short explanations of neuroscience at work. Have fun and challenge yourself as you unharness your inner creativity and become the genius, we all know you are.

The activity book is a companion to the famous Mind Games television program, book series, board game, and other products.

Gut-Brain Connection Anxiety:

Anxiety and stress are two examples that come to mind. Anxiety and stress are emotional issues. We all know that gastrointestinal (GI) issues can cause tension and worry.

We also know that anxiety and stress can increase gastrointestinal issues. Psychological treatment strategies have been demonstrated to assist relieve GI distress or at the very least help a person manage with their GI symptoms.

In addition, there is a lesser-known portion of the nerve system in our gut. The enteric nervous system is what it's called. The network of nerves, neurons, and neurotransmitters that make up the enteric nervous system runs the length of the digestive tract, from the esophagus to the stomach and intestines, and down to the anus.

Because it employs the same cells and neurotransmitters as the nervous system, some health professionals refer to the central nervous system as the human's "second brain.".

The "second brain" in our stomach, which communicates with the brain in our head, is involved in a variety of disorders in our bodies as well as our mental health.

How it works?

Your body releases hormones and substances that enter the digestive system when you are frightened or stressed. This can influence the microorganisms that live in your stomach, aiding digestion while lowering antibody production. The ensuing chemical imbalance can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including:

Indigestion

Diarrhea and stomach upset

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Constipation

Appetite loss or unusual hunger

Nausea

Following can help you to improve your gut health:

Digest your meal efficiently. It's critical to be relaxed after a meal in order to produce the stomach juices required for food absorption. The absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients required for a healthy body and brain is dependent on gastric juice.

Take care of what you eat and how you eat it. Avoid junk food by eating nutritious snacks and meals. Preparing pre-planned meals and keeping some fruits or granola bars on hand as a snack is one method to do this. Also, when you're eating, take your time to really savor each bite.

Exercise. It can be difficult to maintain a regular level of activity. You can motivate yourself to exercise by scheduling some time for it. Take a walk around your neighborhood instead. This can assist you in reducing stress and improving your physical and mental health.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. To help your digestive system, drink six to eight glasses of water each day.

Seek assistance. A therapist who specializes in anxiety can assist you in coping with persistent worry.

Food for Good Gut Health:

Knowing which foods increase your gut health and mental wellness is crucial to enhancing your gut health. These are some of the meals you should go for good gut health:

Fiber:

Fiber consumption boosts memory and mood. It also supports the microbiome, which reduces inflammation and oxidative stress. Beans and legumes, oats, almonds, dark chocolate, fruits, and vegetables are all high in fiber.

Vitamin D:

It is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin D helps to maintain a healthy microbiota and decreases gastrointestinal inflammation. Vitamin D is found in egg yolks, tuna, salmon, orange juice, and fortified milk, among other foods.

Protein:

Proteins contain nitrogen, which helps to keep a microbiome's harmful bacteria to a minimum. The synthesis of serotonin, which boosts your mood, lessens symptoms of depression when you eat protein. Eggs, milk, yogurt, lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish, broccoli, oats, and almonds are all good sources of protein.

Omega-3s:

The omega-3 fatty acids aid in the reduction of sugar cravings while also lowering cholesterol and improving memory and cognitive function. Omega-3s can be found in walnuts, flax seeds, salmon, sardines, and mackerel.

Gut-Brain Connection Serotonin:

Gut bacteria is responsible to produce hundreds of neurochemicals, which help the brain to control both basic physiological and mental activities including learning, memory, and mood. Gut bacteria, for example, produce nearly all the body's serotonin, which regulates mood as well as GI activity.

Since then, serotonin has been studied extensively as a node in gut microbiota–brain connections. The generation of serotonin by enterochromaffin cells in the mouse colon was discovered to be driven by spore-forming gut bacteria, albeit it is unclear how this may affect the brain.

Furthermore, male (but not female) GF mice have increased hippocampus serotonin levels and plasma levels of a serotonin precursor, implying that some effects of the gut microbiota on the brain are sex-specific.

Gut-Brain Axis:

The gut-brain axis (GBA) is a bidirectional communication system that connects the central and enteric nervous systems. It connects the brain's emotional and cognitive centers with peripheral digestive processes.

The relevance of gut bacteria in affecting these interactions has been highlighted in recent studies. This relationship between microbiota and GBA appears to be bidirectional, with neurological, endocrine, immunological, and humoral interactions allowing communication from the gut microbiota to the brain and from the brain to gut microbiota.

Several neurotransmitters and metabolites, including vital vitamins, secondary bile acids, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), influence behavior, memory, learning, locomotion, and neurodegenerative illnesses through modulating immune system pathways.

Researchers discovered that the inflammasome is involved in depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, as well as locomotors activity. Dysbiosis has been postulated as a possible cause of these emotional and behavioral problems, although the actual mechanism behind these events is yet unknown.

Role of Gut-Brain Axis:

In the human large intestine, the microbiota is a colony of commensal and symbiotic bacteria that reach a density of more than 1012 cells/g of material. The mammalian gut contains 500 to 1,000 different bacterial species belonging to the four major bacterial phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria.

For intestinal health and the body, a well-balanced positive interaction between the host and its microbiota is required. The mucosal microbiota is important for food digestion, vitamin production, angiogenesis, epithelial cell maturation, development, immune system education, and pathogen protection in healthy people.

The microbiota orchestrates the local immune system in the colon and changes immunological and non-immune cells at distal regions that function systemically.

You May Also Read: Penile Cancer: Causes, Major Diagnostics & Treatments In 20s

Conclusion:

In the end, it is crucial to maintain an optimum gut-brain connection for good health. This article mentions various strategies to maintain the gut-brain connection.

The diet for gut-brain connection and effects of serotonin on gut-brain connection is described in detail.

Also, you can try reading the gut-brain connection books to completely understand this wide concept.

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Everything You Need To Know About The Gaps Diet

With all the different diets available right now, the best thing anyone can do is learn about the diets and find out which one to follow. The GAPS diet is a derivative of the SCD or Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This diet is primarily focused on avoiding foods which are hard to digest. Such foods may cause damage to the body’s gut flora. People on the GAPS diet will then have to replace these foods with nutrient-dense options. This will give the lining of their intestines a chance to strengthen and recover.

GAPS stands forGut and Psychology Syndrome and its protocol was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The protocol is a short-term diet along with healthy lifestyle changes which are meant to heal a person. She used this protocol to treat her son who has autism. This diet is meant to treat 3 underlying causes of common diseases. These are nutrient deficiencies, imbalances in the gut flora, and leaky gut.

Simply put, this diet consists of the following:

Avoiding complex carbohydrates because they nourish pathogenic bacteria.

Focus on fermented foods and probiotic supplements to restore the body’s gut flora.

Focus on traditional foods which are nutrient-dense to heal nutrient deficiencies.

Reintroduction of a specific series of foods.

Healthy lifestyle changes including detoxification and other steps to boost the immune system.

A Brief History

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride was the one who designed the GAPS diet. She created it in Russia after she received her post-graduate degree. Back then, she was a neurosurgeon and a neurologist. When the doctor moved to the UK, she then received her degree in Human Nutrition. She wrote a book about the diet and now had a second edition.

In her book, she says that people need to understand the role and importance of the gut in a person’s overall health. Since the ancient times, people believed that many diseases start in the gut. Primarily, she created this diet to cure autism, which her son has. She claims that the diet can cure the disorder because its cause is an unhealthy environment of the gut.

According to Dr. Natasha, children develop gut flora which is abnormal from the very start of their lives. Because of this, their digestive systems aren’t good sources of nourishment. Instead, they become a major source of toxins. She further explains that when these microbes and toxins from the digestive system go into the bloodstream. When that happens, they also go into the child’s brain, which causes autism and many other diseases.

Because of her desire to cure her child, she researched the best foods to support a healthy gut flora and applied them to a diet, the GAPS diet. Although there may be changes in the diet in the future, it’s still becoming quite popular. This is because a lot of people who have tried it say that they’ve seen the benefits and results of the diet.

Who Should Follow the GAPS Diet?

The GAPS diet isn’t for everyone. However, it may be the factor which turns a person’s health around. Anyone who has been experiencing issues with their gut should start thinking about following this diet. This diet is also ideal for certain people who are experiencing various illnesses and diseases. Here are other diseases people may have which should make them start thinking about following the GAPS diet:

Anemia. People may not know it, but anemia starts in the gut. If a person has severe anemia and the body isn’t responding to medicines or iron supplements, it may be a sign of pathogenic bacteria overgrowth. These bacteria protect themselves by using iron build biofilms.

When there’s an imbalance of the gut flora, such bacteria and other pathogens create structures in the gut where they start living. In these biofilms, they conceal themselves from the immune system, so they can multiply and flourish. The GAPS diet addresses overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria, which may cure a person’s anemia.

Arthritis. This disease also results from an imbalance of gut flora and a leaky gut. When a person has either of these conditions, toxic components from the digestive tract go into the bloodstream. When this happens, they tend to stick to collagen muscles which are found in the joints. Because of this, the body’s immune system sees the collagen as toxic,so the immune system responds by attacking it.

Therefore, the GAPS diet may help in reversing one’s arthritis. The body will get better at managing inflammation by cleansing the toxins. It may also seal leaky gut, which will further promote the healing process.

Autism or a learning disability in children. Such disorders all begin with the gut-brain axis. This happens to be the communication between the bacteria and nerve cells in the gut and the person’s brain. This connection is very complex, and scientists are just starting to learn about it.

The factors which the GAPS diet targets help in the treatment and healing of autism or other learning disabilities. Another reason why the GAPS diet is beneficial is that when a person has leaky gut, the toxins may start reaching the brain. This may be the reason why the disorders aren’t improving.

Autoimmune disease. Usually, all kinds of autoimmune diseases start in the gut. Usually, it begins with a leaky gut. The bodies of people with leaky gut can’t detoxify properly. Because of this, the toxins spread through the body which triggers an immune response. Then the antibodies start attacking the body’s healthy tissues.

When a person follows the GAPS diet, he won’t be consuming foods which promote a leaky gut. Along with this, it also floods the body with foods which help rebuild healthy tissues. So, the leaky gut may seal up, and the body will be able to recover.

Chronic candida overgrowth. Although there is such a diet called the Candida diet, it doesn’t deal with the cause of the fungal overgrowth. Because again, the main reason for this is a leaky gut. The Candida diet starves the fungus but doesn’t treat the cause.

Since the GAPS diet deals with the cause, it’s a much better way to treat the fungal infection. The person will be eating foods which will promote the healing of the leaky gut, therefore fixing the cause.

Depression or a form of mental illness. Studies have shown that such illnesses aren’t head problems, they’re digestive problems. The GAPS diet also addresses depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, OCD, and bipolar disorder. A lot of people with these conditions have claimed that they achieved incredible results because of this diet.

The GAPS diet addresses neurotransmitter deficiencies. This is done by enhancing digestion of proteins and balancing the gut flora. It also works with hormonal imbalances and leaky gut. Such things help in treating these illnesses, therefore improving them.

Eczema. Until now, no one knows what causes eczema exactly. However, a lot of holistic practitioners believe that the main underlying cause is again, a leaky gut. It might even be caused by intolerances to certain foods.

It’s a fact that a lot of people who followed the GAPS diet were able to reverse the effects of eczema. Some of them have even said that they noticed results just a few days after beginning the diet. No matter what the case of your eczema is, you’ll benefit from such a diet.

Hay fever and allergies. Many people are unaware of the fact that the origin of seasonal allergies in the gut. For the body to regulate histamine, the gut flora needs to be in the right balance. Gut pathogens produce histamine. It’s an essential kind of neurotransmitter in the body.

But when these microbes keep growing because there isn’t enough good gut flora, there’s an overproduction of histamine. This causes the body’s functions to react to the histamine in negative ways. Remember, the GAPS diet helps bring back balance to the gut flora. This means that it deals with the cause of too many histamines.

Highly susceptible to colds. The human body has a lot of bacteria in the gut. Aside from this, most of the immune system resides there too. This means that when there’s something out of balance in the gut, a person may start experiencing different diseases, especially the common ones like colds.

So, people who want to lessen the risk of getting colds should consider going on the GAPS diet. It will give the body’s immune system a boost while keeping the gut well-balanced.

People who have taken (or are taking) oral contraceptives. Studies have shown that oral contraceptives cause irreparable damage to the otherwise healthy gut flora. And the dangerous part about this is that when a woman conceives and gets pregnant, she may pass on her imbalanced gut health to her child. Then the child will pass it on to her child. That’s why it’s important to keep the gut flora healthy, especially for women. Aside from this, pills for birth control also cause different nutrient deficiencies as well as hormonal imbalances.

Fortunately, there’s a way to restore the balance of gut flora, and that’s to follow the GAPS diet. So, it’s highly beneficial for women who are taken or who have tried taking oral contraceptives in the past.

Stages of the GAPS Diet

The GAPS diet has different or phases. Just like most diets, the very first stage is usually the hardest, and it’s also the one which puts most people off. People who can’t keep up with a specific diet from the beginning won’t be able to maintain it until the end.

The Introduction Diet. Just as previously mentioned, this part of the diet may be off-putting to a lot of people. This is mainly because it involves intense modifications in a person’s regular diet. This stage comes with its sub-stages.

First, the person may only consume a very strict diet, water at room temperature, and probiotic supplements.

Second, the person may add new foods to the diet. These include raw egg yolks (organic), fermented fish and homemade yogurt. The person may also consume some types of soups, casseroles, and stews.

Third, the person may add even more foods to his diet. Such foods are squash pancakes and avocados.

As the diet progresses, the person may be able to add more and more foods at each stage. These foods are mainly vegetables, some meats, and fermented foods. Any foods which are baked must be avoided. In this diet, some people may remove fruit, nuts, and honey altogether. However, if a person’s body has a severe reaction to the diet, he may go back to the earlier stages of this phase.

Supplementing the diet. Since this diet is very restricted, it means that a person may pass up some foods which are rich in nutrients. So, people following this diet will benefit a lot from taking some select supplements. The most recommended ones include:

Digestive enzymes

Essential fatty acids

Mineral supplements

Probiotics

Vitamin supplements

Detoxifying the body. Aside from following the diet, a person may need to start detoxifying his body. This means that one needs to ensure that the body is free of chemicals. Some people drink fresh juices made from fruits, vegetables, and herbs to help activate and regulate the bile flow in the liver.

A coffee enema is also a popular choice, but it’s not recommended. This involves injecting coffee into a person’s anus. This cleanses the large intestines as well as the rectum. However, a lot of medical authorities and experts see this as very dangerous.

There are many ways to cleanse and detoxify the body. But a lot of people agree that the best way to do it is naturally. No matter what method a person chooses, he must first research how to do the detoxification as well as the side effects of doing it.

Tips for following the GAPS Diet

Before anyone starts thinking about following the GAPS diet, a person needs to do enough research. Each stage involves rules so one must be aware of all of them. It’s also important to look at the sources of the foods one will need for the diet instead. Go through different supermarkets in the area to find out where to buy the required food items. Here are some helpful tips for following this diet:

At each meal, be sure to combine vegetables (prepared in different ways) with fish and meats to balance the pH levels. Body pH levels which are too alkaline or too acidic aren’t ideal for the gut.

Avoid eating fruits (aside from avocado) with meals so as not to disturb the body’s digestion of the meats.

As much as possible, find food options which are organic and chemical-free.

Each meal must also contain a lot of natural fats. Animal fats are highly beneficial.

Also at each meal, consume a cup of meat stock or bone broth. This may help in the digestion of the meats and fats.

Focus on different fermented foods. If not used to such foods, introduce them to the body gradually. Also, try to observe how the body reacts to them.

Avoid canned and processed foods. These also include refined carbohydrates and foods which contain preservatives, chemicals, and artificial ingredients.

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I'm here to tell a story

"Go blow your nose, Tiffanie. Your sniffling is getting annoying." This is something I grew up hearing on a daily basis. "But I don't have to blow my nose." That was nearly always my response. But what did I end up doing? Blowing my nose anyway. My nose would be red and dry from trying so hard to blow out what was never in there to begin with. This was the start of my journey with Tourette's Syndrome. On the outside I look pretty normal, if you look past the purple hair. But as a kid, there were never any major signs that anything was wrong. I sniffed a lot, I blinked a lot, but I also had allergies so that's what we assumed it was. However, there were other things that I was experiencing that were connected to Tourette's Syndrome that I had no idea about. Anxiety. Depression. Ocd. Sleep problems. Migraines. Sensory issues. Things that plagued my existence for as long as I can remember, that left me wondering why I was on this earth if all I was doing was suffering. Then in high school, things got worse. One night, I woke up to go to the bathroom but I couldn't walk. Now, any normal person would be alarmed by this and call for help. But I guess I'm not normal because I remained calm and dragged myself there instead. I then proceeded to drag myself back to bed. My mother took me to the emergency room where they told me I was just exhausted, gave me some aspirin and told me to get some rest. Later on, I noticed my head was moving like a bobble head would, but I wasn't doing it on purpose. I also couldn't stop it. I pointed it out to my mom, and she thought I was just trying to find another reason to get out of school. Eventually it stopped and I went back to doing my thing. After two years, my head started to move on it's own again, but this time it was different. I was making noises too. What I thought was just the chills was happening way too frequently for it to be just that. So again, I mentioned it to my parents. It wasn't until they physically saw it happen that they admitted something was out of the ordinary. So, I went to a neurologist and received my diagnosis. Usually Tourette's patients are diagnosed early on, but not I. I was 17 when I found out, and as soon as I had a name for it I did all the research I could to better understand what was going on with my body. Guess what. There isn't that much information about Tourette's Syndrome. And a lot of what was advertised about it was cursing. That tic, thankfully, I do not have. So I continued on with my life, deciding that since it was only a little uncomfortable and not debilitating that it was no big deal. Well, I didn't know it then, but I was wrong. College came, and with it the excitement of becoming an adult- responsiblity, independence, and freedom. I got good grades, I socialized to the best of my ability, I even did open mics and writing contests. For a while I was happy, and my tics were pretty tame. But like an avalanche, they started to form faster and faster with no regard to the environment being disturbed because of it. At the beginning of my senior year, I had to leave school because I couldn't concentrate, I was in pain from my body's constant movement that I couldn't control, and I also lost my ability to walk right again. So, back to the neurologist I went. Except this time, it was a different doctor. According to her, I should have been put on medication as soon as I was diagnosed to prevent it from getting out of control. Too bad my previous doctor didn't give me that advice. Grudgingly, I decided to take the medicine because I figured it would be better to try that out than to let it go untreated. The following months were filled with cold sweats, dizziness, even worse migraines than before, and the inability to sleep less than 12 hours a night without crying upon being awakened. It was safe to say this medication was adding on to my problems. I was switched to a different medication, and the results were much better. I started to feel hopeful again, especially since I was also going to therapy. I didn't go back to school yet, but I did go back to work. Oddly enough, it seems that every time things are starting to look up for me, I somehow hit another setback. That's exactly what happened. My body started to feel weaker, I was on edge. I knew that the storm was coming. Now 22, my tics can no longer be passed off as allergy symptoms. They result in me hitting myself, banging into things around me, making loud repetitive noises, clapping over and over again, and even falling to the floor. I spend hours having tics that prevent me from eating, drinking, or walking a few feet to the bathroom. I watch my mom rush to my side as my body shakes and jerks every which way, tears in her eyes because she doesn't know how to help me. She says it looks like I'm having a seizure. So much for the independence and freedom I mentioned earlier. This is my reality. This is what I live with every day, and will continue to deal with for the rest of my life. There is no cure. Only treatments and the hope that the tics will somehow improve. Once upon a time, I was an honors student. I would commute every day to another borough to make sure I could get my degree. Now, I'm lucky if I can even leave my apartment. Not a lot of people understand the impact Tourette's has on me, because not a lot of people really understand what it is. When I tell people I have it, they tell me I'll get better. Just try. Be positive. And that's probably the least motivational or inspirational thing you can tell someone like me, because I have absolutely no control over my body and this is a chronic disease. I'm not going to wake up one day and magically be better. So far it's only gotten worse. That's really hard for me to say because it sounds so negative. I'm used to feeling negative, but I'm not used to admitting it. When you have as many problems as I do, you learn to sweep things under the rug for the comfort of others, all while you decay little by little on the inside. On the rare occasion you do decide to open up to people, and you tell them that their advice isn't helpful, automatically you're made to seem like you just don't want to get better. That you make excuses. The thing is, all the stuff people tell me to do, I've tried already. I've known about my condition for six years now, so believe me, I have tried. My brain doesn't function properly and my body doesn't either, so at this point I sort of just sit there and think, did I miss anything? Maybe if I push myself to do this, it'll be okay. There goes the sound of the engine backfiring. Now I'm back at square one, stuck in bed because I pushed myself too hard and my body is convulsing again. I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure Advil wasn't meant to be taken every day. Yet with the amount of pain I'm in, that is what life's looking like right now. Pill after pill, tic after tic, bruise after bruise. This is my life. It is not an easy one. But unfortunately it's the only one I've got. So I guess I've just gotta keep tic'n.