A Scots woman who spent a lot of time being embarrassed by her Tourette's Syndrome is hoping to remove the stigma for young people by fighting to improve understanding of the condition.
Genna Barnett, from Glasgow, was first diagnosed with Tourette's when she was just seven-years-old and had to fight to suppress tics associated with the condition when she started school.
The 31-year-old now supports young people with Tourette's and helps to remove barriers they may face through her work with charity Tourette's Action.
As reported in Glasgow Live, Tourette's Awareness Month takes place from May 15 to June 15, with charities working to help correct misunderstandings about the condition.
Genna said: "I was diagnosed when I was seven, but it was a two-year long process.
"I started going to a child psychologist when I was five. I had quite severe tics and I ended up missing a lot of school.
"Between the age of five and seven all the way through to secondary school it was really bad. I spent a lot of time being really embarrassed by it.
"Then when I went to Mearns Castle High School, I forced myself to learn to suppress them. I didn't want to be known as the 'weird kid'."
In recent years, with her diagnosis no longer affecting her as severely, Genna, who works as a data analytics programme manager, has focused on working with Tourette's Action in a bid to give back to the community.
"All through adulthood it's affected me a lot less, but it's still there and flares up when I get stressed," she explained.
"I spent the majority of my life being really embarrassed by it, and it's only in the past three or four years that I started to own it and became a trustee for Tourette's Action.
"I felt it was the right thing to do - to be more open about it.
"While I do think diversity is more accepted these days, Tourette's is treated quite differently by the public. I don't think it's the same for other neurodiversities like autism or ADHD, which are more understood.
"There's this idea that Tourette;s is all swearing and shouting, but it's far more wide-ranging than that.
"I don't personally have vocal tics. It can minimise the way I've felt about the condition - the frustration of not being in control of your body."
Genna described the view many people have of Tourette's Syndrome as "stereotypical" and said people are often surprised to learn she lives with the condition.
"I do think it's better than it was when I was a child," she said. "But I think that's because people are more accepting and open-minded rather than people actually understanding the condition.
"People do still have a very stereotypical view of Tourettes. A lot of people are often shocked that I have it.
"I got involved in Tourettes Action when I lived in London. I wanted to give something back and feel like I could help support the community.
"I think it's really important that it's people with the condition that are shaping the future of the charity."
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