Why Do People With Tourette’s Swear?

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What is Tourette’s syndrome?

Tourette’s Syndrome is known in the public eye for only one thing: swearing. The image of a person involuntary swearing has been burned into the consciousness due to the media making Tourette’s out to be simpler than it actually is. In this blog, we will be looking at Tourette’s Syndrome, diagnoses and the many, many tics that people with the condition face.

Any person at any age can be diagnosed with Tourette’s and it can be tied into other conditions such as Autism and OCD. If you think you have Tourette’s a very good idea is to keep a logbook of how many times you do the tics per day and what kind of tics they are. It can be very helpful for the doctor to see and to get you the right diagnosis you need.

What are Tourette’s tics?

We now come back to tics. Tics can be very varied and not just the swearing that people think that Tourette’s is known for. People with Tourette’s do not have the same tics for the rest of their lives.

The main physical body tics that are associated with Tourette’s are jumping, twirling, touching objects and jerking either their head or shoulders. In the webinar most answered that they touched objects.

Now onto vocal tics, which are most common. Let’s go back to the beginning of the blog in which we said that the most common thing about Tourette’s Syndrome is that they swear a lot. That is actually not true and it is actually a very rare form of Tourette’s that does that. Most vocal tics include grunting, clicking sounds, whistling, coughing and tongue clicking. It was described in the webinar as like having a little itch that you have to scratch, and so to appease it you have to say those vocals and movements.

Why do some people with Tourette’s syndrome swear?

Professionals dealing with coprolalia – as this tic is known – used to believe it was caused by psychological issues like frustration or repressed sexuality. Only fairly recently was it understood that the tic has physical roots and is a neurobiological issue. As with other Tourette’s syndrome tics, it’s thought that coprolalia is a result of ‘faulty wiring’ in the brain, preventing normal inhibitory function. People with this tic are left unable to suppress unconscious thoughts.

How common is coprolalia?

Most people with Tourette’s don’t excessively or uncontrollably use inappropriate language. Only around 1 in 10 people with Tourette’s suffer from coprolalia, a condition that can be extremely embarrassing and cause great inconvenience when in public spaces.

For a long time, doctors incorrectly believed that coprolalia must be present for an individual to be diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. It is still by far the most widely recognised symptom, despite being present in a minority of people with Tourette’s.

How can coprolalia be managed?

Many people with coprolalia have learnt to hide their outbursts when in public. Some can do this by vocalising just the first sounds of an offensive word, while others cover their mouths or mumble the words.

However, when people with Tourette’s attempt to suppress their tics, it can result in stress or even a worsening of the tic. People with coprolalia sometimes describe the desire to blurt sounds and words out as an itch. When they scratch that itch by vocalising, they feel momentary relief.

Thankfully, many people with Tourette’s find that they suffer fewer tics as they move into adulthood. Others find an effective treatment for the condition.

Is there a treatment for coprolalia?

There is no cure for Tourette’s Syndrome, but treatments for tics, including coprolalia, do exist. One option is Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which helps people to become more aware of their tics and what triggers them. Triggers might include being tired, stressed or bored. Through behavioural intervention, people can even learn how to replace their swearing tic with a less conspicuous behaviour.

Some people use medication to manage their coprolalia. The main class of drugs used for Tourette’s syndrome is neuroleptics (also called antipsychotics), which alter how chemicals in the brain affect body movements.

Do I have Tourette syndrome? webinar

Nat Hawley, our Head of Community, has hosted a webinar about Tourette syndrome and its symptoms. This webinar is not intended to diagnose Tourette syndrome. Only a medical professional can make a diagnosis.

Further information on Tourette’s syndrome

For more information about Tourette’s see the NHS guide, Tourette’s Action and the EI website. If you’re experiencing symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome, you can take our online Tourette’s syndrome test to see if you have any traits.