Book Review: Touretters

Authors: Chris Mason & Members of the TS Community

Publisher: 2015 Double Bridge

Reviewed contributed by Esther Cubo MD, PhD
Neurology department, Hospital Universitario Burgos, Burgos, Spain

This book, “Touretters” written by Chris Mason and Members of the Tourette Syndrome Community, is a helpful resource providing information about patients and relatives ‘perspectives about Tourette Syndrome. It consists of 30 stories written by persons with Tourette syndrome or their parents. The stories are touching and describe the experiences of children and adults living with Tourette syndrome, and their family members who support them.

In this book, the uncertainty of not knowing what was going on, the search for diagnosis from different health professionals, the coexistence of attention deficit disorder and obsessive compulsive behavior, and the impact of the diagnosis on their life and their relatives, are beautifully explained from different points of view.  The authors also describe the difficulties of trying to complete their assignments at school, the bulling from peers, and the difficulties interacting with people. But on the other hand, some authors recognized that once the diagnosis of Tourette syndrome was established, they got school support, which facilitated their academic achievement.  A personal view of efficacy of the different pharmacological treatments, trying one after another including side effects, help us to understand how patients deal with treatment prescriptions, even knowing that they are just symptomatic treatments.  In definitive, the main goal of this book is to help people to understand what Tourette syndrome is all about, and the need for more education to patients, parents and peers, and school professionals.

The authors address the book in a style and text that is easy to understand, indicated for people with Tourette syndrome, health and school professionals. At the end of the book, the readers will find an appendix with facts about Tourette syndrome, answers to most commonly asked questions, and a glossary for medical terms and treatments.