What’s your name and age?

Luke-James Inglis, 27 years old.

When did you first notice your tics?

I first noticed my tics in Year 11 at secondary school. They began with a constant upper-body shiver and movements in my shoulders.

My symptoms escalated significantly once I started college. I developed multiple severe motor tics, which later progressed to grunts and other unusual vocal noises.

How old were you when you got your diagnosis?

I was 16 years old when I was diagnosed. Within months of that diagnosis, coprolalia and tic attacks also started.

What was school like for you?

At school, Tourette’s did not affect me too much because it was still in the early stages of developing. My main struggles at that time were related to my other neurodivergent conditions, including ADHD, ASD traits, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.

College and university were much more difficult. The college struggled to manage my Tourette’s, and I was the first student there with severe motor and vocal tics, as well as tic attacks.

When the tic attacks began, ambulances were frequently called to the college.

The lecturers and my peers were very supportive. Being able to see the funny side of my tics helped, and people were understanding and appropriate.

However, the college itself did not do enough to accommodate me and often treated me more like a problem than someone who needed support and solutions.

At university, things reached a point where I was put in a room on my own and sent PowerPoints by email. I was expected to complete my sports degree largely alone, with minimal support and at a real disadvantage.

What has been your toughest challenge?

The hardest part has been not having full control of my body and learning to come to terms with that. I have had to adapt and learn to accept the changes Tourette’s has caused in my daily life, especially because there is no consistency and every day is different.

• The constant aches, pains, and injuries it causes.
• Tic attacks and seizures, which have been the most difficult aspect of Tourette’s for me to manage.
• The mental stress and anxiety Tourette’s has caused, along with the challenges I have had to overcome over the last decade.

What has been your proudest achievement?

• Playing professional rugby league for Hull FC Academy, during the same period that my Tourette’s was beginning and I was adjusting to all the changes in my body.
• Being a proud father to my daughter, Sophia.
• Maintaining a full-time job on a psychiatric assessment ward for the NHS, where I was able to support and help others.

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?

• Don’t be so hard on yourself.
• Don’t focus so much on what other people think; focus on finding solutions that help you thrive.
• Try to embrace and accept the condition earlier.

Could you share a bit about your experiences with TIC?

TIC has given me opportunities to provide peer support in secondary schools and to work with Humberside Police and teachers to deliver training and raise awareness. That has allowed me to share my experiences and offer advice, which I have found very rewarding.

TIC has also supported me throughout the years. They have always accepted me and given me a safe place where I can speak openly and feel supported.

Is there anything else you’d love to share during awareness month?

I want to say to everyone who struggles with the condition that Tourette’s is a label, just like many other neurodivergent conditions. It does not define who you are as a person, and it does not stop you from achieving your dreams. It can make life harder and add extra obstacles and barriers, but nothing is impossible. Once you are able to accept it and embrace it as part of your life, it can become part of who you are without defining your whole identity.

Throughout my life, I have been diagnosed with multiple neurodivergent conditions, including ADHD, Tourette’s, OCD, auditory processing difficulties, hyperacusis, non-epileptic seizures, and ASD traits. These labels do create very real challenges in my life, but I see them as challenges to work through rather than reasons to give up.

When I was diagnosed with Tourette’s, medication such as antipsychotics and benzodiazepines was suggested. Medication can be the right answer for some people, but for me it would have limited the life I wanted to live. In my experience, the best support came from being able to keep playing rugby, exercising, and staying involved in sport. It also helped to understand and accept how Tourette’s affects me, make adaptations where needed, and educate the people around me so they could better understand and support me.

It took me a long time to understand and accept the condition, but with support I am still able to live the life I want and do the things I want to do. There will always be ups and downs, and there will be times when symptoms get worse. That is why it is so important to seek support from TIC, national Tourette’s charities, mental health services, and from the people around you. Being open, honest, and willing to talk is far better than struggling on your own.

The amount of awareness and support now available is amazing, and I believe it will only continue to improve.

I also want to give a shout-out to John Davidson and Paul Stephenson for all the hard work they have done in the community. They have been major role models for me, and it has been a pleasure to meet them on several occasions.