Tourette's Patients Nix Drugs in Favor of Habit-Reversal Plan

Summary

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RALEIGH, N.C. - Rick Shocket sits on the floor of his Cary, N.C., bedroom, absorbed in building his latest Lego Bionicles creature. His concentration is interrupted by soft, hiccup-like squeaks that periodically escape his throat - the only hint that he is anything other than a typical 9-year-old boy.

Rick has Tourette's syndrome. A year ago, he could hardly cross a room. With nearly every step, he felt compelled to do a deep knee bend - a strange dance that left him frustrated and exhausted at the end of each day.

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Tourette's Patients Nix Drugs in Favor of Habit-Reversal Plan

"Every time I went anywhere, it was like, squat, squat, squat," said Rick, whose tics include an assortment of sniffs, coughs, yips, fidgets and twitches. "I could never get anywhere."

Over the past eight months, Rick has learned to do what many thought was impossible for people who have Tourette's syndrome, a brain disorder that causes repetitive movements and sounds. Using willpower to change his behavior, Rick has become part of a revolution in treatment of the disorder.

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