Passing for Normal, by American

¶ … Passing for Normal," by American author Amy Wilensky, is an autobiography first published in 1999. Written in the first person, the book depicts what it was like for Amy to grow up with both Tourette's syndrome and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). According to the book, it is not uncommon for a person with Tourette's syndrome to also have OCD. Tourette's syndrome can be described as an individual who experiences involuntary twitching, best describes as tics, of the head and neck. Over time, tics from Tourette have become more frequent and damaging.

It has been suggested by some experts that people who suffer from Tourette's syndrome may have the same gene predisposes and it is not uncommon for an individual who is diagnosed with OCD to have a family history of it as well.

According to the book, both Tourette's and OCD occur in both genders, within every culture and race, and all over the world. Common indicators include an irrepressible need for symmetry and order, hoarding and saving or repetitive rituals, doubting oneself when it doesn't make sense to do so, superstitions and fears, and intrusive religious or sexual thoughts.

The book is written in firsts-person and describes in intimate detail, information about the author's life as a child, discovery of Tourette's and OCD and what it was like to deal with these conditions later in life. She describes not knowing about Tourette's or OCD until her early20s.

Before the author learned about the tics and having Tourette's syndrome, she claims to have dissociated herself from the tics and the obsessive-compulsive behavior. Upon discussion of such subjects, she remained disinterested, thus not acknowledging an acceptance of her own behavior and medical problems.

With this avoidance in acknowledging and accepting her medical downfalls, came an unclear understanding of herself. As it is common with many individuals who have Tourette's or OCD, Wilensky felt separated from her peers. She felt as if no one understood her conditions or why she was the way she was and because it took her longer to accept herself for who she was, she could not have a full understanding of having Tourette's and OCD meant to her or anyone else. It was until she fully accepted her condition that she would be able to come to grips with it and learn how to live with it.

Wilensky associated drinking with a loss of control, but also realized that drinking would help lessen the tics, or at least make it seem like it. The OCD part of Wilensky connected her personal rules as a means for controlling the things her body did that she felt were negative. By drinking with friends, even if it felt good, she was breaking her own rules. She didn't feel like she could be normal like the other kids, because of her own self-designed rituals and obsessions, which completely consumed her life.