Narrative Matters: Young people with lived experience discuss I Swear

Abstract

Young people with lived experience of tics reflected on the recent film I Swear, a biography of John Davidson who grew up in the 1980s with Tourette syndrome. They considered the ways in which themes raised by the film connected with their own experiences. Their observations were discussed in the context of the Social Model of Disability and the Medical Model, illustrated by personal examples. The challenges of media representations and societal responses to tics in the recent past and in contemporary society were explored. They proposed that society and professionals must hold a position at the intersection of the Social Model of Disability and the Medical Model. The paper concluded with an urgent call for more extensive psychoeducation in the wider community to improve the quality of life for young people with tics.