Mental And Mental Disorders In Witty Ticcy Ray, By Oliver Sacks

Differentiating one’s identity from one’s abnormalities is often difficult for individuals with mental and physical disorders. In “Witty Ticcy Ray” by Oliver Sacks, Ray struggles to create an identity separate from his Tourette’s. Affecting each individual differently, Tourette’s syndrome “is characterised by an excess of nervous energy, and a great production and extravagance of strange motions and notions” (Sacks, 1981, p. ????). In 1971, following the popularization of Tourette’s syndrome, Sacks met with an individual, Ray, who had suffered from this disorder since childhood. Oliver Sacks and Ray worked to control Ray’s Tourette’s through different treatment techniques like using psychoanalytic drugs and performing deep analysis. Throughout

Davison et al. (2014) define a mental disorder as “a behavioural or psychological syndrome associated with current distress and/or disability” (p. G8). While mental disorders have behavioural and cognitive origins, physical disorders originate from physiological or neurological symptoms. Although these disorders can be separately defined, they often appear together. Tourette’s is a neurological disorder that also appears in the DSM-5 and creates many challenges. Davison et al. (2014) acknowledge that “people with psychological disorders often face negative stereotyping and stigmatization” (p. 18). Similarily, Ray faced stigmatization as a result of his Tourette’s. Sacks (1981) states, “[Ray] had been subject to these [tics] since the age of four and severely stigmatised by the attention they aroused” (p. ????). Additionally, like many individuals with mental disorders, Ray was challenged by unpredictable mood changes. For example, Ray experienced times of wild mannerisms and energies, but also could, with a “kinetic melody”, be tension-free and tic-free (Sacks, 1981, p. ????). Finally, individuals with mental disorders often struggle to find both useful and enjoyable treatment options. Likewise, Ray’s first treatment attempt was unsuccessful and he was forced to explore other treatment options. Although individuals with mental illnesses may

For example, Ray shaped his identity around Tourette’s syndrome. Oliver Sacks (1981) noted that “[Ray] seemed, at least jokingly, to have little sense of his identity except as a ticqueur” (p. ????). Tics were such a large part of Ray’s identity that “[Ray] said he could not imagine life without Tourette’s, nor was he sure he would care for it” (Sacks, 1981, p. ????). Since childhood, Ray’s life had been challenged by tics. Ray’s friend and family relationships and work life had been so strongly affected by his ticking, that a life without Tourette’s would have been foreign for Ray. Additionally, Ray may have been affected by the concept of self-stigma, “the tendency to internalize mental health stigma and see oneself in more negative terms as a result of experiencing a psychological problem” (Davison et al., 2014, p. 21). Perhaps Ray internalised the stigma that he experienced, and therefore defined himself as nothing more than a ticker. Many individuals who suffer from mental and physical disorders may feel like their disorder defines them; however, to it is possible to counter this negative viewpoint, through various treatment