Mystery illness: More Girls AND (Allegedly) One Boy Develop Tourette's-like Tics

"Jan. 27 update: Erin Brockovich is on the case! The environmental activist, made famous by the 2000 movie starring Julia Roberts as the crusading single mom, tells USA TODAY she is investigating the case of more than a dozen teens from one upstate New York school plagued by mysterious, Tourette's-like symptoms. One neurologist who has seen most of the affected girls has diagnosed their illness as psychological in origin; but that diagnosis has been difficult for some parents and community members to accept. Brockovich told USA TODAY that at the request of local residents, she is looking into a 1970 train accident that spilled cyanide and an industrial solvent called trichloroethene close to the site of the Le Roy, New York school.
"We don't have all the answers, but we are suspicious," Brockovich told the newspaper, which also reported that at least one boy has now come down with similar symptoms."
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/26/10242751-mystery-illn...

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News & Politics

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• mystery
• illness

[jemp4704]

@jemp4704 Sorry got the year wrong It was last year. I have been having problems for 4 months now. Also I am no teenager. I am well over 21.

[jemp4704]

@DBHuntington It's not fear since I know what they are going through. I can't see that my problems are from a psychological based issue. My psych meds are not helping. Only the things given by my other doctors are helping and only a small amount. I still have problems. Oh and by the way I came down with my problem in Oct. 2010 before I heard of any one else with similar symptoms. I am also 6 states away. These parents would like to hear that the problems have a name and can be fixed.

[DBHuntington]

@olimario Haha! The "Thera Wannabee Syndrome".

[DBHuntington]

Hasn't anyone else noticed how Thera is so pretty and the rest are VERY, homely, especially homely. The pretty girl twitches an gets on TV then her "wannabees" twitch and get on TV. "Fly Swatter" is the best example. She is a fat, homely red head (who was blond when her twitching began). The Watson kid is also very homely. They just all want to be Thera Sanchez. They are CHILDREN and are behaving like children- who wear make-up and blow dry their hair while unable to do anything else...odd.

[DBHuntington]

I am just confused about why these parents would rather have their children diagnosed with some potentially life-threatening, toxic based illness than with something that is considered a "mental issue". Could it be fear of stigmatizing the child AND them? Or the fact that you can't SUE for a psychologically based illness? So Dave Watson, how does your kid put on her make-up and blow dry her hair? Thera is so pretty. She got twitches and the "Thera Wannabees" start twitching. Mass Hysteria.

[mp41971]

Don't believe this personally. It's funny how they can't control the "twitch" but you put them in front of the camera and the "twitch' seems to subside or quiet down, or when they are holding something like a baby or a dog,the arm "twitch' is not there anymore. Come on, they want a lil fame. Guarantee you they will be fine.

[allio21]

To whoever thinks these girls are faking it, I would like to see you fake a tic continuously like that without laughing or missing a beat. Idiots.

[nraffaniello1990]

looks like the two friends have the same tic hmmm...

[JoLu4ever13]

@pearlphase You know Conversion disorder doesn't mean they're faking it..

[ChainBaseball25]

maybe it might just be something spiritual...like demon possesion