Landon Barker, son of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, shared on TikTok that he has been living with Tourette syndrome since he was a small child.
“I actually do have very, very minor Tourette’s,” the 20-year-old said. “I’ve had it since I can remember, like preschool. I remember exactly because the teacher used to accuse me of rolling my eyes at her because one of my tics was like … a weird thing I do with my eyes.”
In the video, Landon Barker shifts his eyes side to side to demonstrate the eye tic that his teacher disliked.
Tourette syndrome falls into a group of nervous system conditions called tic disorders, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke. People with Tourette syndrome experience random, unexpected and uncontrolled patterns of movements or sounds, the organization says.
More boys than girls experience Tourette syndrome, and tics tend to worsen during puberty. Generally, they become better managed by the time people reach their early 20s. While there’s no cure, the organization notes there are various medications or interventions than can treat the symptoms of Tourette syndrome.
Landon Barker, son of Travis Barker and ex-wife Shanna Moakler, went on to describe some of his other tics in the TikTok. Sometimes they cause him to turn his head to the side in a jerky manner or roll his jaw around in a circle.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stoke notes that people with Tourette syndrome can experience simple or complex tics.
Simple tics can include:
- Blinking
- Moving eyes
- Shrugging of shoulders
- Jerking of head
- Repeatedly clearing one’s throat
- Sniffing
Complex tics can include:
- Touching something
- Saying words or phrases over and over
- Swearing
- Jumping
- Twisting
The organization says people often notice tics seem more severe when they are anxious or excited, which Landon Barker noted in his video.
“It really just acts up in nervous situations and nerve-wrecking environments for me,” he said….
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