What is Tourette's? Lewis Capaldi reveals he has Tourette's syndrome
Singer Lewis Capaldi has spoken out about his experience with Tourette’s syndrome
Lewis Capaldi has revealed he has Tourette's syndrome and described his diagnosis as "a relief".
The 25-year-old Scottish singer opened up about his recent diagnosis during an Instagram Live, explaining he is still learning about the condition.
The condition causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.
He said he has received Botox treatment in his shoulder to help control his tics.
Capaldi admitted he was relieved to discover he has the condition as he originally feared he might have a degenerative disease.
Speaking during his Instagram Live, he said: “I have Tourette’s. I’ve always had that apparently… so I do a shoulder twitch quite a lot.”
The Someone You Loved singer said his diagnosis is a “new thing” and he has not “really learnt much about it” yet, but he has received Botox injections in his shoulder to alleviate the tics and that “worked for a bit”.
What is Tourette's syndrome?
Tourette's syndrome causes people to make involuntary sounds and movements, according to the NHS.
These tics usually start during childhood and often improve with age - sometimes going away completely.
There is a common misconception that Tourette's syndrome causes you to swear involuntarily and although that can be one form tics can take, there are many other ways the syndrome manifests.
These are some of the examples of tics the NHS lists:
blinking
shoulder shrugging
jerking of the head or limbs
touching objects and other people
grunting
whistling
animal sounds
swearing
Only around one in 10 people with Tourette's syndrome involuntarily swear.
The causes of Tourette's syndrome are not fully understood but the NHS says it's thought to be linked to a part of the brain that helps regulate body movements.There is no known cure for it but behavioural therapies and medicines have been proven to reduce its effects.
For more information, visit the NHS website.
Capaldi said when doctors first told him he has the condition, it made “so much sense”.
He added: “When I look back at my interviews from like 2018, I can see that I’m doing it.
“But it comes and goes. I’ll go sometimes months without doing it.
“I thought I had some horrible degenerative disease so I’ll take Tourette’s.”
Capaldi said he was opening up about his diagnosis as he had seen people question whether he was misusing drugs.
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The singer told his fans that “some days it’s more painful than others”, and it can be quite comfortable but he feels it “looks a lot worse than it is”.
He said the triggers for the condition can be frustrating, adding: “The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it, when I’m stressed I get it, when I’m happy I have it.”
The charity Tourettes Action thanked Capaldi for speaking out and raising awareness of the condition.
The singer’s 2019 debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent received critical acclaim and went on to become the biggest album of the year, according to the Official Charts Company.