Landon Barker is setting the record straight on his health diagnoses. In a recent TikTok, the son of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler responded plainly to a commenter asking if he had Tourette syndrome. “I actually do have very, very minor Tourette’s,” Barker confirmed, saying it was something he always thought he would speak about “eventually.”
The “Friends With Your Ex” singer went on to say that he’s experienced Tourette syndrome “since I can remember, like preschool.” The memories are vivid, he said, because a teacher “used to accuse me of rolling my eyes at her — because one of my tics was a weird thing I do with my eyes.” Now 20, Barker says his Tourette’s manifests as head jerks or jaw movements.
“It really just acts up in nervous situations and nerve-wracking environments for me,” he explained.
That’s not an uncommon experience. According to Mayo Clinic, tics — which are the “hallmark sign” of Tourette syndrome — can get worse when you’re stressed, anxious, tired, excited, or sick. And while Barker shared a few motor tics (aka tics that involve movement) that he experiences, tics can also involved sound (vocal tics). They can be simple tics, which are brief and repetitive, like eye blinking or head jerking; or more distinct and coordinated movements across several muscle groups, like stepping in a certain pattern or hopping, which are called complex tics.
Tourette syndrome is three to four ties more likely in males than females, and many people with the condition don’t require treatment, as long as the tics don’t interfere with their life. In fact, many people find they have fewer tics as they get older, according to the CDC, and that tics may become less severe or go away when they’re concentrating hard on a task.
There is still something of a stigma around Tourette syndrome, though. Kids in school may experience bullying and self-esteem issues, Mayo Clinic notes, which is why public figures like Barker speaking out about the condition — and doing so in this relaxed, matter-of-fact way — is so important. He’s not the only one, either; artists like Billie Eilish and Lewis Capaldi have also spoken about their experience with Tourette syndrome over the last few years.
“I wanted to talk about it, because why not?” Barker said at the close of his TikTok. Sure, it’s just one quick video, but that kind of low-key attitude represents a small, important shift that can help destigmatize conditions like Tourette syndrome.
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