In honor of Mental Illness Awareness week, I interviewed my 9-year-old daughter about her experience with a transient tic disorder, which is fairly common in elementary school age children. See my questions and her answers below. If you’d like to know more, about tics check out this CDC website.

Q: What is a tic?
A: It’s where you have to do a certain thing over and over again or else it will bug you.

Q: How does it bug you?
A: My mouth tickles. You’re making it happen.

Q: What do you have to do over and over again?
A: Make noises with my mouth, blink, and sniff

Q: What does it feel like when you’re doing the tics?
A: It gets annoying and it really never stops. For a long time.

Q: When do your tics happen?
A: Sometimes out of nowhere, or when someone talks about it or says the word

Q: What do you wish I knew about tics before you had them?
A: That when you talk about them they start going on.

Q: What would you like to say to another kid who has tics?
A: That it can be annoying when it happens out of nowhere and that it happens when someone talks about it. You shouldn’t be embarrassed about it because other kids may have it too.