Coprolalia, causes and symptoms of an embarrassing and difficult to manage behavior disorder

Rash words and obscene language, sometimes underlined even by inappropriate gestures. There coprolalia it’s a behavior disorder referred the actress Diana Del Bufalointerviewed by Corriere della Sera, recently declared that he was in pain. It manifests itself through verbalization involuntary socially inappropriate and derogatory terms or comments erhas one of the most disconcerting and socially stigmatizing symptoms of Tourette’s syndrome, a disorder that also affects celebrities such as the singer Billie Eilish and the actor Alessandro Borghi.

Although it is the best known symptom of the Tourette’s syndromecoprolalia however, it occurs only in a minority of patients and there is no way to predict who will actually develop it.
Although there is still little research focused on understanding this disorder, current data indicates that less than a third of all people with Tourette’s syndrome develop this symptom at some point in their life.

As noted on the site Tourette.orgmade by Tourette Association of Americaat the coprolalia the copropraxiaa related symptom of complex motor tic that specifically relates to obscene gestures.

How coprolalia manifests itself

The use of profanity and profanity may per se be present in everyday conversation, but coprolalia is different from simply cursing or using foul language. Usually these vocal tics are not pronounced within social or emotional contexts and are often pronounced or repeated compulsively in a louder or different tone than normal conversational speech.

Particularly embarrassing for sufferers are involuntary outbursts within social contexts, such as racial or ethnic insults in the company of the same people who would be most offended by such remarks. A minority of people with coprolalia have this particular problem. It is vital to understand that these complex words or phrases do not necessarily reflect the thoughts, beliefs or opinions of the person with coprolalia.. Some sentences can be quite complex, often meaningless and even comical, in other cases, people with Tourette’s syndrome do not say the inappropriate words aloud, but they can repeat them mentally.

What are the causes of coprolalia?

Until recently practitioners thought coprolalia was caused by psychological problems such as extreme frustration, repressed anger, or sexuality. Now it would seem confirmed by some research that the root of this symptom is physicalthat is, of nature neurobiological.
Such symptoms have been observed in individuals following strokes or other brain injuries in the deep frontal regions of the brain. As with all tics, however, an increase in symptoms can occur in the event of increased emotional stress, during a pleasant arousal or even in a condition of fatigue. The emotional state therefore does not directly cause tic symptoms, but can increase them.

The most commonly accepted explanation refers to a ‘Faulty wiring’ of the brain’s inhibitory mechanism that causes involuntary movements that characterize Tourette’s syndrome. In practice, in such subjects the innate ability to suppress unwanted movements and unconscious thoughts would be compromised.

The pressure to express those symptoms will recur depending on the severity of the disorder, because the irresistible and unbearable urge to twitch, swear or scream cannot be inhibited indefinitely.

How to manage coprolalia

Some people with this disorder have found out ingenious ways to hide or mask their outbursts when they are in social or work situations. In some cases pronouncing only the first letters of a four-letter wordin other cases unacceptable words quietly murmur or they cover their mouths to muffle the obscenities. These masking techniques help relieve the overwhelming urge to offend or say obscenities, while silencing unacceptable and disruptive verbalizations.

Unfortunately, some have no warning when coprolalia is about to occur, and in general, those severely prone to continuous vocal tics may not be able to suppress or mask such symptoms. In other words: coprolalia is definitely a behavioral disorder that is very difficult to manage and that on the outside is generally perceived as strange or offensive and hostile.

However, it is reiterated on the website of the American association: “the presence of symptoms of coprolalia is not related to one’s intelligence or character. There are people with coprolalia who develop an exceptional ability to cope with Tourette’s syndrome and its ramifications. Understanding and accepting the symptoms of this disorder is a key element in helping sufferers to lead a full and productive life ».

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