A Nottinghamshire man with Tourette’s syndrome has described how the support of his wife and his employer has helped him overcome the difficulties of living with the challenging condition.

Charley Clarke, who’s 31, says his increased confidence, as a result of the support, has helped him to secure a job working directly with customers at an IT support company – something that was unthinkable a decade ago.

For many years, Charley didn’t know what caused his verbal tics, which include uncontrolled swearing. A general lack of understanding about the troubling condition led to difficult social and workplace situations.

“I knew there was a problem, but I didn’t know what was causing it and nobody ever spoke about it in those days,”

says Charley, who was left feeling depressed.

“If people made a joke about it, I would feel even worse. I wanted the ground to swallow me up into a black hole.”

It wasn’t until his wife, Emily, encouraged him to seek an official diagnosis that Charley was able to understand how he was affected by Tourette’s syndrome.

“I was tested for all sorts of conditions before they ruled them out. It was a gruelling process. Then I received a letter confirming I had Tourette’s syndrome. Everything started to make sense.”

Charley joined Your IT Department eight years ago, initially as a First Line Engineer, dealing with customers’ enquiries over the phone. With the company’s support, he progressed so well that he was promoted to a Head of Service role. He now takes responsibility for all aspects of service delivery, managing a team of 17 staff.  

“I couldn’t have done this without the incredible support of my wife and employer,”

reflects Charley.

“I have grown with the company and they’ve given me opportunities I didn’t have anywhere else.”

Now that Charley’s condition has been diagnosed, his relationship with customers has also benefitted.

“We talk about Tourette’s openly and it doesn’t stop me from doing my job,”

added Charley.

“Talking about it can really help. I now know what sorts of things can trigger the tics, so I can deal with them much better than before. I don’t shy away from social conversations.”

Charley is also able to use his own experience to help others in the company.

“I can spot if someone is struggling with something, like I was,”

he says.

“We all have different issues in life and I try to help by listening and supporting people whenever I can.”

Charley, who lives in Eastwood with his wife and young daughter, is now the longest-serving employee at Your IT Department. He is looking forward to a bright future with the company.

“They took a chance on me and I want to repay that trust,”

he says.

“I know the support is there if I need it and I couldn’t have asked for more.”

His advice to others in a similar situation is simple: Talk.

“It’s good to talk about it,”

he says.

“I would encourage other people to do the same. Find comfort in talking to somebody about it. That’s the most important thing.” 

www.your-itdepartment.co.uk