Billie Eilish Speaks on Tourette Syndrome, Her 'Tic Attacks'

Billie Eilish says that when you see her calmly giving an interview, there's an invisible battle going on. Appearing on Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast, the 24-year-old described working nonstop to hold back the tics caused by her Tourette syndrome, which she was diagnosed with at age 11, per the Guardian. "When I'm in an interview, I'm doing everything in my power to suppress all of my tics constantly," she said, adding that those tics are often quiet vocal sounds or movements happening out of view. "And as soon as I leave the room, I have to let them all out."

Eilish likened Tourette's to having intrusive thoughts that your body is compelled to express: "Imagine those intrusive thoughts, but your mouth has to say them out loud." She said people often misread her "tic attacks" as something being wrong, when for her it's routine: "This is very much normal." She noted that she spends most public moments clenching and controlling her body to avoid distracting others, pointing out that not everyone with Tourette syndrome can suppress their tics. The lack of understanding around that, she said, is "really frustrating" for people living with the condition. (This HuffPost columnist says Eilish's openness on talking about Tourette syndrome makes him "feel seen.")