Cory Friedman

Cory Friedman is the narrator of Med Head, which tells the story of his life from the age of 5 to17 as he battles against the effects of Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. One morning, he wakes with "an unusual, intense tension building up in my neck, and I think the only way to relieve it is to jerk my head to one side" (Page 19). Cory jerks his neck, but a few moments later, the tension returns. This happens throughout the day, and soon, Cory is jerking his neck every few seconds. He tries to stop but the longer he holds back, the stronger the urge becomes. This is Cory's first tic. After being misdiagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin, Cory's tics increase and fully take over his life. He has verbal, physical, and behavioral tics ranging from hopping when he walks, to grunting and swearing, to...