20-year-old debunks myths about living with tics, seizures

Evie Field, who goes by thistrippyhippie on TikTok, has 5.5 million followers watching her videos about her life with tics, seizures and spasms. Field hopes to debunk myths about her condition by showing what doing ordinary things is actually like.

“One person who followed me on social media said they wished they had tics because it looked like fun. It is not,” Field told Sunderland Echo

Her condition can be debilitating, sometimes leaving her bruised and dizzy. The tics often make her hit herself requiring Field to wear padded gloves to soften the blows. 

Her video on how she bakes is a good example of how she continues to try to be a regular 20-year-old, tics and all.

In the clip, she bakes brownies for her dad’s birthday with the help of her mom. She juggles eggs in her hands then drops them. She smashes a giant bar of chocolate to break it. She shakes as she stirs the ingredients then falls down to the ground. And she does all of it laughing and smiling. 

Some commenters unfortunately didn’t seem to get Field’s message. One user said she wished she had tics in response to the baking video and Field called the comment “ignorant.”

“We show the funny side in baking videos and stuff, but I also show the raw side with my tic attacks and people still decide they want tics?” Field replied

Field’s tics began when she was 12. Then in 2016, she had her first seizure. By 2018, they became so severe she was wheelchair-bound and paralyzed for six weeks before she could start relearning to walk again. Eventually, she was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition that affects the nervous system. 

But Field still finds joy in her life. She even joined in on a TikTok dance challenge for people with tics.

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