mute

chapter 41

Chapter: Overwhelmed

The day started off wrong for Billie. Her usual routine, the one she relied on to bring stability and calm, was completely disrupted. Finneas had to leave early for a music session, her mom was running late, and breakfast wasn’t ready at the usual time.

Instead of her typical pancakes, the kitchen smelled of something new and unfamiliar: scrambled eggs. Billie stared at the plate, her heart pounding, and her hands beginning to tremble. She tried to sign, No, not this, but the pressure of the moment made her movements jerky and unclear.

Her mom gently tried to redirect her, saying, “It’s okay, Billie, it’s still breakfast.”

But it wasn’t okay. Nothing was.

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The Tic Attack

The first tic came suddenly: her head jerked to the side, and her hands slapped her thighs hard.

“Stop! Stop!” she yelled involuntarily, her vocal tics becoming louder as the moments passed.

Her body convulsed as her arms flung out uncontrollably, hitting the edge of the table. Her feet stomped repeatedly against the floor, and her head began to jerk forward, striking the edge of the chair.

Tears rolled down her face as her tics intensified:

Vocal tics: “No! Go away! Help!”

Physical tics: Punching her chest, slapping her face, and flailing her arms wildly.

In the middle of the storm, she grabbed at her hair, pulling at it in frustration and pain. Her family tried to gently intervene, but her movements were too unpredictable.

“Billie, it’s okay! You’re safe!” her mom said, but her words were drowned out by Billie’s distress.

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Emergency Intervention

After nearly 30 minutes of relentless tics, Billie was left exhausted, her body slumping forward. Her mom noticed the bald patches where Billie had ripped out chunks of her hair, and she immediately called Dr. Ramirez’s office.

“We need an emergency appointment,” her mom said, her voice trembling. “Billie’s not okay.”

The office agreed to see her within the hour. Finneas returned home just in time to help get Billie ready. He sat with her, signing, We’re going to Dr. Ramirez. She’ll help. It’s okay.

Billie nodded weakly, still shaking from the aftermath of the attack.

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The Emergency Therapy Appointment

When they arrived at Dr. Ramirez’s office, Billie was visibly distraught, clutching her weighted blanket and wearing her ear defenders.

Dr. Ramirez met her at the door, signing and speaking gently, It’s okay, Billie. Let’s take this one step at a time.

Once Billie was seated, Dr. Ramirez asked softly, “Can you tell me what happened today?”

Billie’s hands trembled as she began signing. Her movements were erratic at first but gradually steadied: Too many changes. Breakfast wrong. Finneas not here. Too much.

Dr. Ramirez nodded empathetically. “That’s a lot to deal with, Billie. It makes sense that you felt overwhelmed.”

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Processing the Overload

As they continued the session, Billie described her feelings of being trapped and unable to control the changes. Her hands shook as she signed, I don’t like change. It hurts.