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Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder defined by recurrent and intrusive involuntary tics that begin in childhood. Individuals with TS often face significant psycho-social challenges, given the public nature of their tics and the fact that their symptoms are often misunderstood by others. This study explores how adults with TS navigate dating and romantic relationships, including the challenges they face and the strengths they have developed in this process. Five adult women with TS were interviewed using a semi-structured interview about their psycho-social experiences of living with TS and how the disorder has affected their dating experiences. The interviews were qualitatively analyzed as individual case studies and also compared and contrasted on the basis of five major research questions: 1) How do adults with TS navigate dating and romantic relationships? 2) What challenges and limitations do adults with TS face in dating and pursuing romantic relationships? 3) How do adults with TS go about explaining their symptoms to romantic partners? 4) How do the socio-emotional experiences of adults with TS with family and peers influence their dating experiences? 5) What factors are helpful for adults with TS in navigating dating and romantic relationships? Findings from the study indicate several themes among the subjects’ experiences: Choosing whether, why, when, how and what to disclose to partners; challenges of explaining tics and TS to others; reasons for concealing tics; impact of making disclosures to romantic partners; family and peers’ responses as a model for how romantic partners may respond; family and peers’ responses as a motivation for getting different responses from romantic partners; and considering genetics and children. Implications for individuals with TS and their parents are discussed, and recommendations for mental health professionals working with such individuals are made. |
