Living with Tourettes has various stages of severity that determine how simple or difficult it is to interact in society successfully. While some adults have very mild cases that are barely noticeable to others around them, others have very severe symptoms that are very much noticeable by others. Tourettes is a disorder that can affect every aspect of someone's life.
How each individual deals with the disorder is something that they must personally be comfortable with. Each person must find the treatment method that they are able to handle based upon their particular lifestyle and needs. How each individual chooses to treat their symptoms is a decision that they must make, after deciding what they want, what is best for their family, and what treatment options are acceptable to them.
Tourettes in the Workplace
The good news is that employers are prohibited from discriminating against those who have Tourettes when reviewing applications and making employment decisions. The reality is that while many employers are barred from letting the illness effect their hiring decision, many do have hesitations on hiring someone with Tourettes. The burden is then placed on to the individual as to how to make things work for them.
Some people have decided to be proactive and take additional medication during the day so that while they are at work they have fewer uncontrollable tics. Many others are working with their bosses to remove stressors so that the number of tics during the day are reduced. Some adults living with Tourettes are experiencing great amounts of success working from home and just telecommuting to work.
If you are looking for a job, it is very important to pay close attention to how happy the other employees are. Do they seem calm, or completely stressed? If they are clam that is a sign, you can dig further into the company. If they are stressed you should probably cut your losses and look elsewhere since stress tends to trigger tics. Your goal should be reducing your tics at work, not agitating them.
As you can see, there are several viable options that you can put to use, regardless of whether you are looking for a job, or looking for a way to make things easier on you at your current job. The choices you make should be based upon what is best for you, and your symptoms. While one solution may work for someone else, it may not be the correct solution for you. Keep looking until you work out a solution that is acceptable for you and your situation.
Tourettes and Relationships
Many people who have Tourettes are faced at some point with a decision on how to handle relationships. The first rule of thumb is to not hide the disorder. Instead, it is best to be upfront and honest about the disorder so that your relationship is out in the open. While most people do not feel comfortable enough to tell someone whom they are casually dating, anyone who is in a serious relationship should tell their significant other.
Many people worry about doing something offensive or rude when they are on a date. It is good to ensure that your dates know about the disorder if you think it may be a problem, it is easier to discuss it upfront rather than trying to explain the disorder after something has been done to force the issue. This can make a rather uncomfortable conversation, as well as make both individuals very nervous.
One method of tic control you can consider is symptom substitution. This is simply a manner of "training" the body to do something else other than the tic. This generally takes a while to learn, and is not something that can be mastered immediately; however has benefits not only in dating and relationships but with jobs as well.
Tourettes as an Adult
The good news for most adults is that Tourettes symptoms tend to be much easier to handle than they were for the individual when they were a child. Most Tourettes symptoms start to subside slightly as time progresses. Whether this is more from the symptoms becoming milder, or the patient learning how to handle the tics better is still unclear.
It is important that medications still be taken as prescribed. This is a major factor that many adults with disorders tend to wish would disappear. However, the medications are typically a major aspect that helps the individual maintain a normal quality of life.
It is also important that as an adult living with Tourettes you educate yourself as much as possible to new treatment options. When new treatment methods are discovered and studied it helps to improve the quality of life for almost all patients when eases up on the problems for individuals.
As an adult living with Tourettes, you should surround yourself with people you know and feel safe with as well as who also understand your disorder. Tourettes frighten many people because they do not understand the disorder. It is important to know that it is nothing against you personally, but rather they do not know and understand all aspects of Tourettes.
As times improve, it becomes much easier for individuals to live with Tourettes. As technology and medical research improve, it will become even easier, but it is still not going to result in a perfect life. You must be willing to put forth the effort to live as close to a normal life as possible. Work with your doctor to arrange the best treatment option for your particular lifestyle.
If something happens and your symptoms flair, be sure to speak to your doctor and let them know. You should actively seek to regain control over your tics, which could be as simple as just removing something from your environment that is triggering the tics. Other times, it could be something in your diet that you are eating. Be flexible and willing to make changes as they are needed and you should be able to enjoy a very successful life as an adult living with Tourettes who has a full and satisfying life. There is no reason why Tourettes will stop you from dating, being successful in your career, and making the life
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Steve Driskill is the author of "End Your Child's Tics Now!", which is centered on how adults and children can end thier tics from Tourettes by modifying their diet. His book can be found at http://www.facialtics.org.
Source: http://www.iffizpartners.com/index.php?page=article&article_id=6504
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