7 Important Tips For Dating Someone With Mild Tourettes

Mild Tourettes

According to the CDC, 3 out of every 1000 people will be diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome between the ages of 6 and 17 years old.

While symptoms of Tourettes can come and go over the years, most people who have been accurately diagnosed will experience ticks to some degree throughout their whole life.

When you get past the small differences that people with Tourettes have in comparison to non-Tourettes sufferers, they’re just normal people. That probably comes as no surprise to you if you’re reading this article since you or somebody you know may be considering dating someone who has Tourettes.

The truth is, navigating a relationship with a person who has mild Tourettes is 95% the same as any other relationship you’ll navigate. In order to better manage the 5% that’s different, below, our team shares some helpful pointers.

1. Keep Things Light

Tourettes is a neurological disorder that’s marked by any number of involuntary actions sufferers exhibit. These actions can range from saying things to making involuntary movements.

Actions are often commonly referred to as “ticks”.

While triggers for ticks vary from person to person, stress has been cited as one of the primary culprits.

For that reason, we recommend that you keep outings with the person you’re dating as stress-free as possible. (Dates are supposed to be stress-free anyway, right?)

Roll with things that come up throughout the evening. Don’t put any pressure on your partner. Aim to have a good time.

If you can aspire to that, you’ll find that you run into a lot less Tourettes-related problems.

2. Know That Ticks are Involuntary

We’ve mentioned this already but we will say it again – Ticks are involuntary. Like 100% involuntary.

That means that flare-ups in tick activity with your partner can happen at the most inopportune times. We’re talking in a movie theater, in a fancy restaurant… literally anywhere.

Understand that before you date someone with mild Tourettes. Be prepared for the occasional embarrassing situation and make sure you and your partner are on the same page about how you’re going to handle situations when they come up.

3. Ignore Stuff That Can Be Ignored

We’re sure that on your first couple of dates, ticks might be a conversation topic or something that your partner tries to poke fun at themselves over.

After you’ve broken the ice on your partner’s Tourettes however, unless they want to talk more about it, just ignore it.

Don’t point out every tick when it happens. Don’t talk about triggers. Don’t point out when you think you’re noticing a new tick.

Unless you can’t ignore something because it poses an immediate issue for you, leave it to the person you’re dating to drive conversations around their mild Tourettes. You’ll find that if you force yourself to look past ticks for a while, doing so will eventually come naturally.

4. Make It Clear That It’s Safe to Communicate

Sometimes the person you’re dating who is suffering from mild Tourettes may feel like they’re particularly unconformable with their disorder on a certain day or in a certain place. They may not want to tell you about their discomfort however for fear of drawing judgment.

The best thing you can do as soon as possible in your relationship is make clear that you’re always open to conversations and accommodating needs that stem from having Tourettes.

You reassuring your partner that you will never judge them for their situation will help avoid pent up discomfort in your relationship.

5. Take Note of Triggers and Use That Info To Guide Your Actions

Just because we don’t recommend striking up conversations about Tourettes triggers when you notice them doesn’t mean that we don’t think it’s a good idea for you to take mental notes.

If you’re noticing that particular things are causing your partner who has Tourettes problems, steer clear of those things.

You trying to create a comfortable situation for the person you’re dating isn’t unlike what you would do with anybody, Tourettes or no Tourettes. Be proactive and always try to be as mindful a partner as possible.

6. Have a Sense of Humor

Some people who date mild Tourettes sufferers will find themselves walking on eggshells and feeling sorry for the person they’re dating. The truth is though that a lot of people with Tourettes have a great sense of humor about it.

You’ll obviously want to gauge your partner’s unique disposition towards their disorder but if they’re open to joking, laughing, and poking fun at themselves, take their cue and be equally lighthearted.

When you can laugh at something, it ceases to become the elephant in the room. With that elephant removed from your relationship, you can have a much more meaningful connection.

7. Don’t Try to Fix Them

Don’t try to fix your partner.

We promise you that odds are your partner is well aware of their condition. They probably have seen or are currently seeing specialists and may even be on medication. They have a grasp on what the best course of action is for them to manage their condition.

Don’t do research online and start suggesting fixes or making corrections to the person you’re dating’s lifestyle in order to “make them better”.

As we mentioned earlier, Tourettes symptoms can come and go over the years. Be prepared to accept the person you’re dating during their ups and downs or steer clear of getting into a relationship with them all together.

Wrapping Up Important Tips For Dating Someone With Mild Tourettes

People with mild Tourettes are for the most part like anybody else you’d ever date. Show them courtesy and consideration and you’ll find that their disorder starts to fade into the background and you can start to properly connect.

Special Bridge provides a friendly and supportive dating environment for people with special physical and emotional needs. Learn about what makes Special Bridge so special by learning more about us and create your profile today!


19 comments:

  1. Colin Ripp

    November 15, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you for telling me

    Reply
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    July 23, 2019 at 11:48 pm

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    • ...

      November 25, 2019 at 7:51 pm

      hey some people actually want to see what’s going on with people like me with torrettes

      Reply
      • Abril

        December 27, 2020 at 1:16 pm

        I am dating someone with Tourette Syndrome. We have never talked about it. But I know that is what is happening, still who he is so perfect to me. He respects me, loves me and gives me the best of who he is. I love him so much too. I just want to learn how to love him through this and if we ever talk about it, I want him to know that this doesn’t make any difference on how attracted I am to him. I want him to know that I would not change anything of who he is. I love him the way he is.

        Reply
    • Leonidas

      November 11, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      That was actually a really shit move to do lad. Know your place and don’t be an ass.

      Reply
    • Liz

      June 8, 2023 at 4:22 pm

      Come on lets deal with reality. Tourettes comes with much more than tics and these relationships are very challenging. Comorbid conditions are part of the package. Be prepared and read up. OCD ADHD Aspergers and. Numerous other disorders come with this.

      Reply
  3. Dani

    July 25, 2019 at 1:32 pm

    I have Tourette’s and tics are not involuntary. Just saying!

    Reply
    • Andrew akers

      October 1, 2019 at 3:21 am

      I believe you my ex said she had it but would never explain it and I never noticed anything her illness didnt break us up her lieing and racist remarks and all her crazy shit she did broke us up I didnt notice any ticks tho unless being a bitch all the time was her tick. I have seen the guy on you tube I’d much rather random shit being yelled out that’s at least entertaining. Can being a straight up cunt to everyone including me eventually be considered a tick? Just curious.

      Reply
      • Liyah

        June 27, 2021 at 2:50 am

        If you figured out if being rude is a tic, please let me know. My husband has never mentioned he has Tourette’s but I’m pretty sure he does. When ever I try to talk about it he ignores my question. Some of his verbal tics are harmless but other ones (ot which I believe to be tics) are very mentally abusive. If he can’t control it, I will understand and not take it personal, but if it’ not Tourette’s I need to find a way out immediately!

        Reply
    • Kerry Scott

      February 17, 2022 at 10:59 pm

      Well nobody volunteers to have Tourette Syndrome. If you were being honest and you really do have it, I think what you mean is that there are some ways you can
      -voluntarily- treat it. It works very fine line between voluntary and involuntary, but again did you β€œvolunteer,β€œ to have it.
      I guess the question is, β€œwhen does an involuntary urge to do a movement/sound that is voluntary, become so strong that it is de facto involuntary?”

      Reply
  4. Kris Kendall

    October 5, 2019 at 5:23 am

    Please edit your article to use β€œtics”. Ticks are blood sucking insects and I’m glad that my son doesn’t have THOSE! Tics are bad enough in social situations, it would be even harder for him to find a date if he had ticks all over him. ☺️

    Reply
  5. mike

    November 14, 2019 at 5:58 pm

    I have just realized that my wife of nearly 25 years has Tourettes. I have been employed in the medical field for nearly 30 years and I cant believe that I didnt realize this sooner. She has mild symptoms like arm and shoulder movements. I cant begin to imagine what it has been like for her to try and cover this up.
    Realizing this has made my Love for her grow. A weight has been lifted.

    Reply
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    November 30, 2019 at 12:44 am

    Earnings on the Internet from $5613 per day: http://tacbibirfa.tk/0py0

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  7. Nicole

    June 9, 2020 at 2:53 am

    I’ve been with my boyfriend three years now, just recently he started repeating another girls name over and over again. He said there’s nothing going on between them, I don’t want to make a big deal about it but some of the stuff he says is inappropriate and I wonder if these are his true thoughts or just something he’s saying? I handle things pretty well with him but sadly this one is really starting to get to me.

    Reply
  8. miles

    October 18, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    i have noticed that whenever i am around my girlfriend and we are just talking and cuddling she never gets ticks compared to if we are just watching a movie. im just wondering if being around a loved one makes you less vulnerable to tics.

    Reply
    • Lucy

      November 29, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      This is definitely true for me, direct contact will lower the stress levels and distract me from worrying about it as much.

      Reply
    • AJ

      February 11, 2022 at 10:50 pm

      I think this is true! my partner definitely puts me more at ease. which causes my tics to lessen because they are often stress related. I will say also that it makes complete sense from my experiences that they come out during movies. Particularly because I have both Tourette’s and ADHD and participating in activities where I have to stand or sit still and pay attention to something without interfacing with it directly also causes my tics to come out. So in conclusion yes your presence is likely some help but I also suspect that isnt the whole story.

      Reply
  9. Leonidas

    November 11, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    I have also thought about what miles over here is saying and ofc was wondering the same thing. Other than that I think it’s good for me to know some of this stuff. Even tho I honestly find 99% of the ticks the person I love has really and kinda fix my mood when I see them. Before you think I am a horrible person I just mean that I don’t find them weird or anything. They just cheer me up and make me want to hug her and tell her that I love her.

    Again I think this page made me think more about some things and kinda made me miss hearing her ticks.

    Reply
  10. Anna

    February 21, 2022 at 4:15 am

    Hi
    I think my boyfriend has Tourettes as he has a vocal tic and eye blinking.
    Should I mention it to him ? He has never talked about it to me.

    Reply

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