Abstract
The current research study explored the experience of two mothers of boys who suffer
from Tourette Syndrome. It looks at the impact of the diagnosis on them and their
families, touches on the question of how they are affected by social perception, what
feelings are evoked around the issue, and how they feel supported by their son’s schools
and the medical system. It also briefly takes into account whether there is a place for
psychotherapy within a supportive structure for them. Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis was used to elicit the richest themes from the in-depth interviews conducted
with both women. While many of the same emotions were evoked on the diagnosis of
their sons, both families reacted differently, one acting as a unit or system and the other
appearing to separate into individuals coping with the impact. Both women found support
from the families they met through The Tourette’s Association of Ireland and both
became a support for newly diagnosed families. One mother had a very positive
experience with her son’s school, teachers, psychologist and the medical system in
general, the other did not. One woman has been attending psychotherapy as a support for
herself, and the other had not ever considered it. This research suggests that treating the
diagnosis as ‘family diagnosis’ rather than an individual’s diagnosis may be a beneficial
approach for all involved. It also suggests that psychotherapy could be a support for the
care-givers who bear the worry, responsibility and at times the sense of isolation
associated with Tourette Syndrome, for their children. This study is exploratory in nature,
looking at the lives of two mothers in a specific situation, in the hope that the findings
will serve as a basis of authentic knowledge from which to develop further Irish studies
into what might be supportive to these women and families. ‘sometimes we simply have to keep our eyes open and look carefully at individual cases – not in the hope of proving anything, but rather in the hope of learning something!’ Hans Eysenck (1976: 9) Author keywords: Tourette syndrome, parents, caregivers, support
