Narcolepsy, intimacy and sexuality

Abstract

The willingness to enter into an intimate relationship, and the ability then to establish and maintain one, can be difficult for many people. For the person with narcolepsy an additional dimension of difficulty is added. In this chapter, the symptoms of narcolepsy are first described. Then there follows a description of the problems which can be posed if a particular symptom is not under control. The depiction of potential problems and possible solutions is organized to highlight how these symptoms manifest themselves at successive stages of development during a life span. The reason for this way of organizing the chapter is that although the potential difficulties are independent of age and gender, the way in which they manifest themselves does differ especially with respect to developmental stage. This kind of information will be particularly useful to clinicians who have people with narcolepsy under their care, offering a framework to help guide this aspect of treatment. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.