This afternoon I went for Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT). The treatment has helped me feel a lot more in control of my body as well as my thoughts and emotions. I’ve learnt strategies that have made everyday tasks like eating or brushing my teeth easier. At today’s session we discussed my progress as well as the things I’m still finding difficult – including the problems I’m having with mobility.

HRT revolves around awareness of the sensation that accompanies tics so you can catch them before they happen and do an alternative movement. We agreed that although I’ve made significant progress in being able to do things despite my tics, my awareness of them as they happen hasn’t changed.

I think one of the key problems for me is that because I have so many tics and they happen all the time, identifying the sensation of each one is like trying to pick out an individual ant in an anthill. But even if I haven’t been able to make much progress with this yet, I have become much better at regaining control after I’ve ticced.

My therapist can see these improvements too. We’re going to meet much less frequently from now on as we work towards the end of this treatment. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made and feel much better equipped to meet the challenges that remain.