I did some shopping after work and then had a drink with some friends, and for the whole five hours this took, I’ve felt people have been staring and making negative judgements about me.

It started as soon as I left work.…

Maybe I spoke too soon yesterday when I proudly announced that my mood had been assessed as normal. I’m not so sure that would have been today’s judgement. I’ve been feeling weepy on and off recently but not for any specific reasons that I can identify.…

King Russell’s mum called earlier and while he was speaking to her I was squawking in the background as usual. Then I heard him say, “No mum, we haven’t bought a parrot.” He went on to explain it was just me she could hear shrieking.…

I’ve just started my Christmas shopping. I should leave it until closer to the end of the year, but as I’ve explained before, I enjoy choosing gifts for people and can’t resist starting early. So far I’ve bought presents for Leftwing Idiot and King Russell and I’m really pleased with what I’ve got them.…

Coventry, normally associated with silence, got a taste of the noisy treatment today as the city hosted a Tourettes Action conference.

Leftwing Idiot, Ruth and I travelled there by train. The air-conditioning was on full blast and Ruth kept ticcing, “HELP!…

Many of my tics are funny and random, but recently I’ve been saying some fairly nasty things most of which are about myself. For example: “I’m a horrible cunt,” “Shut up bitch,” “Poke out my eyes.”

I don’t feel particularly full of self-loathing or hatred but these negative tics do seem to get more forceful if I’m feeling miserable or frustrated.…

Two weeks ago in a meeting, I banged my chest as I do hundreds of times a day, but this time I felt a horrible sharp pain in my thumb. I tried to style it out so no one would notice but when I looked there was a thick blue mark running down the middle of it, ending in a lump.…

I’ve just watched a wicked film with Leftwing Idiot and Poppy called Big River Man. It documents Martin Strel’s 3,375 mile endurance swim up the Amazon. He’s not a natural athlete or a typical hero though what he achieves is incredible.…

Tonight I was out in town with Ruth and Catherine who both have Tourettes. At the first pub we went to we were ID’d, not to prove our ages but to prove we had Tourettes.

The bar manager approached us while we were waiting to be served and stood in front of us for a long time, staring at us.…

I’ve had a busy day travelling across the city to meet up with various friends. I had dinner by the river and went to Ollie and Karen’s post-wedding party. It’s been a fun day shared with lots of different people.

For a good part of it I was with Leftwing Idiot.…