On Friday I had my second appointment for Habit Reversal Therapy. During the session the therapist said he thought the muscle groups involved in my tics have got stuck with only two settings: relaxed (not in use at all), or maximum tension and ticcing.…

Laura and I were watching a scary film and as usual my tics increased during the exciting bits. At one point, my arms bent, stretched and flapped about chaotically and finally I thumbed myself in the eye. Laura paused the film and said, “Let me see.…

Back in October I described how I’d injured my thumb with my chest-banging tic and how Fat Sister, who’s a doctor, had told me to go and get it x-rayed. I didn’t do it, mainly because I was worried about wasting the hospital’s time, and also because I was a bit embarrassed that I’d hurt myself in this way.…

I watched The King’s Speech earlier today. It stars Colin Firth as King George VI, and tells the story of his relationship with the speech therapist who helped him overcome his severe stammer. Stammering disrupts the flow of speech and makes communicating difficult.…

A couple of weeks ago I had a moan about my ‘Biscuit’ tic – it was driving me crazy. Tonight I thought I would redress the balance and celebrate some of the things funny I’ve said about biscuits recently:

“Blackpool-Upon-Biscuits.”

“It’s not Breast Cancer Week, it’s Biscuit Week.”…

I’ve just got home from Leftwing Idiot’s after watching a film with him and Poppy. We were all tired and my tics were making me move erratically and contort all over the place. Because of this, Leftwing Idiot offered to walk me home.…

Last week someone asked me if I have Tourettes in my dreams. I had a vague idea that sometimes I do but I wasn’t really sure. When I woke up this morning though I was sure.

Last night I had a vivid dream about having to go on live TV.…

I glanced up from my computer earlier to find Fat Sister pointing at a packet of biscuits on the living-room table and King Russell pointing at me. I was puzzled by this until Fat Sister said, “You just ticced ‘point to the biscuit’.”…

At lunchtime I met up with Laura, Emma, Hannah and her nine-month-old son Luke. We went for tea and cakes at Bea’s in Bloomsbury – Emma’s Christmas gift to us. Within minutes of arriving Hannah offered her son round for ‘a squeeze’.…

It’s a month before Valentine’s Day and a month before the end of the government’s poorly thought out consultation on Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Today, bloggers from all over the UK are writing to mark One Month Before Heart Break. Rather than love and romance, February 14th 2011 threatens to bring heartbreak and despair to many disabled people.…