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. My tics have a similar effect, and this made the film particularly interesting for me.

It focused on the approach, very unorthodox at the time, taken by the speech therapist. His techniques included getting the King to sing what he was saying, and to swear. My tics responded to the film and the swearing sent them barmy. They kept anticipating the plot with shouts of “Don’t stammer!’ at critical points.

I related to the frustration of the King and recognised the importance of sticking with strategies for managing problems like this and the value of supportive friends.