I sometimes risk doing things, which I know could easily end in disaster because of a tic. Occasionally it’s because I’m feeling self-conscious and don’t want to stand out any more than I do already. For example, using normal cutlery in a restaurant rather than the plastic set I carry around with me.

More frequently I do things the risky way because the safe way is much slower. This evening, for instance, I noticed the basil plant looking droopy and because I couldn’t find the lid for my cup, I thought I’d give it some water without it on. It wasn’t a gamble that paid off and as I should have predicted I ended up watering myself, not the basil.