There are an estimated 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK. They’re people who support a family member, a friend or partner who’s ill, frail or disabled.

Today’s the start of Carers’ Week, an annual week of campaigning which aims to:

• Draw attention to the role of carers and celebrate the contribution they make
• Help people recognise that they are carers and help them access support
• Highlight the need for sustainable funding for services, both for carers and the people they care for

This year’s campaign focuses on the fact that every day 6,000 people take on new caring responsibilities.…

I woke suddenly in the middle of the night to a repetitive high-pitched beeping coming from the hall. Further away in the living room I could hear a robotic voice intermittently issuing instructions. But it wasn’t until I looked out of the window that I realised something really strange was going on.…

Three years and five months ago I started writing this blog on New Years Day 2010. I have strong memories of that day because it marked the start of my transition from Tourettes ‘sufferer’ to Touretteshero.

Because I was on my own I decided to record my tics for 24 hours using a small audio recorder and a clip mic.…

Roll up, roll up! It’s time for another guest post by Dylan, AKA Goalie Boy.

Dylan is twelve and has Tourettes. In his second guest post he shares a recent adventure. Look out for more blogs from Dylan in the coming weeks.…

Well, not an actual new job. This morning as I got ready for work my tics suggested a new area of employment through the medium of another ticced song. Here’s how it goes:

“I’m just laying AstroTurf in Richard Branson’s mind.…

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a new ticced song. The chorus was about animals liking it ‘Hard in the face.’ It seems my tics have decided that simply singing about liking it hard in the face is no longer enough.…

At the weekend Poppy stopped in at the castle to pick up a few things on her way to Leftwing Idiot’s flat. She asked if she could have a plant pot so she could re-pot his geranium. Given my tics’ on-going hostility towards this plant it’s not surprising she seemed amazed when I agreed.…

My support worker Mia and I were the only people in the office at work today. It was very quiet and I got a lot done, in stark contrast to last week, which was breathtakingly busy because of the half-term holiday.…

On Friday night Claire and I went to a local pub for a quick drink. There’s a very big step to get in and just as we were preparing to tackle it I had a couple of bizarre conversations with two strangers, pretty much simultaneously.…

For two reasons over the last few days I’ve been thinking quite a bit about my leg tics and their impact on my mobility.

The first is that there’ve been several occasions recently when my tics have intensified even more than usual, with my legs moving constantly and feeling extremely uncomfortable.…