Life, interrupted

James McConnel always felt like a 'nearly' person. Alienated and bullied at school, he found solace in his talent for music. But as piano playing skills developed, so did a bewidering array of strange compulsions. Initially the jerking, coughing, grunting, repeating, tapping, sniffing and counting was dismissed as a 'funny little habit'. But it was clearly much more than that. As a child, playing music was the only time James felt in control. But later, the bittersweet discovery that drinking also temporarily stopped his twitches saw him slip into alcoholism. Aged thirty-two, James was finally diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and, at long last, he began to understand himself. He still has tics and obsessive routines but his attitude to these has altered dramatically. He is happy.