The jaw tension, head movements, eye movements, and filler words you see here are me actively pushing through speech blocks. I do not have Tourette’s. None of this is involuntary. These are habits I’ve developed over years to help get words out when my speech gets stuck. When I say “um” or “like,” it’s not because I’m nervous or don’t know what I want to say. It’s a tool that helps me keep going instead of freezing completely. Not-so-fun fact: I was born with a congenital heart defect and needed