Sometimes when I'm acutely ill I struggle to communicate. I have several languages, and when I'm confused I can't figure out what language I'm supposed to be speaking, so I'll come out with a sentence that contains English, French and Irish, or whatever. The only person who seems able to translate for me when I'm like this is my son, but I suppose he grew up with it. It's horrible when it happens, and particularly if I'm out of the house. I've been known to become completely inarticulate in shopping centres and supermarkets, on the London Underground. It seems to come on most acutely when I'm in crowded spaces, but it can happen any time.

I've thought of having something printed and laminated that I can show people if I start gabbling, but there seems little point, since I'd not remember to show it to people, and anyway, to me at the time it seems that other people are the problem rather than me. I might get one printed anyway, so that if I'm picked up by the police or an ambulance etc they have some idea of where I'm coming from.

I really don't know that it's something I can cope with when I'm in the middle of it. It's very distressing, and always leaves me feeling humiliated.