Conditions treated

Brain damage caused by events after birth, therefore distinct from congenital injury or injury early in life resulting in a learning disability. Usually a single incident and often global. Typical examples include: trauma, for example from a road traffic accident, fall or assault; anoxic brain injury due to lack of oxygen to the brain caused by, for example, cardiac arrest, near drowning or carbon monoxide poisoning; hypoglycaemic brain injury, due to, for example, unstable diabetes mellitus; subarachnoid haemorrhage; brain tumour; encephalitis.

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A physical or psychological habituation to alcohol resulting in tolerance to its effects and withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation.

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A disorder characterised by low weight, loss of growth in children and specific eating and weight-related ideas and behaviours.

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Describes people at the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. People with the condition show significant difficulties in social communication and interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour and interests.

A condition in which an individual exhibits a long-standing pattern of difficulty attending to others, focusing attention, listening and following through; also characterised by physical restlessness and impulsiveness.

A broad term intended to describe disorders of mood, behaviour, and social relationships arising from a failure to form normal attachments to primary care-giving figures in early childhood, resulting in problematic social expectations and behaviours.

The autism spectrum, also called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or autism spectrum conditions (ASC), encompasses a range of psychological conditions characterised by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication and repetitive and stereotyped movements and interests.

The term covers a continuum of complex difficulties and is used to describe children and young people, whose difficulties present a barrier to learning. Features include appearing withdrawn, having poor social skills, hyperactivity, and generally being disruptive.

An eating disorder involving uncontrolled eating of large amounts of food but without vomiting or laxative purging.

A mental disorder characterized by episodes of mania (elated or irritable mood) and depression.

Psychological disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with defects in their appearance, which are imagined or exaggerated.

A prolonged disturbance of personality characterised by impulsive actions, rapidly shifting moods and chaotic relationships. Often there is dependency, separation anxiety, unstable self-image, “black and white” thinking, chronic feelings of emptiness and threats of self-harm.

The activity of bingeing on large amounts of food, followed by self-induced vomiting.

A loss or deficiency of motor control often with muscle rigidity caused by permanent brain damage present at birth.

A psychiatric category marked by a repeating pattern of behaviour wherein the rights of others or social norms are violated.

A genetic disorder affecting one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK, in which an individual inherits an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional chromosome results in distinct physical and intellectual features.

A physical or psychological habituation to a mood or mind altering substance, such as prescription or illicit drugs. Tolerance to the drug’s effects and withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation are common.

A term used to describe an individual suffering from a mental illness alongside a substance abuse problem, for example, depression and alcoholism.

A severe mental illness, occurring at an early age, which interferes with an individual’s ability to perform activities of daily life. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusional beliefs, personality changes, social interaction difficulties and thought disorder.

An acute inflammation of the brain caused by either a virus or bacterial infection. Symptoms include fever, headache, confusion and sometimes seizures. The patient is often left with cognitive impairment and memory problems and sometimes behavioural problems.

A service providing secure detention of offenders in special hospitals where the emphasis is on care and treatment for a mental illness rather than on punishment.

A progressive neurodegenerative genetic disorder of the central nervous system. The illness typically develops between the age of 30 and 50 and early symptoms include uncontrollable muscular movements, loss of co-ordination, mood changes, memory lapses, depression and lack of concentration.

For more information on how we have developed our service for clients with Huntington’s Disease thus far, please refer to the following article: Developing a service for Huntington’s Disease.

A brain injury caused by an interruption to the supply of oxygen to the brain.

A neurological disorder caused by a lack of Vitamin B1 in the brain, which is commonly seen in patients after chronic alcohol abuse. The main symptoms are amnesia, confabulation (where invented memories are taken as true), lack of insight, apathy, paralysis of eye muscles, tremor and poor conversation.

An umbrella term to describe a range of conditions that affect an individual’s development, academic ability and which restricts their activities of daily living.

Mood is defined as the way an individual feels at a particular time. A mood disorder is a disturbance in an individual’s mood resulting in lasting changes in behaviour and emotional state including sadness, irritability, anxiety and elation.

A progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks the motor neurones in the body resulting in wasting of muscles and subsequent loss of mobility and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.

The result of damage to the myelin sheath which surrounds nerves in the central nervous system. Symptoms vary from individual to individual but might include difficulties with balance, dizziness, fatigue, visual difficulties, numbness or tingling, bladder and /or bowel problems, difficulties with memory and thinking, stiffness in muscles, emotional changes, tremor, speech and swallowing difficulties.

An anxiety-related condition, where individuals experience repetitive and intrusive thoughts and images that are difficult to ignore and which result in repetitive behaviours that can be time-consuming and emotionally distressing, for example, excessive hand-washing to avoid germs.

A childhood psychiatric disorder with an ongoing pattern of disobedient and hostile childhood behaviour towards authority figures. Temper tantrums, negativism and blaming of others are symptoms of this condition.

A generative disorder of the central nervous system affecting movement and speech. Tremor is the most apparent and well-known symptom but other symptoms include joint stiffness, slowness of movement and speech and swallowing disturbances.

An anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a psychologically traumatic event, for example, a death, which persists for a long period of time. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, chronic irritability or anxiety and avoidance of triggers which remind of the event.

A term given to severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. Individuals experience delusions and hallucinations and may show changes in personality and thought disorder.

A serious mental illness which affects thinking, feeling and behaviour which usually starts between the ages of 15 and 35 years. Symptoms include delusions, difficulty in concentrating, hallucinations and a feeling of being controlled.

Intentional injury of self without suicidal intent, including self-injury or self-poisoning. The most common form is skin cutting but other examples include burning, scratching and hair pulling.

A developmental birth defect that affects the development of the spine and nervous system. It literally means “split” or “open” spine and occurs during pregnancy when the two sides of the embryo’s spine fail to join together leaving a gap.

An injury or trauma to the spinal cord resulting in reduced mobility or feeling.

A loss in brain function(s) due to a disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. Early indications of a stroke include sudden-onset face weakness, arm drift and abnormal speech. Patients may be left with weakness in an arm or leg, language problems (dysphasia) or other cognitive impairments and behavioural and emotional problems.

A brain injury caused initially by trauma to the head.