Neuropsychology - Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder - Easy read

Non-epileptic Attack Disorder

This leaflet is about Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder. We also call this NEAD. You may already have another word for NEAD. This is fine. When NEAD happens, your doctor will call this a NEAD episode.Please read t his leaflet with someone who supports you. If you have any questions, you can ask them for help.

What is NEAD? Your brain sends messages to your body about how to move. These messages tell your body when to move; what part of the body to move and how quickly or slowly to move.

The body sends messages back to the brain. It tells your brain how you are feeling. You cannot see theese messages. They get sent without you having to think about it. The messages tell you if you are hungry, thirsty, happy, sad, hot or cold.

The messages usually travel very fast, but sometimes the messages stop. When the messages stop, your brain and body cannot speak to each other. This is when a NEAD episode happens. Here are some things that might happen when you have a NEAD episode. Your body might shake.

You might feel wobbly or dizzy; you might fall to the floor, you might have problems seeing things, you might have problems hearing things

You might not know what is happening. It can feel scary to have a NEAD episode. Sometimes, you might fall and hurt yourself. You will stay alive when you have a NEAD episode. You will feel better again soon.

You can still do activities you enjoy with NEAD.

Why do people have NEAD? Lots of people have NEAD. NEAD happens when you have had a difficult time. Here are some of the difficult things that can happen to you. Problems with money. Being treated badly by other people.

Feeling pain for a long time. The death of someone you love. Feeling scared for a long time. Feeling worried about other people.

Having lots of t hings to do. When difficult things happen, more messages are sent. The brain gets tired when its very busy. The brain stops sending and taking messages so it can have a break. This is why NEAD happens. You might not know why you have NEAD. That is OK. There are people who can help you understand NEAD.

How do I know if I have NEAD? A special doctor called a Neurologist will help you. Neurologists know about how the brain works. The doctor will do a test to see if you have NEAD. This test will not hurt. Sometimes we can have big feelings about NEAD.

You can talk to a therapist who knows about NEAD. They will help you to understand why you have NEAD;. Learn ways to have less NEAD episodes. For more information about NEAD please have a look at our website (details below)