Neuropsychology - Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder Intervention Course

The Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD) course is a remote intervention for individuals who experience NEAD. Completing this course will give you a chance to find out more about NEAD, identify common warning signs and practice strategies to help manage your symptoms. The course is run by a specialist team of healthcare professionals.

What is involved?

• The course is made up of 4 sessions, which combine online videos with follow-up phone calls with one of our team
• Each session varies in length, but will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete each week (which you do not have to do all in one go)
• You will watch the videos for each session in your own time, and then attend a scheduled telephone review one week later with one of our team
• The first 3 sessions are weekly, and the final session will take place one month later

What will I learn?

• During the course, you will learn about what NEAD is, what causes it to happen, and what can keep it going
• You will be introduced to exercises that will help you to notice warning signs and manage NEAD
• At the end of each call, you will be encouraged to put your learning into practice based on your needs and preferences

Who runs the NEAD Intervention course?

The course is led by the NEAD team in the Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, which is made up of: clinical psychologists, CBT therapists and assistant psychologists.

What will happen?

• A few weeks before your course starts you will be sent an appointment letter with the times of your telephone appointments and handouts for each individual session
• One week before your first telephone call, we will email you the video content. You must watch the session one videos before your first telephone call
• A week after you are sent the videos, you will have a 20-30 minute telephone appointment with one of the NEAD team. This will be your opportunity to ask questions and get any extra support that you might need
• You will then be instructed to watch the videos for the next session and will again have one week before your next telephone call to watch these videos
• It is important that you watch all the video content for the session before your telephone appointment
• After your session 3 telephone call, you will have a 3-week break before the session-4 videos are sent to you. This is to give you time to practice the exercises and apply what you have learned to your everyday life
• You will then have a final session 4 telephone call one week later, just like the other sessions. During this, you will create a personalised management plan to help you with your experience of NEAD

What do I need to take part?

• An email address for us to send you the links to the video content
• A telephone number we can call you on each week
• A device with internet connection so you can watch the videos online (laptop, computer, smart phone, tablet etc.)
• Access to www.youtube.com (if you type this into your address bar and it is blocked, you may need to add this as a ‘trusted’ or ‘safe’ site). You do not need to set up a YouTube account
• The handouts we send you in the post and a pen
• For some exercises you might need a bit of space to move around in

How do I get a place on the course?

• If you are on our waiting list, you will be offered a place on the course either by a letter from us or during an assessment appointment
• If you would like to take part but have not yet been contacted, please share your interest in the NEAD Intervention Course (remote) by emailing reftoneuropsych@nca.nhs.uk and a member of our team will contact you
• If you are offered a place, but not available for any of the dates, please let us know as soon as possible

What happens after the course?

After you complete the course, you will be offered a review appointment to see how you are getting on. If you choose to have a review appointment, one of our team will consider whether you would benefit from further review sessions or individual talking therapy sessions.

If you decide that you do not want a review appointment or we do not hear from you, you will be discharged from the NEAD service.

What if I have other health conditions?

We will ask you about health conditions, illnesses and injuries before the course starts. We will complete a health form with you, and you may be instructed to adapt the exercises to ensure they are right for you – we will guide you through this.

We may ask you to seek advice from your doctor if there are any concerns about whether the course is suitable for you.

Do I have to complete every session?

Yes! This is because each session is different, and people get the most benefit when they complete all sessions.

If you are not able to complete a video session or if you are not going to be available for your telephone appointment, please let us know as soon as you can.

We might be able to offer you a different appointment time or give you the chance to start the course again so that you get to complete all sessions.

What about confidentiality?

The team member you speak to on the phone will make some electronic notes about what you discuss. These notes are only accessible to members of the Neuropsychology department. However, if we are worried about your safety, or the safety of someone you know, we will need to share our concerns with other professionals.

What have our patients said about the course?

🗹 “It was very useful in helping to deal with NEAD and good to know I am not the only one”

🗹 “Fun and factual, helped to understand what NEAD is and how to handle it”

🗹 “Found it very helpful and will be leaving with a positive attitude about dealing with NEAD”

🗹 “I found all the information useful, it feels better knowing it's not just me with NEAD”

🗹 “The practical exercises were really helpful, and I liked being able to go back and revisit them. I also thought that the weekly calls with the therapist were essential as being able to talk through the connections between the learning, and what you are actually experiencing, helps bring everything to life”
 
For more information about NEAD, please visit our website

https://www.manchesterneurosciences.com/departments/ neuropsychology/nead
Or use the camera on your phone and look at the QR code below: