Conditions

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Intellectual disabilityClinical name: Intellectual Developmental DisorderLimitations in learning and everyday skills, from mild to profound. Defined by support needs, not an IQ number, and much of it is preventable.10 min read →Developmental delay (under 5s)Clinical name: Global Developmental DelayWhen a young child is behind across several areas. A signal to look and help early, not a final verdict.8 min read →Language disorderClinical name: Language DisorderPersistent difficulty learning and using language, beyond a late start. The engine of school learning, and it responds to therapy.9 min read →Speech sound disorderClinical name: Speech Sound DisorderWhen a child’s speech stays hard to understand past the expected age. Speech therapy, and a hearing check first.9 min read →StutteringClinical name: Childhood-Onset Fluency DisorderInterruptions in the flow of speech. Not nervousness or weak character, and people who stutter can speak powerfully.9 min read →Social communication disorderClinical name: Social (Pragmatic) Communication DisorderDifficulty with the social side of language, without the other features of autism. Speech therapy targets the social machinery of talking.9 min read →AutismClinical name: Autism Spectrum DisorderA lifelong difference in how a person communicates and experiences the world. Not a disease, not caused by vaccines, and not anyone’s fault.7 min read →ADHDClinical name: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderNot laziness or weak discipline. A brain-based difference in attention and impulse control, and one of the most treatable conditions there is.11 min read →Learning disorders (reading, writing, maths)Clinical name: Specific Learning DisorderDyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia. Specific difficulties out of step with overall ability, not low intelligence, and accommodations are access.9 min read →Coordination disorderClinical name: Developmental Coordination DisorderMarked difficulty with coordination, beyond ordinary clumsiness, affecting daily life. Sometimes called dyspraxia; occupational therapy helps.8 min read →Stereotypic movement disorderClinical name: Stereotypic Movement DisorderRepetitive movements like rocking or head-banging that interfere with life or risk injury. Behavioural strategies help; punishment does not.8 min read →Tourette syndrome and tic disordersClinical name: Tourette’s DisorderSudden repeated movements and sounds, involuntary and waxing and waning. Not naughtiness; many tics fade, and behavioural therapy helps.10 min read →

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

SchizophreniaClinical name: SchizophreniaNot split personality, not witchcraft, not weak character. A treatable brain condition, and one of the most stigmatised on earth.12 min read →Schizoaffective disorderClinical name: Schizoaffective DisorderFeatures of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder. Treating both dimensions, many people do well.9 min read →Delusional disorderClinical name: Delusional DisorderOne fixed false belief, in a person who otherwise seems entirely well. Often missed, and treatable.9 min read →Brief psychosisClinical name: Brief Psychotic DisorderA sudden, frightening episode that, by definition, fully resolves within a month. Support and follow-up still matter.8 min read →Schizophreniform disorderClinical name: Schizophreniform DisorderSchizophrenia’s symptoms, present one to six months. A diagnosis of timing, where early treatment tilts the odds.8 min read →Psychosis caused by substancesClinical name: Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic DisorderWhen cannabis, khat or stimulants trigger hallucinations or delusions. Often clears, but can unmask lasting illness.8 min read →Psychosis from a medical conditionClinical name: Psychotic Disorder Due to Another Medical ConditionWhen an infection, epilepsy or thyroid problem is the real cause. Find it, treat it, and the psychosis can lift.8 min read →CatatoniaClinical name: CatatoniaStillness, rigidity and silence, or extreme agitation. Easy to overlook, and one of the more treatable syndromes in psychiatry.8 min read →

Bipolar and Related Disorders

Bipolar disorder (type I)Clinical name: Bipolar I DisorderEpisodes of mania and usually depression. Not moodiness, not a curse: a manageable condition that allows full lives.11 min read →Bipolar disorder (type II)Clinical name: Bipolar II DisorderDepression plus hypomania. Not a lesser illness, and often mistaken for depression for years.10 min read →CyclothymiaClinical name: Cyclothymic DisorderYears of milder mood ups and downs that feel like personality. “Just moody” may be a treatable condition with a name.9 min read →Mood swings caused by substancesClinical name: Substance/Medication-Induced Bipolar DisorderWhen stimulants, alcohol or steroids drive manic or depressive states. Removing the trigger often settles it.8 min read →Bipolar symptoms from a medical conditionClinical name: Bipolar Disorder Due to Another Medical ConditionWhen thyroid disease, stroke or brain injury cause the mood change. Treating the illness is the priority.8 min read →

Depressive Disorders

DepressionClinical name: Major Depressive DisorderA lasting low mood, and one of the most treatable conditions in medicine.11 min read →Long-term depressionClinical name: Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)When low mood lasts so long it starts to feel like personality. It is not. It is a condition, and it responds to help.9 min read →PMDDClinical name: Premenstrual Dysphoric DisorderSevere mood symptoms that arrive before a period and lift after it starts. Far more than PMS, and far from untreatable.10 min read →DMDD: chronic irritability in childrenClinical name: Disruptive Mood Dysregulation DisorderWhen a child’s anger is an everyday storm, not an occasional tantrum, and what actually helps.10 min read →Depression caused by substances or medicinesClinical name: Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive DisorderWhen alcohol, khat, or even a prescribed medicine is the engine behind a low mood, and why the distinction changes everything.8 min read →Depression from a medical conditionClinical name: Depressive Disorder Due to Another Medical ConditionThyroid problems, stroke, HIV, diabetes: some illnesses cause depression directly. Treating both is the answer.4 min read →

Anxiety Disorders

Generalised anxiety (constant worry)Clinical name: Generalized Anxiety DisorderWorry that has slipped its leash: persistent, exhausting, and far more treatable than it feels.7 min read →Panic attacks and panic disorderClinical name: Panic DisorderA surge of fear so physical that most people think it is a heart attack. It is not, and it responds to treatment.10 min read →Social anxietyClinical name: Social Anxiety DisorderNot shyness. An intense fear of being judged that quietly redirects whole lives, and one of psychiatry’s most treatable conditions.9 min read →PhobiasClinical name: Specific PhobiaHeights, needles, dogs, flying: the most common anxiety disorder on earth, and often cured in a handful of sessions.8 min read →AgoraphobiaClinical name: AgoraphobiaWhen the safe zone shrinks, ring by ring, until home is the only territory left. The direction of travel can reverse.8 min read →Separation anxiety (children and adults)Clinical name: Separation Anxiety DisorderTears at the school gate, and the adult version nobody talks about. When attachment fear rules daily life.9 min read →Selective mutismClinical name: Selective MutismChatty at home, silent at school. An anxiety condition, not defiance, and very responsive to early help.9 min read →Anxiety caused by substances or medicinesClinical name: Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety DisorderCaffeine, khat, cannabis, alcohol withdrawal, even an inhaler: when the trigger is chemical, the first treatment is finding it.8 min read →

Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

OCDClinical name: Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderUnwanted thoughts and the rituals done to silence them. The thoughts attack what you value most, and there is a clear way out.11 min read →Body dysmorphic disorderClinical name: Body Dysmorphic DisorderA torment about a flaw others barely see. Surgery does not fix it; treatment does, and it lowers a real risk.8 min read →Hoarding disorderClinical name: Hoarding DisorderWhen possessions fill a home past use. Forced clean-outs feel like violation and change nothing; partnership does.9 min read →Hair-pulling disorderClinical name: TrichotillomaniaAn urge-driven condition, not carelessness, carried in deep secrecy. Habit reversal training works.5 min read →Skin-picking disorderClinical name: Excoriation (Skin-Picking) DisorderRecurrent picking that wounds and scars, with real attempts to stop. The skin and the urge are treated together.6 min read →

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

PTSDClinical name: Posttraumatic Stress DisorderThe survival system stuck in the moment that threatened survival. Trauma-focused therapy can help it stand down.11 min read →Acute stress reaction (the first month after trauma)Clinical name: Acute Stress DisorderOverwhelming reactions in the weeks after trauma are a recognised condition, not madness. Most people recover with support.8 min read →Adjustment difficulties after life changesClinical name: Adjustment DisordersMarked distress after a job loss, divorce or move. Real, common, and usually resolved with brief support.8 min read →Prolonged griefClinical name: Prolonged Grief DisorderWhen grief does not change shape a year on. Recognised in 2022, and treatable, without dishonouring the love behind it.10 min read →Reactive attachment disorder (children)Clinical name: Reactive Attachment DisorderA rare condition of severe early neglect. The treatment is not a technique; it is a stable, loving caregiver.8 min read →Disinhibited social engagement (children)Clinical name: Disinhibited Social Engagement DisorderApproaching strangers with no wariness, after severe early neglect. Stable care helps; safety supervision matters meanwhile.8 min read →

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative Identity DisorderClinical name: Dissociative Identity DisorderA condition in which a person's sense of identity is split into two or more distinct states, almost always rooted in severe, repeated childhood…11 min read →Dissociative AmnesiaClinical name: Dissociative AmnesiaAn inability to recall important personal memories, usually of a stressful or traumatic nature, that is too extensive to be ordinary forgetting and is…10 min read →Feeling Unreal (Depersonalisation and Derealisation)Clinical name: Depersonalization/Derealization DisorderA persistent sense of being detached from oneself or from the world, as if living behind glass or in a dream. Distressing and frightening,…9 min read →

Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

When the Body Carries DistressClinical name: Somatic Symptom DisorderReal, distressing physical symptoms, alongside thoughts and worries about them that take over daily life. The symptoms are genuine, not imagined, and the distress…11 min read →Health AnxietyClinical name: Illness Anxiety DisorderA persistent, intense fear of having or developing a serious illness, even when there are few or no actual symptoms and medical checks are…10 min read →Functional Neurological DisorderClinical name: Functional Neurological Symptom DisorderReal neurological symptoms such as weakness, seizures or tremor that arise from a problem in how the brain functions rather than from structural damage.…11 min read →When Stress Worsens Physical IllnessClinical name: Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical ConditionsWhen stress, mood or behaviour measurably worsen a real, diagnosed physical illness such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease. Recognising this link can improve…7 min read →Factitious DisorderClinical name: Factitious DisorderA condition in which a person fakes, exaggerates or induces illness in themselves, not for practical gain, but driven by a deep psychological need.…9 min read →

Feeding and Eating Disorders

AnorexiaClinical name: Anorexia NervosaNot a diet gone too far. A serious illness that distorts how the body is seen, and one where early treatment saves lives.10 min read →BulimiaClinical name: Bulimia NervosaA secret cycle hidden behind an ordinary appearance. Medically serious, deeply shaming, and very treatable.10 min read →Binge-eating disorderClinical name: Binge-Eating DisorderThe most common eating disorder, and the least discussed. Not greed, not weak will, and not untreatable.9 min read →ARFID (extreme restricted eating)Clinical name: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake DisorderSeverely limited eating with no fear of weight gain. Sensory, fear-based, or low appetite, and helped by pressure-free steps.9 min read →Pica (eating non-food items)Clinical name: PicaEating soil, clay or chalk beyond the normal age. Often a sign of iron deficiency, and worth a respectful medical check.9 min read →Rumination disorderClinical name: Rumination DisorderEffortless return of food after meals, mistaken for reflux for years. A muscular habit, and a breathing technique untrains it.8 min read →

Elimination Disorders

BedwettingClinical name: EnuresisWetting the bed (or clothes) beyond the age when dryness is expected, in a child old enough to be dry. Very common, almost never…8 min read →SoilingClinical name: EncopresisPassing stool into clothing beyond the age when bowel control is expected, in a child old enough to be trained. Usually caused by constipation…8 min read →

Sleep-Wake Disorders

InsomniaClinical name: Insomnia DisorderNot just the odd bad night. Persistent trouble sleeping that wears down the day, and a condition with a treatment that works better than…10 min read →Excessive SleepinessClinical name: Hypersomnolence DisorderSleeping long hours and still feeling overwhelmingly sleepy by day, despite enough rest. More than ordinary tiredness, and worth investigating.10 min read →NarcolepsyClinical name: NarcolepsyA neurological condition where the brain cannot reliably hold the boundary between sleep and wakefulness. Lifelong, often misunderstood, and manageable with the right care.10 min read →Sleep ApnoeaClinical name: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea HypopnoeaBreathing that repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, often without the person knowing. Common, harmful to the whole body, and very treatable.10 min read →Body-Clock Sleep ProblemsClinical name: Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake DisordersWhen the body's internal clock is out of step with the world around it, so sleep comes at the wrong times. Includes the particular…10 min read →Sleepwalking and Sleep TerrorsClinical name: NREM Sleep Arousal DisordersDramatic events that arise from deep sleep, mostly in children: walking, talking, or waking in apparent terror with no memory of it afterwards.10 min read →Nightmare DisorderClinical name: Nightmare DisorderWhen frightening dreams happen often enough to disrupt sleep, mood and daily life. Common after trauma, and treatable with focused therapies.9 min read →Acting Out Dreams (REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder)Clinical name: REM Sleep Behaviour DisorderPhysically acting out vivid dreams, because the body's normal sleep paralysis fails. Important to recognise, both for safety and for what it can signal.9 min read →Restless Legs SyndromeClinical name: Restless Legs SyndromeAn irresistible urge to move the legs, worst in the evening and at rest, that disrupts sleep. Common, often missed, and frequently very treatable.9 min read →

Sexual Dysfunctions

Erectile DifficultiesClinical name: Erectile DisorderPersistent difficulty getting or keeping an erection sufficient for satisfying sex. Common, often linked to physical health, and very treatable. A medical matter, not…10 min read →Low Sexual Interest and Arousal (Women)Clinical name: Female Sexual Interest/Arousal DisorderA persistent lack of sexual interest or arousal that causes distress. Common, shaped by physical, emotional and relationship factors, and often helped once the…10 min read →Orgasmic Difficulties (Women)Clinical name: Female Orgasmic DisorderPersistent difficulty reaching orgasm, or markedly reduced intensity of orgasm, despite adequate arousal and stimulation, causing distress. Common, often related to knowledge, anxiety or…9 min read →Low Sexual Desire (Men)Clinical name: Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire DisorderPersistently low or absent sexual desire in a man that causes distress. Real and not uncommon, despite the stereotype that men always want sex,…10 min read →Early EjaculationClinical name: Premature (Early) EjaculationEjaculation that consistently happens sooner than a man and his partner would wish, with little control over timing, causing distress. The most common male…10 min read →Delayed EjaculationClinical name: Delayed EjaculationA persistent, marked delay in ejaculation, or inability to ejaculate, despite adequate desire, arousal and stimulation, causing distress. Less talked about than early ejaculation,…8 min read →Pain During SexClinical name: Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration DisorderPersistent pain, fear of pain, or tensing of the pelvic muscles that makes penetration difficult or painful. Real physical and treatable, not something to…9 min read →

Gender Dysphoria

Gender DysphoriaClinical name: Gender DysphoriaThe significant distress that can arise when a person's experienced gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. A recognised clinical…6 min read →

Disruptive, Impulse-Control, and Conduct Disorders

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (Children)Clinical name: Oppositional Defiant DisorderA pattern of persistent anger, argumentativeness, defiance and vindictiveness in a child, well beyond ordinary testing of limits. Treatable, and best helped through the…10 min read →Conduct DisorderClinical name: Conduct DisorderA serious, persistent pattern in a child or teenager of behaviour that violates others' rights or major rules: aggression, destruction, deceit or serious rule-breaking.…9 min read →Explosive Anger EpisodesClinical name: Intermittent Explosive DisorderRecurrent, sudden outbursts of aggression that are far out of proportion to the trigger and that the person cannot control in the moment, often…10 min read →KleptomaniaClinical name: KleptomaniaA recurrent, irresistible urge to steal things that are not needed and often have little value, driven by mounting tension and relief rather than…9 min read →PyromaniaClinical name: PyromaniaA rare impulse-control condition involving deliberate, repeated fire-setting driven by fascination and a build-up of tension and release, not by profit, anger or any…9 min read →

Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders

Alcohol addictionClinical name: Alcohol Use DisorderA medical condition, not a moral failing. Treatable, though withdrawal in heavy drinkers needs medical care.10 min read →Cannabis (bhang) addictionClinical name: Cannabis Use DisorderYes, cannabis can be addictive. “Natural” does not mean harmless, especially for the developing teenage brain.9 min read →Opioid addiction (including heroin)Clinical name: Opioid Use DisorderA dangerous but very treatable addiction. Long-term medicines like methadone save lives; overdose can be reversed.10 min read →Stimulant addiction (including khat/miraa)Clinical name: Stimulant Use DisorderKhat, amphetamines, cocaine. Holding two truths at once: a regional livelihood, and a real source of dependence and harm.10 min read →Tobacco and nicotine addictionClinical name: Tobacco Use DisorderNicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. Quitting is hard, succeeds eventually, and help doubles the odds.8 min read →Sleeping-pill and sedative dependenceClinical name: Sedative, Hypnotic, or Anxiolytic Use DisorderOften starts with a real prescription. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous; coming off needs a gradual, supervised plan.9 min read →Hallucinogen-related problemsClinical name: Hallucinogen-Related DisordersNot strongly physically addictive, but not without risk: bad trips, lingering perceptual changes, and psychosis in the vulnerable.9 min read →Inhalant (glue) addictionClinical name: Inhalant Use DisorderCheap, legal, and able to kill on a first use. Overwhelmingly a danger to vulnerable children, and a safeguarding emergency.9 min read →Caffeine problemsClinical name: Caffeine-Related DisordersHarmless for most, but real trouble for some: anxiety, palpitations, broken sleep, and a genuine withdrawal headache.8 min read →Gambling addiction (including betting apps)Clinical name: Gambling DisorderThe one behavioural addiction recognised alongside drugs. Betting apps put a casino in every pocket, hour by hour.10 min read →

Neurocognitive Disorders

Delirium (Sudden Confusion)Clinical name: DeliriumA sudden, often dramatic state of confusion that develops over hours or days, usually caused by a physical illness. A medical emergency, frequently reversible,…10 min read →Alzheimer’s Disease and DementiaClinical name: Major Neurocognitive Disorder (Alzheimer's Disease)A progressive loss of memory and thinking that gradually affects daily life. Not a normal part of ageing, and not a curse. Understanding it…10 min read →Vascular Dementia (After Stroke)Clinical name: Vascular Neurocognitive DisorderDementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, often after a stroke or many tiny strokes. The most preventable form of dementia, because…10 min read →HIV-Associated Memory and Thinking ProblemsClinical name: Neurocognitive Disorder Due to HIV InfectionHIV can affect the brain, causing problems with memory, concentration and thinking. With effective HIV treatment these problems are far less common and often…10 min read →Frontotemporal DementiaClinical name: Frontotemporal Neurocognitive DisorderA less common dementia that strikes at a younger age and first changes personality, behaviour or language rather than memory. Often misunderstood as a…10 min read →Lewy Body DementiaClinical name: Neurocognitive Disorder with Lewy BodiesA common but under-recognised dementia marked by fluctuating alertness, visual hallucinations, and movement changes like those of Parkinson's disease. Recognising it matters greatly, because…10 min read →Memory Problems After Head InjuryClinical name: Neurocognitive Disorder Due to Traumatic Brain InjuryLasting difficulties with memory, thinking, mood or behaviour following a significant blow to the head. Common after road crashes and falls, often underestimated, and…10 min read →Mild Cognitive ImpairmentClinical name: Mild Neurocognitive DisorderA noticeable but mild decline in memory or thinking that does not yet interfere much with daily life. A middle ground between normal ageing…9 min read →

Personality Disorders

Borderline Personality DisorderClinical name: Borderline Personality DisorderA condition of intense emotions, unstable relationships and a fragile sense of self, very often rooted in past pain. Widely misunderstood, frequently stigmatised, and…11 min read →Antisocial Personality DisorderClinical name: Antisocial Personality DisorderA long-standing pattern of disregard for others' rights and for rules, beginning early in life. Often misunderstood, frequently rooted in adversity, and more responsive…10 min read →Narcissistic Personality DisorderClinical name: Narcissistic Personality DisorderFar more than vanity or selfishness. A fragile self-worth defended by grandiosity, with a real and often hidden vulnerability underneath. A clinical condition, not…10 min read →Avoidant Personality DisorderClinical name: Avoidant Personality DisorderA deep, pervasive pattern of feeling inadequate and fearing rejection, leading to avoidance of closeness despite longing for it. Closely related to social anxiety,…9 min read →Obsessive-Compulsive Personality (OCPD)Clinical name: Obsessive-Compulsive Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of perfectionism, orderliness and control, valued by the person yet costly to their relationships and wellbeing. Different from OCD, despite the…9 min read →Dependent Personality DisorderClinical name: Dependent Personality DisorderA pervasive, excessive need to be cared for, leading to submissive, clinging behaviour and deep fear of separation. More than ordinary reliance on loved…9 min read →Histrionic Personality DisorderClinical name: Histrionic Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of intense emotional expression and a need to be the centre of attention. Often misjudged harshly; a clinical condition with an…8 min read →Paranoid Personality DisorderClinical name: Paranoid Personality DisorderA pervasive, long-standing distrust and suspicion of others, who are assumed to be deceiving or harming. Different from the paranoia of psychosis, and often…9 min read →Schizoid Personality DisorderClinical name: Schizoid Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of detachment from relationships and limited emotional expression, in someone who genuinely prefers solitude. Distinct from avoidant personality disorder and from…8 min read →Schizotypal Personality DisorderClinical name: Schizotypal Personality DisorderA pervasive pattern of social discomfort, unusual beliefs and perceptions, and eccentric behaviour. Related to the schizophrenia spectrum, but distinct from schizophrenia itself.8 min read →Understanding the Personality Disorder ClustersClinical name:Personality disorders are grouped into three clusters by their shared features. This short guide explains what a personality disorder is, what the clusters mean,…8 min read →

Paraphilic Disorders

Understanding Paraphilic DisordersClinical name: Paraphilic Disorders (overview)A brief, factual overview of what paraphilic disorders are in clinical terms, with emphasis on the crucial threshold of distress, impairment, or harm and…5 min read →