Support for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Jan Normanton • April 30, 2020
A list of helplines and online services offering support for anyone who might be struggling with their mental health or related issues at these difficult times.
The following is a list of resources that might be helpful as the weeks roll by under social isolation and for people who may be isolated and have less support structures in place than usual.
There are national numbers covering a range of issues, and all are free and confidential.
There are also a range of organisations listed with support anyone who might be struggling with their mental health or related issues at these difficult times.
Please print out this list, and share widely with friends and family. We may be unaware of what any of us are going through right now and this may support someone.
FREE PHONE National Numbers
Specific opening times may apply under COVID19
The Samaritans
are a charity available 24 hours a day offering a free confidential listening service to anyone in distress or worried about someone else.
FREE PHONE: 116 123
The CALM
helpline is for men in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
FREE PHONE: 0800 58 58 58
Victims Support
helps anyone affected by crime, not only those who experience it directly, but also their friends, family and any other people involved.
FREE PHONE: 08 08 16 89 111
The National Gambling Helpline GAM-CARE
provides confidential information, advice and support for anyone affected by problem gambling in the UK.
FREE PHONE 0808 0820 133
Step-Change
offers free debt advice to help with immediate debt problems such as council tax, bailiffs, bills and loans to give you breathing space. They can help reduce debt including speaking with lenders and support with paperwork.
FREE PHONE: 0330 055 2198
NSPCC.
If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact the NSPCC professional counsellors for help, advice and support. https://www.nspcc.org.uk/
FREE PHONE: 0808 800 5000
NSPCC Childline
offers free, confidential advice and support for those 18 and under.
FREE PHONE CHILDLINE: 0800 1111
The Cruse
Bereavement Care Free phone National Helpline is staffed by trained bereavement volunteers, who offer emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement.
FREE PHONE: 0808 808 1677
ONLINE RESOURCES
Mind
www.mind.org.uk
Mind is a mental health charity working to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
Changetalks
https://changetalks.org.uk/
Changetalks’ mission is to revolutionize the way we think, talk and act about mental health.
CALM
https://www.thecalmzone.net/
Campaign Against Living Miserably is leading a movement against male suicide
for men aged 15-35.
Addaction
www.addaction.org.uk/
One of the UK's leading drug, alcohol and mental health charities.
FRANK
https://www.talktofrank.com/
Talk to Frank is a national drug education service.
Turning Point
http://www.turning-point.co.uk/
Turning Point is a social enterprise, focused on improving lives and communities.
Papyrus.uk
https://papyrus-uk.org/
If you are a young person at risk of suicide or are worried about a young person at risk of suicide.
0800 068 41 41
OCD Action
https://www.ocdaction.org.uk/
Provides support and information for anybody affected by OCD.
Elefriends
https://www.elefriends.org.uk/
Elefriends is a supportive online community where you can be yourself.
Citizens Advice Bureau
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.
Big White Wall
https://www.bigwhitewall.com/
24/7 online and anonymous support for mental health.
Time to Change
www.time-to-change.org.uk/
An organisation working to reduce the stigma and discrimination experienced by individuals with mental health issues.
Mental Health Foundation
Online advice and information about mental health and wellbeing. www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
SANE
is a leading UK mental health charity, working to improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness.www.sane.org.uk
RETHINK
offers practical help on issues such as the Mental Health Act, community care, welfare benefits and carers rights, as well as general help on living with mental illness, medication and care. https://www.rethink.org/
Helpline: 0300 5000 927 (charges may apply)
Anxiety UK’s
infoline service offers an advice line to anybody affected by anxiety, stress and/or anxiety based depression, their family, friends, loved ones and professionals, including parents of children with anxiety. https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
Helpline: 03444 775 774 (charges may apply)
BEAT is the UK's leading charity for eating disorders. They offer a range of support services including a helpline and lots of information and advice. https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
Helpline: 0808 801 0677 (charges may apply).
Leaning into a change process that feels safer, planned, paced, can offer a smoother journey into what we do want, whilst tempering and taming the fears, doubts and sense of regression that may present themselves along the way
Whilst talking therapies have a significant role in healing in their own right, we can end up inadvertently holding up our healing process by getting invested in talking ABOUT our issues rather than dealing directly WITH our issues via the body – the place of trauma
Distraction is everywhere! If we allow ourselves to engage like a kid in a candy shop, taking it all in with gusto, we can end up frazzled and fragmented, feeling less than safe and sound within
Paying attention and tending to our body can pay dividends, engendering trust and allowing us to show up in life in a dynamic and flowing way rather than fixated rules and regulations made up by the mind to keep us safe and based on old paradigms that may no longer serve us.
It’s only through direct embodied experience where can make an informed decision about who we are and then really get to know ourselves. Relying upon the brain is only part of the picture and a skewed one at that full of external influences and second hand beliefs
There can be a disparity between what’s going on in your brain to keep us safe and what’s going on in real time in your body; learning to discern the difference as to what feels true can be surprising and helpful
Functional freeze can be a useful survival strategy when facing trauma, chronic stress and any form of overwhelm; habitualised however, it can become a sneaky way of life, resulting in a life unlived.
Understanding that healing work isn’t linear can help us be more compassionate with ourselves and our process. Consider healing more of an ongoing, ever evolving journey within, that if done consistently, will bear fruit over and over again
It takes time, energy, effort and commitment to do our inner work. Ultimately it’s worth it, if we wish to lead a conscious life and take ownership of ourselves within so that our external world reflects this and we get to live on purpose.
Try a values audit to find yourself if you experience a sense of loss of self or your way in life; this can bring you back to what matters to you and form the foundation of your future self
