Should you, or anyone you know, ever need someone to talk to, there are lots of fantastic local and national organisations ready and waiting at any time. We’ve listed some of them below. Simply click on the organisation and it will take you straight to their website, but if you would like more information first, please see below.
Talk to Samaritans
The Samaritans offer emotional support 24 hours a day – in full confidence.
Call 116 123 – it’s FREE.
Or email [email protected]
For free, confidential support, 24/7, text SHOUT to 85258.
If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, trained Shout volunteers are available day or night.
Shout can help with urgent issues such as:
- Abuse
- Anxiety and stress
- Bullying
- Depression or sadness
- Loneliness or isolation
- Panic attacks
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts
Find out more at https://giveusashout.org/get-help/
Rethink Mental Illness
You can call the Rethink advice and information line Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm for practical advice on:
• different types of therapy and medication
• benefits, debt, money issues
• police, courts, prison
• your rights under the Mental Health Act.
Call Rethink on 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).
Mind
The Mind Infoline
Mind offer an information line to answer questions about:
- types of mental health problem
- where to get help
- drug and alternative treatments
- advocacy.
Call the Mind infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary considerably). Or email [email protected] .
The Mind Legal Advice service
If you need legal advice, you can speak to Mind about:
- mental health
- mental capacity
- community care
- human rights and discrimination/equality related to mental health issues.
Call the Mind Legal Advice service on 0300 466 6463 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary considerably). Or email [email protected] .
CALM Helpline and webchat
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide.
You can talk to CALM about anything.
Call the CALM helpline on 0800 58 58 58 or use their webchat here.
The helpline and webchat are both open 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year.
Talk to someone you can trust
You may find it helpful to talk to your partner, a relative or a friend about your problems. They may be concerned about you and welcome the opportunity to hear what you have to say. If this is not possible, you may prefer to talk to someone else you can trust, like a faith leader or a tutor.
You can find out more about friendships and how to tell your friends on our friendships page.
Talk to your GP
Your GP may be the first person you talk to about your mental health problems. If you have a good relationship with your doctor, you may find it helpful just to know there is someone you can talk to about the feelings you are having. Your GP may refer you to specialist services if he/she feels they will help you. You can find information about talking to your GP about your mental health in our guide.
If you are unhappy with your own doctor, you can ask to see another doctor at the same practice or make an appointment with a different practice in your area. If you are unsure where to find other doctor’s surgeries, look in your local Yellow Pages or try the NHS Choices website.
Specialist Mental Health Services
Most people recover from mental health problems without needing to go into hospital. There are a number of specialist services that provide various treatments, including counselling and other talking treatments. You may also need help with other aspects of your life – for example, claiming benefits or dealing with housing problems. Often these different services are coordinated by a community mental health team (CMHT).
CMHTs are usually based either at a hospital or a local community mental health centre. Some teams provide 24-hour services so that you can contact them in a crisis. If you are already in contact with a CMHT you may find it useful to keep their number by your phone in case you need it. Otherwise, you should be able to contact your local CMHT via your local social services or social work team.
Other kinds of community mental health team include Crisis and Home Treatment teams, which provide you with help in your own home and can come out to see you in an emergency or help you get into hospital if you need inpatient treatment.
You may also find it helpful to contact your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau for advice about benefits, debt problems, legal issues and local services. The Citizens Advice Bureau website has a directory listing its local offices.
All above information collated from the Mental Health Foundation Website.