Free mental health support

Chloe_Scope

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Day, but on the community we appreciate it's not the only time people need support. Please find three new resources below that can be personalised.

You don't need to struggle with your mental health alone.

Every Mind Matters

Every Mind Matters is a new campaign that has been released by the NHS to tackle the current mental health crisis. It works on the basis of creating your own mental health plan to give you personalised support. The website also has a lot of current information on the following:

• Mental wellbeing
• Anxiety 
• Sleep
• Stress
• Low mood

If apps are your thing then here is a list of recommended apps by the NHS that can support your mental health.

SHOUT - for support in a crisis

Shout is the UK’s first free 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.

Shout is powered by a team of volunteers, who are at the heart of the service. We take people from crisis to calm every single day.

Shout allows you to access support wherever you are. Text SHOUT to 85258 and someone will help.

Here is a video that explains more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SILyQOdNBI4

Good Thinking

Good Thinking in an NHS resource which is currently available to anyone in the UK, despite the full trial being in London. After three simple questions, they show you where you can access support if you feel anxious, low, sleep deprived or stressed. They also have a page of information for those who require urgent support.

They also have a range of collections which means you can browse through all the support available:

• Top resources
• Resources for children
• LGBTQ+ focused
• Audio resources
• Student support

We hope you find these resources beneficial, but would you add? What things do you do to help your mental health? Let us know in the comments below!

Ails

Thanks for listing the above resources, @Chloe_Scope.  These will be really helpful to people who need them.  Arts and crafts and doing Tai Chi helps me if I am feeling low. 

April2018mom

Here are some more useful resources to mental health issues etc by the NHS I have found useful in the past. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/dealing-with-a-mental-health-crisis-or-emergency/

Thanks for the links and resources @Chloe_Scope! 

Philippa1961

As someone who has suffered with depression for years I am thankful for the online support I've had over the years.  Having a good surgery has also helped over more recent years as I feel comfortable talking to certain doctors and nurse practitioners.

Chloe_Scope

Thank you @Ails, @April2018mom and @Philippa1961 for sharing this with us.

paffuto10

Hi @Chloe_Scope
Thanks for the links.

I've just returned to this community after a one month break. The reason for the break is I've been literally frozen with fear over the PIP.!! 

Instead of trying to obtain help from resources such as your links and come on here for support,  I seem to freeze and can hardly do anything or speak to anyone. 

PIP is over and done with now thank goodness, with same decision as 3 years ago with the added bonus of "ongoing" so I should be pleased. 

However, it's affected me so much that since the decision letter on Monday I've just been constantly crying.!! 

Doesn't help that I have PTSD and having to wait for therapy. (approx ten month wait, they told me) 

I just wish I could handle my mental ill-health better. I could have been on here for friendly support, I could look into the links you have just posted, etc, but I seem unable to. 

My way of dealing with it is to stay in bed and watch endless, endless films and TV programmes. 

I'm usually quite cheerful on here, so
sorry to have such a grumble but the PIP thing has been going on for a year.!! 

The PIP Review started a year ago and I couldn't attend the f2f due to a severe water infection. (I suffer with recurrent water infections from radiation damaged bladder). I had already cancelled one Review appointment because it was far too early in the morning for me to be mobile with my arthritis. 
So I spent months worrying that my money would be stopped at any moment. They never did give me the result of the Review and I was too afraid to phone, but the money did continue. 

Then this year has been 24 year old son's change from 20 years of DLA to PIP. 
He's in supported living but they gave him zero points.!!
Managed to keep it together to fight that one and had good support and advice from this community Our daughter also obtained help from our MP. We beat that zero decision at MR stage. 

Then my PIP renewal began and I am now just completely drained. Have nothing left. Can't feel happy, just want to hide away. 
Apologies for this miserable post but again thanks for the links, I must make the effort to look into them. X

Chloe_Scope

Hi @paffuto10, it's lovely to hear from you. I'm just sorry about the affect that PIP is having on you. We all deal with difficult times differently and we respect that.

You don't need to apologise for being miserable, it sounds like things are really difficult at the moment. I hope the links are helpful.

paffuto10

@Chloe_Scope

Thanks for your reply. 
It's okay thanks, I am recovering now and bouncing back. 

Back on this site again, twas just a temporary blip   
x

Chloe_Scope

Glad to see you around @paffuto10!

Lauren80

Hi there Chloe, I suffer from severe anxieties since I was teen and I also have learning disabilities too. I am mostly stuck ar home and only got 2 friends. Being at home all the time sucks the boredom out of me a lot of the time. 

Chloe_Scope

Hi @Lauren80 and a very warm welcome to the community. I'm sorry to hear you are mostly stuck at home, I imagine this can be isolating at times. Please do feel free to look round the community and chat with others.

If there is anything we can do to help then please do let us know!

Adrian_Scope

Sorry to hear that @Lauren80. Do you still stay in touch with your friends, even at home?

Lauren80

@Adrian_Scope Yes I stay in touch with my 2 friends but one of them is real busy with uni at the moment and the other one is at home a lot too like me. 

Adrian_Scope

It's very easy to lose touch with friends as we go down separate paths isn't it? I unfortunately haven't spoken to anyone I went to school with in years. We've just diverged too much. I'm glad to hear you're still in contact though. In the meantime, you're very welcome on our community and I hope you make some friends here too.

Lauren80

Thank you 

66Mustang

I understand your situation Lauren80. I am mostly stuck at home due to various issues and the boredom is soul destroying isn’t it? When I was a teenager I could happily sit at the computer for 12 hours and not get bored, now I have no idea what to do to pass the time!! Computer games don’t stimulate me for more than half an hour or so now.

Lauren80

Yeah it is soul destroying and I'm like that with my gamea too only on it for half an hour and then cant find anything else to do, sometimes I stare out the window from my bedroom and let the time go by LOL!! 

April2018mom

What about art @Lauren80? 

NicFarr84

Hi, I don’t know if I should post on this thread so please delete if not appropriate, I just wanted to say hi, I’m new just joined today, I’m having a bad couple of weeks with my conditions and just feel really really low, my condition came on me so quickly I haven’t really had time to accept everything and the last few weeks I’ve been thinking back to how I was pre condition. 18 months ago I went to the doctors with a continuous severe headache, just thought it was migraine, now I’m bed bound and on days I can get up I’m in a wheelchair, I suffer seizures, vision difficulties, hearing issues and memory problems, severe vertigo, chronic head, back, hip and leg pain and there’s no cure for this condition. It’s robbed me of my career, driving licence’s, family life, and relationship/ sex life with my partner (having to clean me up after a seizure would turn anyone off) and of course due to being unable to move about I’ve put on a serious amount of weight so basically I’m completely unattractive and dependant on someone. I had self esteem issues before this so now I have none at all. I won’t go out because 1) I don’t want people to see me like this and 2) I’m scared of having a fit whilst I’m out. I’m sorry for moaning, there’s people out there struggling far more than me but I’m struggling to deal with this complete lifestyle change. On top of that I have helpful ‘specialists’ that make me feel like I’m just making everything up, and that I should just put up and shut up as they’ve said there’s pretty much nothing they can do and only a few options available to manage symptoms, the main one being brain surgery, but in the same breath my neurologist told me they (neuro surgeons) probably won’t even see me much less offer any treatment. So I’m stuck in this situation with little to no help medically, I have no idea what the future will hold because no one knows much about the condition I have so they have no idea how it will effect me going forward only that it’s degenerative so things will get worse just don’t know how quickly. I had so many plans for the future, now I don’t even know how much of a future I have, I feel like I’ve turned into a moaning Minnie to my husband and I don’t really have any friends left due to inability to make and then keep plans. Goodness I sound very sorry for myself, I’ve never been like this but I can’t seem to snap out of it. Sorry again and thank you for your time xx

Adrian_Scope

Hi @NicFarr84 and welcome to the community. Please don't apologise for explaining how you feel, or moaning. We want the community to be a safe place and nobody can tell you how exactly you should be handling all this. 
I am quite concerned, however, about the effect all this will be having on your mental health. Have you been advised to find any support at all, are you receiving any?

NicFarr84

Hi adrian, I’ve had a referral put in to talking therapies but no contact from them as yet, although I would welcome the help. Thank you for your reply xx

Chloe_Scope

We know it is a really difficult time for a lot of people. Please do reach out if you need support.