Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life. Self-help suggestions from NHS website.
National charity supporting people with eating disorders. Has a helpline, instant messaging support, an online chat room, resources and information about eating disorders, and help for friends and family.
An app that helps with the urge to self-harm. Helps you to ride the wave with different activities: comfort, distract, express yourself, release, breathe.
Alternative coping mechanisms to avoid or reduce self-harming
Moodgym is like an interactive self-help book which helps you to learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Moodgym provides training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and consists of five interactive modules which are completed in order. These include information, interactive exercises, workbooks to record thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and quizzes with personalised feedback.
Help for NHS front-line staff. Phoneline or text support, access to counselling, bereavement support, directory of other resources.
Information leaflets and self-help guides for mental health conditions.
Self-help leaflets for mental health conditions.
NHS service for mental health and wellbeing support for veterans, service leavers and reservists. Patients will be speaking with people who are either from the Armed Forces community or highly experienced in working with serving personnel, reservists, veterans and their families. Services include providing care and treatment for mental health problems, including therapeutic treatment for psychological trauma, and intensive emergency care in crisis. They also work with charities and local organisations to support patients with their wider health and wellbeing needs, such as housing, relationships, finances, employment, drug and alcohol misuse and social support.
Information about medications used for mental health. Includes information leaflets for patients and also information for doctors, including: medications in pregnancy, comparing different medication side effect profiles, management of drug specific side-effects, switching medications or formulations.
Confidential support and advice service and helpline for children and young people under 35 years old who are contemplating suicide. They also have a digital platform that allows users to create and modify a suicide safety-plan with the help of the advisors. This is a plan that helps with safety when suicidal thoughts are feeling overwhelming. 9am – midnight every day of the year (Weekends and Bank Holidays included) - also have a text line and email address.
Shout 85258 is a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. It is a de-escalation, volunteer-driven service, working with people in immediate distress to take them to a calmer moment and empower them with support and techniques to take their next steps to feeling better and handle future issues, as well as possibly signposting someone to further support services or their GP so that they can get continuous and long-term support. It is not a service that can provide regular, ongoing support.
An organisation offering peer-to-peer support to all those over the age of 18, impacted by suicide loss in the UK. They help those bereaved by suicide to support each other, at the time of their loss and in the months and years that follow. They offer peer led support groups, online virtual support groups, a national telephone helpline, online community forum and email support.
The Stay Alive app is a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. Opportunities to create a 'life box', with images and videos that are important to you, and to create a safety plan. Resources including breathing exercises and signposting to links for help including emergency help.
Resources to support teenage mental health. Includes information leaflets and also links to four free mental health apps: Calm Harm (resisting self-harm impulses), Clear Fear (managing symptoms of anxiety), Move Mood (to help with low mood and depression), and Combined Minds (aimed at helping families and friends to provide mental health support). Resources on the website have sections aimed at teenagers, at schools, at healthcare professionals, at families and also at friends of somebody struggling with their mental health.
The Children's Society is a resource for children who are living in difficult situations. The website provides signposting to places where they can seek help. It also has information about mental health, abuse, and practical advice about things such as household bills and finding a job.
Really great website of resources for parents and doctors. Developed with the NHS and RCPH, resources for both healthcare professionals and parents about maternal and child health. Includes: Information on common childhood illnesses, symptoms in pregnancy, postnatal health, maternal mental health, child safety, healthy living. For healthcare professionals there are also resources to support discussions about healthy living such as childhood obesity.
Mental health resources for children and teenagers. Includes advice and a helpline for parents, and advice written for teens.