There are lots of ways that you can find out more about almost
any aspect of mental health and get help and support for yourself
or for someone close to you.
Click on 'Organisations',
'Websites' or 'Books' to reveal alphabetical
menus that will lead you to appropriate sources of help. As well as
any specific topic, be sure to check out the 'General' sections,
which contain extremely useful organisations, websites and books
that cover a wider range of problems.
This part of the website features organisations that can provide you with help and support in lots of different ways. Here are the main forms of help you will come across and tips on how to use them.
The people on the end of the phone are there to provide support,
advice and/or information. Calls to helplines are usually
confidential (if you want confirmation of this, you can ask when
you call), and you can talk as long as you want. If you don't want
to continue the call, you can put the phone down.
How can helplines help?
For many people, talking to someone about a problem is like opening
a door. It puts you back in control of what's bothering you and can
make you realise the many choices you have. Facing problems alone
can mean they build up until they become unbearable, and even if
friends or family are sympathetic, they may not have the right
information or ability to help. Helpline advisers receive special
training - and they won't be shocked or surprised by anything you
say. If you do have a problem you can't cope with by yourself,
phoning a helpline can be an important first step to getting
help.
'Helplines are important 'cos ... if you feel no one in the world can help you, one or two sentences could be the destiny that person takes, those words could make the difference to which way he goes.'
How much do they cost?
Many helplines are free - unless you are phoning from a mobile -
and open 24 hours a day. Others may be open for set hours and
charge you - for example, the cost of a local or national call. You
can tell the cost of calling a helpline by the first part of the
phone number:
When should I ring?
Check the opening hours of the helpline and phone when it suits
you. It might be better if you can find some time and a place when
no one's around so that you have the space and privacy to talk.
When you ring a recorded information line you will hear a message giving details of the subject you are ringing about and a list of organisations that can help. Many of these organisations will have helplines that you can ring. It's always useful to have a pen and paper to hand when calling a recorded information line, so you can note down details. Recorded information lines are usually open 24 hours a day and call costs vary.
Through these, you can meet people in your area who are going through similar experiences to you. It doesn't cost anything to take part in these groups, and they provide a safe environment to meet people who understand - what you say when you're there won't go any further.
These can provide help and information 24 hours a day if you have access to the internet at home or at an internet café (you can look these up in your local phone book under 'Internet providers and services'). Your local library may also be online. Some organisations can e-mail back to you with specific answers to your questions, plus there are 'e-chat rooms' where you can share your experiences. Remember, chat rooms are not always confidential and other people using them might not be as supportive as those who are trained to offer help.
Some of the organisations listed in this website will publish booklets, leaflets and other information that you can send off for. These will provide more information on the particular subject you want to find out about, plus details of local support groups and other organisations that can help.
Published by
Channel 4 Television
124 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 2TX.
Produced to accompany Losing It, a Resource Base production
for 4Learning, first shown on Channel 4 in November 2000.
Writer: Sally Burningham.
Editor: Paula Snyder.
Project manager: David Highton.
Editorial consultants: Liz Sturgeon and Nancy Duin.
Web design: Alan (Fred) Pipes.
Resources: Channel 4 Television.
Displayed quotations are reproduced with kind permission from the
Mental Health Foundation, The Samaritans and Young Minds.
'Good ways to get help' was written with the help of The
Samaritans.
4Learning Xtra.
Education officer/Editor: Mary Ellwood.
Writers: Gay Gray and Hilary Durman.
The Losing It project is supported by The Wellcome Trust
Medicine in Society Programme: www.wellcome.ac.uk.
The postcards in 'Activities' are reproduced with the kind permission of Health Promotion England.
This website is not a substitute for professional advice on
medical matters or the law relating to mental health.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the
information on the site, Channel 4 Television accepts no liability
for any errors of fact or substance and cannot be held responsible
for any action resulting from the information published on this
site.
While every effort has been made to check the websites listed,
Channel 4 Television cannot be held responsible for the content of
any external website.
If you have any questions about the site, please e-mail losingit@channel4.com.
Please put the subject of your question in the heading of the
e-mail.
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