Where To Get Help
When I first recognised my anxiety as being a problem, I didn’t really know where to turn for help with it. I felt like there was no one for me to talk to although, there were so many places I could turn but did not realise.
Friends and family – I think the first port of call would be friends and family who could listen to you and try to understand your problems. They will always be around for you to talk to whenever you need them. These are the people that know you best so it will be easier for them to understand your mental health problem if they already have a good understanding of you. They will care about you and want to do anything they can to try and help you. They may not be health professionals or experts in mental health but they will know you and want to help you overcome the problems you are currently suffering with.
Health Services – this section will all be based around the NHS in UK. If you find that your mental health problem is affecting the way you live your life and you want some treatment for it, the first person you should see is a GP who can provide different types of treatment for you, depending on what they think you need. Services offered by the NHS include:
Counselling – Counselling is a type of talking therapy that allows a person to talk about their problems and feelings in a confidential and dependable environment. The counsellor will listen to what you have to say then try and help you overcome the problems you have described.
CBT – Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. CBT aims to help you crack the cycle by breaking down overwhelming problems into smaller parts and showing you how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
Medication - Medications treat the symptoms of mental disorders. They cannot cure the disorder, but they make people feel better so they can function. They are usually prescribed when other treatments do not work. Some people may take them for a short while others more long term, depending on the illness and severity.
Teachers – obviously this is only for people who are still in education! You might not feel comfortable talking to teachers or school staff about it but sometimes they can be the most helpful. They can give you general advice and guidance about your mental health problem but also they can help you through your school work with what you are dealing with. They can arrange support or counselling for you within school which will help you. Even if you don’t want to turn to them for advice, it is helpful to have someone in school who knows about what is going on in case it affects you within school and they can inform other members of staff who you would be less comfortable explaining it to.
Charities/Organizations – there are more mental health charities and organizations out there than you might realise, maybe because they just don’t get enough exposure.
Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. It provides information about mental health problems and blogs to aid mental health education to break down the stigma surrounding it.
Anxiety United is a free mental health social network which provides anxiety sufferers to contact others, blogs to share their experiences and resources to help them combat their anxiety. I personally have found this website very helpful to find information about other’s experiences and the resources have helped me with anxiety a lot.
ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of nineteen. Many people may not instantly think of Childline for mental health problems but they have a phone line which you can ring for any problem, big or small, and they will have experts on hand to give you some help and guidance. Personally, I have never rung them but they do have a lot of information on their website and tips on how to deal with issues like anxiety.
When I first recognised my anxiety as being a problem, I didn’t really know where to turn for help with it. I felt like there was no one for me to talk to although, there were so many places I could turn but did not realise.
Friends and family – I think the first port of call would be friends and family who could listen to you and try to understand your problems. They will always be around for you to talk to whenever you need them. These are the people that know you best so it will be easier for them to understand your mental health problem if they already have a good understanding of you. They will care about you and want to do anything they can to try and help you. They may not be health professionals or experts in mental health but they will know you and want to help you overcome the problems you are currently suffering with.
Health Services – this section will all be based around the NHS in UK. If you find that your mental health problem is affecting the way you live your life and you want some treatment for it, the first person you should see is a GP who can provide different types of treatment for you, depending on what they think you need. Services offered by the NHS include:
Counselling – Counselling is a type of talking therapy that allows a person to talk about their problems and feelings in a confidential and dependable environment. The counsellor will listen to what you have to say then try and help you overcome the problems you have described.
CBT – Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. CBT aims to help you crack the cycle by breaking down overwhelming problems into smaller parts and showing you how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.
Medication - Medications treat the symptoms of mental disorders. They cannot cure the disorder, but they make people feel better so they can function. They are usually prescribed when other treatments do not work. Some people may take them for a short while others more long term, depending on the illness and severity.
Teachers – obviously this is only for people who are still in education! You might not feel comfortable talking to teachers or school staff about it but sometimes they can be the most helpful. They can give you general advice and guidance about your mental health problem but also they can help you through your school work with what you are dealing with. They can arrange support or counselling for you within school which will help you. Even if you don’t want to turn to them for advice, it is helpful to have someone in school who knows about what is going on in case it affects you within school and they can inform other members of staff who you would be less comfortable explaining it to.
Charities/Organizations – there are more mental health charities and organizations out there than you might realise, maybe because they just don’t get enough exposure.
Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination. It provides information about mental health problems and blogs to aid mental health education to break down the stigma surrounding it.
Anxiety United is a free mental health social network which provides anxiety sufferers to contact others, blogs to share their experiences and resources to help them combat their anxiety. I personally have found this website very helpful to find information about other’s experiences and the resources have helped me with anxiety a lot.
ChildLine is a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of nineteen. Many people may not instantly think of Childline for mental health problems but they have a phone line which you can ring for any problem, big or small, and they will have experts on hand to give you some help and guidance. Personally, I have never rung them but they do have a lot of information on their website and tips on how to deal with issues like anxiety.