Support At Christmas
It's a difficult, confusing and worrying time for everyone at the moment, for some, the Christmas period will be a welcomed rest, whilst for others it may be a very difficult and isolating time.
Christmas isn't always a wonderful time of year for everyone to visit their friends or family and it's not always about exchanging gifts for many people. Sadly, this year in particular this will be the case for many more people than usual. Mental ill-health doesn’t discriminate and it doesn't care whether it is Christmas time or whether there is a global pandemic to contend with.
Everyone at WF3 Kindness hopes that people in Tingley, Ardsley & Thorpe can enjoy the festivities as best you can and that nobody in our area is left to feel isolated, unwell and unsure where to turn, but if that is the case for you, we have tried to pull together help and support that is available over the Christmas period. We also have some information and guidance on our Mental Health Support page which can be found here.
Where to get urgent help
It’s important to always remember that a mental health emergency should be taken just as seriously as a medical emergency: If you think you are having a heart attack or a stroke you would get the help, and likewise if you saw somebody unconscious in the street you would look to get them urgent medical help. This action should be exactly the same in the event of a mental health emergency.
If you think you are at risk of harming yourself or having thoughts of taking your own life, or if you are worried about someone else, trust your instincts and seek that urgent professional help. Also remember, a false alarm is better than thinking 'I should have done something or told someone'
You can find advice here from the NHS on dealing with a mental health crisis
If you don't feel you can keep yourself safe right now, seek immediate help:
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Go to any Accident & Emergency department.
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Call 999 and explain how you are feeling, ask them to send an ambulance to take you to A&E.
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Ask someone else to call 999 for you if you're unable to do this yourself.
If you need urgent support but are not sure that A&E is the right place for you:
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Contact NHS 111.
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Contact your local crisis team (CRHT), if you're under their care - If you have an emergency plan, try and follow what you were advised to do by your support worker (If you have a friend that has supported you, call them and explain how you are feeling).
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Contact your GP surgery and ask for an emergency appointment, It may be helpful to explain briefly with the receptionist why you require an emergency appointment. Remember that GP surgeries are closed on Bank Holidays, if you need help outside of surgery opening hours, you should call 111.
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Call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email them on jo@samaritans.org – they're always open and are there to listen.
Helplines
If you need advice or someone impartial to talk to, there are many organisations offering support throughout the festive period. You can contact these organisations for advice, contacting them does not mean you will be going to hospital, the services below all offer help and advice, you will not be ignored.
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For mental health crisis support, you can ring the SANEline on 0300 304 7000 between 4:30pm-10:30pm, each evening.
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For general mental health help, you can access help via text from Shout. Simply text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 crisis support. This service is available for free on major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere.
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Childline is a confidential line offering support for young people under 19(and their relatives), offering advice about any topic. You can speak to a counsellor by calling 0800 1111 or via one to one chat between 7:30am and 3:30am every day.
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The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is a helpline for men and is open from 5pm-midnight on 0800 58 58 58. The CALM webchat is also open during these hours.
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Switchboard is a line for LGBT+ support: 0300 330 0630. The helpline is open 10am-10pm 365 days a year. Or you can email: chris@switchboard.lgbt
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The Silver Line is a line, open 24/7, for those over the age of 55 offering information, advice and friendship: 0800 4708 090.
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For eating disorder support, contact the Beat Helpline on 0808 801 0677. The phone line will be open 4-8pm from 24 December to 1 January. Sometimes their lines are busy so, if you can't get through immediately, please try again or try their one-to-one webchat.
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The national Rape Crisis helpline is open today and every day 12pm-2.30pm and 7pm-9:30pm. The helpline offers confidential emotional support, information and referral details.
Online support services
If phone lines are busy or you don’t feel able to make a call for help, and would prefer to access support on line, there are other ways that you can get help.
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Mind’s online community Side by Side is a supportive place where you can feel at home talking about your mental health and connect with others who understand.
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Join Togetherall, the leading online mental health support service in the UK, which has professionally trained and registered moderators available around the clock.
Ongoing Support
If you have recognised that you could benefit from some ongoing support, it may be beneficial to seek the support from a Counsellor. WF3 Kindness have worked with Kelly Cawood since our formation and she has been a great help to many people in our community. If we can help you with your treatment, please discuss with Kelly and mention us and we would always try and help where we can. You can find out more about Kelly and the services she offers here.
See further advice from the NHS on dealing with a mental health crisis.
The following links may provide information and support should you need it: