Useful Links & Information​

Crisis support – The Samaritans

• call 116123 – telephone support at any time, day or night, they are there to listen not to judge you or tell you what to do.  
• they also offer support by e mail with a 24 hour response time. Email jo@samaritans.org
• use the self help app on the website www.samaritans.org.uk.

Building confidence, success and happiness – The book – ‘The Chimp Paradox’ written by Dr Steve Peters, a Consultant Psychiatrist who, as well as his role at the University of Sheffield, has also coached athletes at the highest level in cycling, snooker and football. Peters offers a model for people to understand how the mind works in order to develop an individual’s potential confidence, success and happiness. This has been used very successfully by high profile athletes, such as Sir Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins, but is aimed at anyone seeking to achieve potential in these areas for well-being.

The model he offers is clearly laid out and full of useful practical exercises for the reader to make understandable that which has often left them upset, confused and frustrated.

• See Dr Steve Peters summary
• Download our pdf summary

Bipolar UK – www.bipolaruk.org.uk – Bipolar UK is the national charity dedicated to supporting individuals with disordered mood, and for their families and carers. (formerly Manic Depression Fellowship)

Bereavement – www.cruse.org.uk – Cruse offer support following loss and bereavement.

Debt Line –  nationaldebtline.org is a national line  for those in or heading towards being in debt.

Dementia – www.alzheimers.org.uk – a UK care and research charity for people with this disease and other dementias, their families and carers. It provides a network of support and useful information.www.talktofrank.com

Substance misuse – www.talktofrank.com – confidential helpline and information site for everyone concerned about substance misuse and how to make change in their reliance on alcohol or illegal substance use.

Eat well  – NHS Eat Well Guide: useful info about a balanced diet.

Hearing Voices – Eleanor Longden The voices in my head Video on TED.com – a Ted Talk by Eleanor Longden who overcame a diagnosis of schizophrenia and earned a Master’s in psychology and demonstrates that the voices in her head were a ‘sane reaction to insane circumstances’.

Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies in Gloucestershire – www.talk2gether.nhs.uk or call 08000732200 for Let’s Talk who provide information about anxiety, depression. Includes books for self help, courses that they offer and assessment questionnaires.

Living Life To The Full – www.llttf.com – a site offering cognitive and behavioural approaches for a range of mental health difficulties.

Mental health problems. Information for those experiencing, and or living with someone with, mental health problems. 

• www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing – from the Royal college of psychiatrists, it offers information from psychological, behavioural, social and biological perspectives.
• www.mind.org.uk– Mind provides information and advice, and campaigns to promote and protect good mental health for everyone.

Mindfulness

• Head Space app – download a free App for  lots of mindfulness exercises each lasting 10 minutes. Can also be downloaded at a cost for more extensive guidance.

You tube talks by:

• Jon Kabett-Zinn, talks you though mindfulness exercise on  a visit to the organisation called Google.
• Dan Siegel, he explains the neuroscience of anxiety, the  effects of ‘Flipping your lid’
• Mindfulness book: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world Useful Website & Resources for Wellbeing by Prof Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman
  • Audio meditations from the book: 8 ‘tracks’ from Mark Williams about mindfulness that are free of charge, posted by the author at: http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness/

Recovering from mental illness

• The Wellness recovery www.womensaid.org.ukAction Plan by Mary Copeland – www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com
• Recovery books – Pathways to Recovery: A Strengths Recovery Self-Help Workbook by Priscilla Ridgway, Diane McDiarmid, Lori Davidson and Julie Bayes (10 Nov 2011) .
• Also The Trail is the Thing: A Year of Daily Reflections based on Pathways to Recovery: A Strengths Recovery Self-Help… by Lori J Davidson, Suzette Mack, Lesa Weller and Julie Bayes (3 Jan 2013)

Relationships  – www.relate.org.uk – The organisation Relate offers relational counselling, family counselling, children and young people’s counselling, sex therapy as well as courses and workshops.

Saneline – 0300 304 7000 – useful information particularly for carers www.sane.org.uk

• Self harm: ‘Stopping The Pain: A Workbook for Teens Who Cut and Self-Injure: A Workbook for Teens Who Self-injure (Teen Instant Help)’ (2008) by Lawrence Shapiro
• ‘The Parent’s Guide to Self Harm: What Parents Need to Know’ (2012) by Jane Smith

Sleep hygiene – Information to enable a healthy sleep pattern patient.info/mental-health/insomnia-poor-sleep

Women’s Aid – Supporting those experiencing domestic abuse www.womensaid.org.uk