If you're struggling this Christmas or someone you know may be finding this time of year difficult, there's a wealth of help ready and waiting to support people through a variety of issues. The list below contains local support along with helplines that are used nationally.
The festive season can be a very stress-filled time of year where anxiety levels are raised, some parts can be enjoyable while other parts are not. Some of the links below also contain some incredibly useful tips on how to cope throughout Christmas.
Beat
Here you'll find support for eating disorders https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/. The website also contains a supportive online community, advice and stories from those recovering from eating disorders.
0808 801 0677
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
CALM stands with everyone that struggles with life, regardless of who they are, where they're from or what they're going through. They've built supportive communities and have a wealth of support online and over the phone. Their aim is to prevent suicide and help people feel that life is worth living. They've also released a wonderful post which has some brilliant tips to survive the Christmas period https://www.thecalmzone.net/how-to-get-through-anxious-xmas
0800 58 58 58
Childline
A well-known helpline for children and young people who are not only available over the phone whenever a child needs them but they also provide resources, toolkits, support and advice online https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/
0800 11 11
Domestic Abuse Helpine
The helpline is a 24 hour helpine offering support and advice, where many couple will be spending more intense time together, the need National DA Helpline this time of year can be a lot higher. Their website also has plenty of information on what an abusive relationship looks like and how to cope with it, with the goal to leave the relationship safely https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/How-can-we-support-you
0808 2000 247
Runaway Helpline
Their staff and volunteers are trained professionals to support young people through anything they're finding tough. They're a helpline for those that want to or already have run away or for people who know of someone that wants to or already has run away or if they're worried about someone else in an abusive environment https://www.runawayhelpline.org.uk/about-us/ their helpline can be used to call or text confidentially.
116 000 (call or text)
Samaritans
For anyone that is struggling to cope the Samaritans are there every minute of the day to listen. They aim to not only support in times of crisis but to also prevent the crisis. A wonderfully supportive service for those that have contemplated suicide, without any judgement or prejudice. They've also created a list of tips on how to manage the festive season which includes a video of calm breathing techniques https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/if-youre-finding-things-hard-this-christmas-festive-season/
116 123
Shout
This is a confidential, free texting service providing people with mobile phones the access to rapid mental health support https://giveusashout.org/get-help/resources/
Text SHOUT to 85258
(Also affiliated with Young Minds - below)
Young Minds
This service is aimed at young people where they strive to ensure no young person feels alone with their mental health. They have a variety of online sopprt and resources https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/
Use the Shout text service above to access their free support.
Young Minds for Parents
If you're a parent worried about your child's mental health then Young Minds also offers a confidential helpline and an online chat. There are also plenty of resources for parents to better understand their child's mental health and the importance of taking care of their own wellbeing https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/
0808 802 5544
For a downloadable poster of all of the above information please click below.
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