When I had clinical depression and was very unwell – I was vulnerable and I needed help.
As my good health returned I continued to need help – to assist my recovery and to increase my opportunities to stay well.
I live in the London Borough of Barnet. Over the past year I have found services that are specific to mental illness and mental wellbeing. I have also sniffed around for nationwide services.
If you live in Barnet, then you are in luck as I have collated the services that I found into a one page document. There may be more services that I’m not yet aware of, but the ones that I’ve listed are a good start.
The one thing this document tells me, is that these services, or something similar, may run in other boroughs throughout the UK. These services may exist but have different names depending on what borough you live in. Also, it is good to know which services are GP referral and which are self referral.
I’ll start off with the National Services…
Shout Text 85258
Shout is the UK’s first free 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis anytime and anywhere. It is a place to go if you are struggling to cope and need immediate help. This is a NEW service. On Wednesday 12th June I sent a text to 85258 as I wanted to see how it worked. I received an immediate text back which said Welcome to Shout. One of our team members will respond as soon as possible. 8 Minutes after my initial text, I received a response to tell me I was speaking to Leo. and if I wished to talk then he was here to listen. We had a quick dialogue, as I was testing the number and not in need of help. The dialogue was warm and friendly. I was, actually I still am, very impressed. Website http://www.giveusashout.org
Sane 0300 304 7000
Sane is a leading UK mental health charity, who work to improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness. They have a national out of hours helpline called SANEline which is available daily 4.30pm to 10.30pm; no one affected by mental illness should face crisis, distress or despair completely alone. Website http://www.sane.org.uk
Samaritans 116 123
The Samaritans is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The role of a Samaritan is a listening role, which I found incredibly helpful when I was ill. The Samaritans is volunteer based – so the person listening to you on the other end of the line will likely have experienced some trauma in their lives. They offer kindness, compassion, with no judgement. Website http://www.samaritans.org
Help in Barnet
This is based on the Borough of Barnet resources that I discovered March to June 2018 (including quoted wait times)
Our GP is the primary service for when we become unwell, for both physical illness or mental illness. Your GP should be able to signpost you to mental health support services in your area.
IAPT talking therapy
IAPT stands for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies. This is a NHS service. Every borough in the UK has an IAPT service. Ask your GP about the IAPT in your area – and whether this is self referral or GP referral – as it can differ across mental health trusts.
Crisis Team
Every borough in the UK have a crisis team. Its an important service for when you reach a point where you feel unsafe or are having dangerous thoughts. Your GP will have this number. NHS 111 will have the number for your borough. Google may even have the number for your area.
Each crisis team phone line should be manned 24/7.
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