Helpline Contact Numbers
Please find contacts for supporting children and young people, at the bottom of the page.
C.A.L.M. (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Aimed specifically at men. Their helpline is open between 5pm and midnight every day of the year.
Telephone: 0800 58 58 58
Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/ (5pm – Midnight every day)
Website: www.thecalmzone.net
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Mindline Somerset
Telephone: 01823 276 892
Free phone: 0800 138 1692
24 hr service, 7 days a week.
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Silverline
Aimed at people aged over 55. Their helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Telephone: 0800 4 70 80 90
Website: www.thesilverline.org.uk
The Stay Alive App by Grassroots Suicide Prevention
Stay Alive App is a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. The app can be accessed through the Apple Store, Google Play or downloaded as a pdf from the Grassroot Suicide Prevention website.
For carers:
See Samaritans’ tips on how to start a difficult conversation.
Rethink also has advice on how to support someone who is having suicidal thoughts.
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Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Anxiety UK suggests practising the “Apple” technique to deal with anxiety and worries.
- Acknowledge: Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.
- Pause: Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t react at all. Pause and breathe.
- Pull back: Tell yourself this is just the worry talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not helpful and not necessary. It is only a thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.
- Let go: Let go of the thought or feeling. It will pass. You don’t have to respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or cloud.
- Explore: Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing and the sensations of your breathing. Notice the ground beneath you. Look around and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Right now. Then shift your focus of attention to something else – on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else – mindfully with your full attention.
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Bipolar UK
A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Website: www.bipolaruk.org
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Men’s Health Forum
24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email.
Website: http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk
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Mental Health Foundation
Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
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Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393
Website: www.mind.org.uk
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No Panic
Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD.
Phone: 0300 772 9844 (daily, 10:00 to 22:00)
Website: www.nopanic.org.uk
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OCD Action
Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.
Website: www.ocdaction.org.uk
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OCD UK
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Website: www.ocduk.org
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Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Website: www.rethink.org
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Samaritans
Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
Website: www.samaritans.org
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SANE
Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 16:00-22:00)
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: https://www.sane.org.uk/how-we-help/emotional-support/textcare
Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum
Website: https://www.sane.org.uk/how-we-help/emotional-support
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Refuge
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.refuge.org.uk
Addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling)
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Alcoholics Anonymous
Phone: 0800 917 7650 (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
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Turning Point: Somerset Drug & Alcohol Service (SDAS)
Call us on 0300 303 8788
https://www.turning-point.co.uk/services/somerset
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National Gambling Helpline
Phone: 0808 8020 133 (24/7)
Website: www.begambleaware.org
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Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 0300 999 1212 (daily, 10:00-00:00)
Website: www.ukna.org
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Alzheimer’s – Alzheimer’s Society
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Phone: 0333 150 3456 (Monday to Wednesday 09:00-20:00, Thursday & Friday 09:00-17:00, Saturday & Sunday 10:00-16:00)
Website: www.alzheimers.org.uk
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Bereavement – Cruse Bereavement Care
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 09:30-17:00, Tuesday 13:00–20:00, Saturday & Sunday – closed)
Website: www.cruse.org.uk
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Crime victims – Rape Crisis
To find your local services phone: 0808 500 2222 (24/7)
Website: www.rapecrisis.org.uk
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Victim Support
Phone: 0808 168 9111 (24-hour helpline)
Website: http://www.victimsupport.org.uk
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Eating disorders – Beat
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (15:00-18:00 Monday-Friday)
Website: www.b-eat.co.uk
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Learning disabilities – Mencap
Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
Website: www.mencap.org.uk
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Parenting – Family Lives
Advice on all aspects of parenting, including dealing with bullying.
Phone: 0808 800 2222
Website: www.familylives.org.uk
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Relationships – Relate
The UK’s largest provider of relationship support.
Website: www.relate.org.uk
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Mood Swings
Aimed at anyone affected by a mood disorder, including friends, families and carers.
Telephone: 0161 832 37 36
E-mail: info@moodswings.org.uk
Website: www.moodswings.org.uk
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SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
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NSPCC
Children’s charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
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Childline
If you’re aged 18 or under, you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.
Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.
Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired
Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
Opening times: 9am – midnight, 365 days a year
0800 11 11
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YoungMinds
Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Phone: Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544
Website: www.youngminds.org.uk
Abuse (child, sexual, domestic violence)
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PAPYRUS
Young Suicide Prevention Society.
Phone: HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141
Website: www.papyrus-uk.org
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Somerset & Avon Rape & Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS)
Call us: 0808 801 0456
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Kooth
A judgement-free forum to get advice, help others and share your story
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Young Somerset
Young Somerset is the largest youth work charity in Somerset and our mission is to put young people first.
Our aim is to work with young people, encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves and become actively involved in shaping the communities in which they live. Young Somerset works to achieve social and economic outcomes with young people, through the delivery of measurable outputs and outcomes.
https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/Pages/Category/wellbeing-support
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