Places to get help
If you need urgent medical assistance please dial 999. For medical advice call your GP if it’s in working hours or 111 outside of these.
Your local first port of NHS assistance with mental health problems beyond the GP is the Mindsmattter service, you can self-refer via an online form here: https://www.lscft.nhs.uk/Mindsmatter.
Alternatively, you can call them on:
The Mix:
If you’re under 25, you can call The Mix on 0808 808 4994 (3pm–midnight every day).
Papyrus HOPELINEUK:
If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling, you can call Papyrus HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141
(weekdays 10am-10pm, weekends 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–10pm)
email pat@papyrus-uk.org or text 07786 209 697.
Nightline:
If you’re a student, you can look on the Nightline website https://nightline.ac.uk/ to see if your university or college offers a night-time listening service. Nightline phone operators are all students too.
Switchboard:
If you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you can call Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 (10am–10pm every day), email chris@switchboard.lgbt or use their webchat service.
Phone operators all identify as LGBT+.
C.A.L.L.
If you live in Wales, you can call the Community Advice and Listening Line (C.A.L.L.)
on 0800 132 737 (open 24/7) or you can text ‘help’ followed by a question to 81066.
Helplines Partnership:
For more options, visit the Helplines Partnership website https://www.helplines.org/ for a directory of UK helplines.
Mind’s Infoline can also help you find services that can support you.
If you’re outside the UK, the Befrienders Worldwide website has a tool to search by country for emotional support helplines around the world.
Samaritans:
To talk about anything that is upsetting you, you can contact Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
You can call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org or visit some branches in person.
You can also call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day).
SANEline:
If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else, you can call SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10.30pm every day).
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK:
Offers a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide.
You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652 (6pm–3:30am every day).
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM):
You can call the CALM on 0800 58 58 58 (5pm–midnight every day) if you are struggling and need to talk.
Or if you prefer not to speak on the phone, you could try the CALM webchat service.
Shout:
If you would prefer not to talk but want some mental health support, you could text SHOUT to 85258.
Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.
The Farming Community Network:
03000 111 999
A network of volunteers from the farming community and rural churches providing pastoral and practical support to help people find a positive way through their problems.
Relate:
The relationship people: 0300 100 1234
Contact them by phone or email to find your nearest counsellor, who you can contact directly.
They have useful self-help information about relationships and family issues on their national Relate website. www.relate.org.uk
• For older adults contact Age UK 08001698787 or look at their website at www.ageuk.co.uk
• For those struggling with bereavement call Cruse on 08088081677
If you’re in Northern Ireland:
Lifeline:
If you or someone you know needs help, you can telephone Lifeline free at any time. Lifeline is a crisis response helpline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to people in Northern Ireland. It offers immediate help over the telephone if you, or someone you know, is in distress or despair.
Telephone: 0808 808 8000
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/mental-health-emergency-if-youre-crisis-or-despair
Cara-friend:
Cara-friend have partnered up with Switchboard Northern Ireland to offer a free confidential support line to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living in Northern Ireland.
Call 0808 8000 390 for free or email switchboard@cara-friend.org.uk for more support.
Open Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4pm and Wednesday 6pm to 9pm.
Mens Action Network:
Mens Action Network offer a free confidential helpline for men in Northern Ireland that may be struggling with their mental health, wellbeing or are a victim to domestic violence.
Call 028 7122 6530 for free or email admin@man-ni.org for more information.
Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm.
Cause:
Cause offer a confidential helpline for people in Northern Ireland that care for an individual or loved one who has experienced serious mental illness.
Call 0800 103 2833 for free or email support@cause.org.uk for more support.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10am to 4pm. Open Tuesday to Thursday, midday to 8pm.
Age NI:
Age NI offer a check in and chat telephone service for people over 60 in Northern Ireland who may feel isolated.
Call 0808 808 7575 to register or email info@ageni.org for more support.
Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Parentline:
Parentline offers a confidential helpline which offers support and advice for parents, carers and family members living in Northern Ireland.
Call 0808 8020 400 for free or email parentline@ci-ni.org.uk
Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm. Open Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Rural Support:
Rural Support offer a confidential listening and signposting helpline for farmers and family members across Northern Ireland to support their mental wellbeing.
Call 0800 138 1678 for free or email info@ruralsupport.org.uk
Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm.
The Compassionate Friends:
The Compassionate Friends offer a confidential helpline for bereaved parents and their families in Northern Ireland who have suffered a death of their child or children.
Call 028 8778 8016 free or email helpline@tcf.org.uk.
Open 7 days a week, 10am to 4pm and 7pm to 10pm.