For Young People Needing Help
Is your life in danger?
If you have seriously harmed yourself, such as taken an overdose of medication,
call 999 for an ambulance or go straight to A&E.
Or ask someone else to call 999 or take you to A&E.
For young people needing support
Here you will find some tips on how to help yourself and where to go to get support.
It can sometimes feel that we have no control over how we feel and this can leave us feeling very helpless and alone. With a few simple changes you can start to change how you feel, there is no magic wand and you will not feel better straight away but by doing something about how you are feeling and addressing what might be making things worse we can start to take a step in the right direction.
Below are some things you can try to help improve your mental health or just keep yourself feeling positive:
Share how you are feeling
This is often one of the most difficult things to do but it is the one which can help the most. Everyone needs to ask for help at one time or another. Think about what you want to get out of the conversation – do you just want to share how you are feeling or do you need more practical help as this might affect who you want to talk to first. You can ask your parents, a trusted friend, a GP, a teacher or someone at a community group like a football team. Choose a time and place that you think would be a good place to talk, where you will not be interrupted. Sharing your problems really does help.
Keep Active
Exercise is really great way to stay healthy both physically and mentally. It can help you maintain good sleep and when we are fitter and healthier we tend to feel better.
Take Breaks
Whilst it is important that we are active, it is also important that we take some “me time” and enjoy a slower pace. Often we spend a lot of our time thinking about things that have happened in the past or worrying about things that might happen in the future but we don’t tend to spend a lot of time actually in the moment. Take some time to just notice what is going on around you using all of your senses.
Eat & Drink Well
We are what we eat, your brain and your body needs the right balance of nutrients to stay healthy. When our body is healthy the mind tends to follow and vice versa. Whilst it is tempting to drink alcohol to make ourselves feel better, alcohol is a depressant and overall leads to our mood feeling worse, so try to avoid doing this.
Keep In touch & help others
There’s nothing better than catching up with friends and having a good time together. When we can’t do this in person keeping in touch with people on the phone or text can be good options instead. But if people leave you feeling worse about yourself you may have to think about whether you want to stay in touch with them or not. Helping other people can be a very rewarding thing to do.
Please visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-mental-health for more advice.
Often when you are feeling low in mood or worried about what is going on in your life you feel very isolated. You are not alone. Read other people’s experiences of struggling with their mental health and overcoming it. You can also share your own experiences if you want to.
Childline
A free helpline for children and young people under 19
Call 0800 1111
the number won’t show up on your phone bill