Help and Support
Below are some websites, books, programmes, blogs, people, quotes and anything else we have found that has helped us. It’s a work in progress. Some of it will be more practical help, like the Mind, Rethink and CALM pages, and others will be networks or charities we think are doing amazing stuff, as well as things we’ve stumbled across that have really helped us process what’s happening and how we feel about it. We’d always love more to add to this list, so if you can think of anything, please get in touch with us and we'll do our best to share.
If you are in a crisis situation, the best place to call is the Samaritans on 116 123
Advice on mental health:
Mind pages here on caring for someone with a mental health condition: depression, anxiety, psychosis, suicidal thoughts, bipolar
Mind advice on understanding the process of being sectioned, and what this means for your rights
Advice on money and mental health
Rethink information on mental health conditions, symptoms and treatments
CALM advice on speaking to a loved one about suicide and harm
Advice on being a carer
Mind advice on identifying yourself as a carer
Rethink carer’s hub (including links to find local support groups
Mind’s Wellness Action Plan (WAP) template (very useful for planning your own wellbeing and working with employers)
Carers UK Upfront guide to caring (an amazing tool to navigate all the admin)
Carers UK advice on financial rights as a carer
Carers Trust local services page
Gov.uk page on Carer’s allowance
We Care Campaign website for info on rights and an opportunity to chat to others
Marie Curie advice for caring for someone who’s terminally ill
Community building and peer support
The Blurt Foundation for great blogs and a very active mental health community
Suicide and Co is focussed on supporting those who have lost a loved one to suicide and offer tailored counselling
Mental Health The Arts (MHTA) is a growing creative arts community for people aged between 13 - 25 with experience of mental health issues and caring roles
The New Normal is a charity focussing on bringing people together through difficult moments, many of which are around grief, crisis and navigating loss. They offer weekly catch ups which are open to anyone and can be found here
Mobilise Carers is an online community set up to provide peer to peer support, and also coaching sessions to carers. They also offer catch ups online through, and their community is active on Facebook.
The We Care Campaign is focussed around advocating for carers and for more rights and visibility for these roles. They have ways that you can take action online, and also offer a toolkit for carers