Mental Health

Maintaining good Mental Health is important but is often ignored.

This is because recognising signs and symptoms of failing Mental Health is not always easy and this page and below information has been collated for you to explore the symptoms and causes of poor Mental Health and when and how to seek help if required. 

It is reassuring to know that one in four of us suffer with Mental Health at some point in our lives. You are not alone if you are one of them and there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. There are many causes that may affect our Mental Health, bereavement, separation and isolation are all causes as well as many others. 

Mental Health - what to do in an emergency Self refer to Talking Therapies provided by the NHS Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership in BSL British Sign Language
What to do in a mental health crisis

What is a Mental Health Crisis?

The term crisis is when someone reaches breaking point, cannot cope and needs help urgently.

When someone is in a mental health crisis they:

  • Lack the ability to form effective decisions
  • They may become distressed, confused, emotional, behave erratically
  • Think/talk/act on suicidal/self harm

What to do in the event of a crisis? 

Is the person an immediate danger to themselves / others

YES- Immediate help needed

  • If you have serious concerns for someone’s immediate safety then they can go to Accident and Emergency or phone emergency services 999 for assistance.
  • Call the Mental Health 24/7 Response Line – 0800 953 1919.  This line is open 24 hours a day, every day for crisis support
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services CAMHS emergency helpline - 0800 9539599
  • Contact the person’s GP, or the GP out of hours service and explain the problem
  • Phone NHS 111 (For a BSL interpreter see NHS 111 - SignVideo) Option 2 to access First Response for mental health services
  • The Samaritans: provide 24 hr 7 day week confidential emotional support. They can be contacted on 116 123 (free to call) or 01179831000 (local call rate) or email jo@samaritans.org
  • Vita Health Group 24/7 helpline: Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
    24/7 Support & Connect: Immediate emotional and practical support helpline
    Tel: 0800 0126549
    A 24/7 confidential helpline staffed by experienced counsellors, who you can talk to and they will listen. They will offer emotional support and can connect you to organisations available in Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.

I DONT KNOW - I would like to talk to someone

  • Contact the GP practice to arrange mental health support
  • Bristol MIND on 0117 980 0370 between 9:30am and 3:30pm​
  • Bristol Mindline: who provide up to 30 mins per call emotional support. They are open Wed-Sunday 8pm –midnight. They can be contacted on 0800 808 0330
  • Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text "YM" if you're under 19
  • If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

  • The Sanctuary which is at: 1 New St, Bristol BS2 9DX- Telephone them on- 0117 954 2952 or 07709 295 661.
    Bristol Sanctuary is a place to come when in serious emotional distress. They aim to provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment. The Sanctuary is open between 7pm and 2am, Fridays to Mondays – places can be secured by calling 0117 954 2925 after 5pm, or emailing awp.bmhsanctuary@nhs.net at any time, on the day that a place is needed.

For people who have accessed mental health services before it may be useful to have on your person:

  • Crisis card (if you have one)- this will include help lines and what to do in a crisis information
  • Personalised Safety Plan- this will include warning signs the person may show, known triggers, distraction techniques, emergency contacts including health professionals, out of hours and helplines

NO- I am not in crisis but am struggling with my mental health

NHS talking therapies

Talking therapies are effective, confidential treatments, delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners.

They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression.

You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS via this link.

You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without a referral from a GP, or a GP can refer you.

Help is available in person, by video, over the phone or as an online course.

24/7 Support line

Immediate emotional and practical support helpline. 

To speak to an experienced counsellor call 0800 053 1919

24-hours a day, 7 days a week

Staying safe from suicidal thoughts
  • Stayingsafe.net - online resources including building a safety plan for times when are struggling with suicidal thoughts
  • Get help from emergency and crisis support services. The StayAlive app is a suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis.
  • The distrACT app gives you easy, quick and discreet access to information and advice about self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The content has been created by doctors and experts in self-harming and suicide prevention. 
  • Calm Harm is an award-winning app developed for teenage mental health charity stem4. Calm Harm provides tasks to help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm.

  • The Sanctuary Bristol Sanctuary is a place to come when you are in serious emotional distress. We aim to provide a safe, and welcoming environment where you can take stock and find some balance.

    While at The Sanctuary, staff will be led by you with a focus on helping you to stay safe and make a short term plan of what to do next. We can provide information on how to access other BMH services, signpost you to other providers, including telephone helplines and support you to recognise your own strengths or strategies for crisis prevention and management.
    This service is currently operating a telephone only service, 7 days a week 4-10pm

    0117 954 2952 or 07709 295 661

  • Prevention of young suicide (Under 35's) PAPYRUS

    https://papyrus-uk.org/

    HOPELINEUK is a specialist telephone service

    Open: Mon-Fri: 10am-10pm, weekends: 2pm-10pm & bank holidays: 2pm-10pm

    Call: 0800 068 41 41               Text: 07786 209697    

  • Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) Aimed at men of any age in the UK

    https://www.thecalmzone.net/

    helpline Open: 5pm - midnight, 365 days per year

    Call: 0800 58 58 58           Webchat is available on the website

    Calls are anonymous & confidential and won’t show up on phone bills. Calls are free from landlines, payphones and all mobiles

  • The Mix - Essential Support for Under 25's

    https://www.themix.org.uk/

    Open: 4pm - 11pm, 7 days per week

    Call: 0808 808 4994 (free)                Webchat is available on the website

    Also offer a crisis messenger text service which provides free, 24/7 crisis support across the UK. If aged 25 or under, and are experiencing any painful emotion or are in crisis, text THEMIX to 85258.

  • Suicide prevention Bristol
    The Patrol Team was founded by Suicide Prevention Bristol in 2018 and have received advanced training in suicide prevention.
Changes Bristol Peer Support

Changes Bristol is a mental health charity that began in 2003 when people with lived experience came together to form a support network for those suffering mental distress.  We have developed as an organisation through the experience of our members, developing our services to meet the needs of communities throughout Bristol and the surrounding area.

Changes Bristol 

Bristol Wellbeing College

Did you know: Bristol Wellbeing College runs workshops, courses and a wellbeing café to help people to learn skills/strategies to improve their mental health.

There are lots of resources available and they run free groups in a range of community venues including in south Bristol/central Bristol. You can self-refer or find out more via the website.

https://www.second-step.co.uk/wellbeing-colleges/bristol-wellbeing-college/ 

Low cost counselling
NHS: Mental health NHS: Worried about someone with depression Mind mental health support Mental wellbeing toolkit Living with mental illness Changes Bristol: find a support group

Chill Panda app

Play your way to a calmer day with Chillpanda

Stay alive app

For those at risk of suicide and people worried about someone.

Distract app

Your trusted digital lifeline for people who self harm and feel suicidal.

Calm Harm

A free app that helps you manage or resist the urge to self-harm

Samaritans app

Keep track of how you are feeling, and get recommendations for things you can do to help yourself cope, feel better and stay safe in a crisis