If you are worried about your own or someone else’s mental health call the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 24/7 NHS mental health response line on 0800 038 5300. It's free to access by anyone, any age, any time, day or night.
Whether you call it stress, depression, fed up, sad, down, not feeling yourself, it's OK to not be OK.
We've got some information to help you try and turn things around. It's important that if you don't start to feel better soon, you get help from a professional.
Don't forget to have a look at the Five Ways to Wellbeing below which has some good suggestions to try and help you feel good.
Support from a service
Your GP should be your first port of call if you're feeling worried about your mental health. You might need to tell the receptionist that you're worried about your mental health, but that's OK, they're trained to know what to do.
You can refer yourself to Outlook South West. They provide NHS funded therapy for anyone struggling with mental health. That could be stress, anxiety, PTSD, low mood or OCD. You can register online to get support from groups, or one to one meetings and ways to help yourself at home.
Help yourself
Distract yourself - try the Calm or Headspace apps or find a list of NHS approved apps on the NHS website.
Call the Samaritans, they aren't just for people in crisis - they are there for anyone who wants to talk about how they are feeling. It's free to call 116 123 from a landline or mobile 24/7.
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) 5pm - midnight 0800 585858 or use the webchat facility on their website
Childline (for anyone under 19) free to call 0800 1111
Papyrus (for people under 35) 0800 068 4141 (Mon-Fri 10am-10pm Sat-Sun 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–5pm or text 07786 209 697
SHOUT - a new 24/7 text service for anyone who is in a crisis. Text 85258
Coping skills
You could try the following things to help you cope if you're not feeling great. It's important to remember that what works for one person might not work for another. And what works for you one day might not work on another day – so give things a try and see what works for you.
- Exercise – walking, running, gardening, – anything that allows you to burn off some energy
- Sleep
- Watching your favourite TV show
- Watching Youtube videos
- Read a page of a book
- Breathing exercises
- Finding distractions: Count to 100 (or backwards, or in 3s), self-care: Braid your hair/paint your nails, craft, baking, listen to audible/podcasts, listen to music (create a playlist in advance so you can choose what to hear), jigsaws, play a musical instrument – brainstorm ideas when you’re feeling quite well – things that really absorb you
- Mindfulness
- Talk to a friend
- Talk to a professional
- Take things one minute at a time (set a timer for 60 seconds – breathe, sit quietly, squats,
- Celebrate achieving small goals
- Avoiding things that make you feel worse (social media, the news, a person, a place, hangovers, parties)
- Try the 5 ways to wellbeing
Children and Young People
Headstart Kernow
HeadStart Kernow is a service to help develop resilience and mental well-being in young people. It is Cornwall Council-led and Big Lottery-funded. HeadStart Kernow is:
- focused on young people aged 10 – 16 as evidence clearly demonstrates that half of diagnosed lifetime mental ill-health cases begin before the age of 14, and 75% before the age of 18;
- co-produced with young people who inform and influence it and are key stakeholders;
- universal, and about prevention with targeted support;
- a ‘Test and Learn’ programme;
- striving to achieve system change;
- doing things differently – we embrace new and innovative ways of thinking and working and people are at the forefront of what we do
Specialist Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide assessment, advice and treatment for children and young people with severe and complex mental health problems. CAMHS also provide support and advice to their families or carers. You can find out more about the CAMHS service at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Referrals to the CAMHS services are via the Early Help Hub.
Make a plan to help you if things start to get worse
A Mental Health Safety Plan is a preventative tool designed to help support those who struggle with mental wellbeing. It may be difficult to think clearly when you’re feeling really low, or feel incredibly overwhelmed, and it may be difficult to ignore these feelings. Safety plans are best created when not in crisis.
By having a safety plan, you’re making sure that there are strategies you can use to keep yourself safe and can help you feel more in control when everything feels out of control. Think of your safety plan as your ‘mental health first-aid kit’; it includes different things that will help you through a crisis.
For more information about Safety Planning and to download your Mental Health Safety Plan please visit our Mental Health Safety Plan page.
There are many ways you can keep your mental health fit and well, just as you would your physical health. Having a healthy mind and recognising what to do if you start to have a wobble can help you to avoid getting in to a crisis.
If you feel like you're struggling with your mental health head to our help me feel mentally stronger page.
Every Mind Matters
We don’t need to wait until we are struggling with our mental health; there are lots of things we can do to protect ourselves and prevent problems escalating, just as we do with our physical health.
Try the Every Mind Matters tool to create an action plan to help you keep feeling good.
5 ways to wellbeing
Connect
Staying in touch with people or making new friends is just one way to give your mental health a boost. Humans are social, so to prevent us from feeling down or lonely it's really important to make sure we're staying in touch with people. There's more information on the NHS moodzone webpage.
Be active
Being active isn't just good for our physical health, it's great for your mental health too. Head outside for a walk to a place that makes you feel good, and connect with friends if you want some company. There's plenty of ways to get active including dancing, running or going for a swim to name just a few! If you want some more inspiration the How Do You Get Yours campaign has local information on activity. There's also information on the NHS moodzone webpage for being active.
Keep learning
Why not try something different or learn a new skill? You could learn to cook something new in your own kitchen, or sign up for classes to learn a new language or maybe learn to play an instrument. It's also a great way to connect with others or find a new way to be active. Cornwall's Adult Education service has hundreds of courses to pick from. Or why not go try your local library for a wealth of information. If you can't make it to a library try their app Borrowbox to download ebooks and audio books to your phone.
Give
Giving doesn't have to be about finances, it can be about giving your time. It can help you make new friends, keep active, gain new skills, get a job or just to make a difference to someone else. Volunteer Cornwall can help you find the perfect opportunity to suit you.
Take notice
Try to be mindful of what is happening around you, take some time to notice something like the weather. We live in a fast paced world and it's good for our mental health to slow down and just absorb what's happening in the present moment. There's plenty of mindfulness apps such as Headspace or Calm which you can download on a smart phone. For more ideas try the NHS be mindful moodzone webpage.
How Are You Really Feeling?
Another way to improve mental health is to talk about it. If people are less scared of opening up then it will help to stop people getting to crisis point.
If you're not sure how to get started asking a friend how they are then we have a helpful little leaflet, and some top tips to get the conversation started. Head over to our campaign webpage for more information.
Mental Health Safety Plans
A Mental Health Safety Plan is a preventative tool designed to help support those who struggle with mental wellbeing. It may be difficult to think clearly when you’re feeling really low, or feel incredibly overwhelmed, and it may be difficult to ignore these feelings. Safety plans are best created when not in crisis.
By having a safety plan, you’re making sure that there are strategies you can use to keep yourself safe and can help you feel more in control when everything feels out of control. Think of your safety plan as your ‘mental health first-aid kit’; it includes different things that will help you through a crisis.
For more information and to download your Mental Health Safety Plan please see our Mental Health Safety Plan page.
Feeling suicidal?
Get help now:Call 116123
Talk to someone now - call Samaritans on 116123
If you or someone else is in immediate danger call 999
How to help yourself
- Call the 24/7 NHS local urgent mental health response phone line. It's free to access by anyone, any age on 0800 038 5300
- Visit our hospital if you are concerned that you can’t keep yourself safe - during the current situation, please do not feel that you are a trouble to the NHS, they are there to help you if you need it
- Dial 999 if you are unable to visit our hospital and you have harmed yourself
- If you don't want to attend a hospital and you want to speak to someone during the day talk to your GP, tell the receptionist about how you feel so they can make the GP aware as soon as possible
- Talk to someone who can understand such as Samaritans, you can call them free from a mobile or landline on 116 123
- If you don't want to talk to someone, please see the text service options below
- Make a safety plan. Vsee above for more information.
Out of Hours support
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides a telephone helpline through Support Matters Cornwall.
Out of hours support is available from 5.00pm to 9.00am on weekdays and 24 hours a day at weekends and bank holidays.
The service is open to all people aged 16+ under the care of Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's mental health services. You can call free on 0800 001 4330. Support can be delivered over the telephone, via text, email or web chat.
If you want to talk to someone who can help:
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) 5pm - midnight 0800 585858 or use the webchat facility on their website
Childline (for anyone under 19) free to call 0800 1111
Papyrus (for people under 35) 0800 068 4141 (Mon-Fri 10am-10pm Sat-Sun 2pm-10pm and bank holidays 2pm–5pm or text 07786 209 697
Samaritans free to call from landline or mobile 24/7 365 days a year 116 123
SHOUT - a new 24/7 text service for anyone who is in a crisis you can text 85258
How to help someone who is feeling suicidal
If you are concerned that someone is feeling suicidal, they have already made an attempt at suicide, or they have told you that they are intending to end their life and they are in immediate danger then you should call 999.
If someone has said that they have thoughts of suicide and that they don't know what they want to do, then you should support them to call their GP, and tell the receptionist the situation.
The Staying Safe website has instant online access to help you talk to someone, and the best ways to help them. It's important that the person you are talking to feels listened to, and that someone cares about them.
If you would like to take part in free training to help you talk to people about suicide you can find information on training and dates on the Healthy Cornwall website, and click on suicide first aid.
Zero Suicide Alliance e-learning
You would not be alone in thinking that suicide is a complicated, and at times distressing topic to learn about. However we also live in a caring county where people want to help and support their family, friends, work colleagues and even strangers.
We are proud to promote the Zero Suicide Alliance’s free introduction to suicide awareness training. In just 10 minutes you will learn how to approach and help someone that you think may be considering taking their own life. This e-learning is for everyone. It strives to reduce the stigma around mental illness and suicide whilst also encouraging you to look after your own wellbeing.
Giving 10 minutes of your time could make a life changing difference to someone – take action now!
Have you or someone else been affected by suicide?
Being bereaved by suicide can have an impact on loved ones left behind.
In Cornwall we have a dedicated service which can support friends and family of someone who has died by suicide. The Outlook South West Suicide Liaison Service provides support through trained professionals with specialist skills. If you or someone you know would like to access this free service you can call them direct on 01208 871905, or referrals can be made by your GP/health professional.
The Help at Hand book is full of helpful tips and information for anyone who needs support after someone they know has died by suicide.
At work
If you have been affected by the suicide of a work colleague, a suicide in the workplace pack is available for you to download. We hope that you'll never need it, but we want to make sure you're equipped if you do. It provides useful information and guidance for when the crisis happens, and for looking out for signs of post traumatic stress and secondary trauma in colleagues in the weeks that follow. It's important to identify any staff who might be struggling and to let everyone know that it's OK to admit they are struggling.