Long term conditions

Self-help guides

The NHS have produced a range of self-help guides that can be viewed as a PDF or an audio version. To view the guides please visit the self-help guides bookshelf (opens in new window).

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wellbeing and Recovery College

Courses and workshops to give people the tools, skills and understanding that they need to support their mental health and wellbeing. Visit the Recovery College website to find out more. 

Relaxation techniques

Exploring relaxation can help you look after yourself when you're feeling stressed or worried. Why not try these relaxation routines and see how relaxation can fit into your daily life? Listen to the audio guides here. 

SilverCloud online therapy

SilverCloud courses are designed to help you improve and maintain your wellbeing by changing the way you think and feel about things. There are several free courses to pick from including positive body image, panic, depression, anxiety, stress and many more. Find out more about SilverCloud.

Every Mind Matters

Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing. Visit the Every Mind Matters website. 

Worcestershire Community Services Directory (if you live in Worcestershire)

The Worcestershire Community Services Directory sets out all of the local information, advice, tools, guidance and local support available for people in Worcestershire.

Talk Community (if you live in Herefordshire)

Talk Community is a website detailing the services, groups, community hubs, events, and information available to people in Herefordshire.

Podcasts

Podcasts can be a really good way of relaxing the mind, listen to features, interviews and a number of people involved in mental health, including people have experience mental health difficulties, campaigners and mental health experts. To find out more visit the podcast resources page.

NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies

The NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies team are trained and experienced in supporting a wide range of more common mental health issues. Mostly this involves ‘talking therapy’ approaches. Talking therapy could involve group discussion, or more traditional 1:1 sessions. We also provide online courses and employment support which the team can guide you through. To find out more about the service and self-refer visit the service webpage.

GP

Whether you experience a sudden deterioration of an existing mental health problem or are experiencing problems for the first time, you may need immediate expert support to identify the best course of action to help you.

If you are already being supported by Mental Health Services in Herefordshire or Worcestershire, you should try and speak to your usual team before contacting the urgent helpline, unless it’s outside of core hours, a weekend or bank holiday.

If you are not currently in contact with any mental health services you can phone the mental health helpline for urgent advice.

0808 196 9127

(free phone 24 hrs a day 365 days a year)

If you are  deaf or hard of hearing and experiencing a mental health crisis  you can access support from the Herefordshire and Worcestershire 24 hour mental health service by contacting  NHS 111 via Relay UK.

The team will offer advice, support and, if required, an assessment to understand how you are feeling. When calling the number, you can expect to speak to Mental Health Advisors and/or trained Mental Health Clinicians who will be able to listen to your concerns and help make appropriate plans with you to support you.

If you are unsure what to do, staff on this number will be able to guide you to the appropriate choice.

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

• Yours or someone’s life is at risk – for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose
• You do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe

If you just need to talk, any time of day or night

These services offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:

• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• Text "WOO" in Worcestershire or "HERE" in Herefordshire to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line
• If you're under 19, you can call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
• Are you a young person in crisis? Visit the Young Minds website for more support.

Alternative local support

• Worcestershire Safe Haven provides telephone support and face-to-face appointments to Worcestershire residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Call 01905 600400 any day of the week between 6pm and midnight for support and signposting.
• Herefordshire Mind Safe Haven if you find yourself in crisis or need urgent support with your mental health, the Safe Haven is a safe and friendly place that you can come and access mental health support and advice.The Safe Haven telephone and email support service is available every evening, 7 days a week, from 5pm to 10pm; call 01432 372407 or email safehaven@herefordshire-mind.org.uk.

National support

• 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 (open 24/7).
• 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.
• 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.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing and experiencing a mental health crisis contact the SignHealth Text Crisis service, by texting DEAF to 85258 for free and immediate support. If yours, or someone else’s life is in immediate danger for example, they have seriously injured themselves or taken an overdose, or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe you can contact 999 by using the Relay UK service . The service is provided for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired as an alternative option for contacting an emergency service.

Mental health and wellbeing

• Herefordshire Mind — Herefordshire Mind provides a range of support and interventions for people experiencing mental health difficulties, this includes the Safe Haven crisis service, counselling, community activities, link workers and community support. Find out more about their services and how to access support on their website.
• South Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind — South Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind provides a range of mental health services across the region. These range from an crisis and regular telephone support, to outdoor gardening activities and group sessions for better mental health. For more information, visit their website.
• The CLD Trust (Herefordshire) — Provides counselling and other talking therapies to children, young people (from the age of 9) and some adults. Find out more on their website.
• The Cart Shed (Herefordshire) — Activities such as woodwork, coppicing, gardening and cooking can all support wellbeing and emotional health. A non-clinical setting helping individuals address and overcome issues they may be finding difficult to self-manage. To find out more visit the Cart Shed website.
• Men’s Sheds — Men's Sheds are local spaces for men to connect, make friends and enjoy activities. There are groups across Worcestershire. Please visit  Men’s Sheds website to find out more. 
• Simply Limitless (Worcestershire) — The charity provides support to people of all ages in the community with their mental, social and physical health. Visit their website to view their latest courses and workshops.
• Active — An independent organisation providing sports and activities designed to support the wellbeing of people across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Visit their website to see whats available in your local area.
• Farming Community Network - A national helpline for farmers that offers a chance to talk to someone who understands the challenges. Call 03000 111 999 between 7am and 11pm daily for help with stress, depression, alcohol or drug dependency, isolation or other worries. Find out more on the Farming Community Network website.

Families and relationships

• Onside Advocacy — Onside provides a range of support and services to ensure fairness and equality for adults who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged or discriminated against. This includes mental and physical ill health, sensory impairment, learning disability, drug and alcohol misuse, older people, and carers.  
• West Mercia Women’s Aid — WMWA offers a range of specialist support including refuge, services for children, young people and men and tailored recovery programmes for people experiencing domestic abuse. For more information visit their website .
• Relate — Relate provides relationship counselling for couples, families and young people in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. To access support visit their website.
• Worcestershire Association of Carers — WAC provides a range of services for carers and families of people in Worcestershire. This includes person-centred support for carers, training and information sessions and emergency planning and Carers Emergency Cards. For information on how to access support from WAC, visit their website.

Substance misuse and gambling

• NHS West Midlands Gambling Harms Clinic — Aalso known as the Midlands Gambling Clinic provides free, specialist addiction therapies, treatment and recovery to those affected by gambling addiction and gambling problems. Visit the NHS West Midlands Gambling Harms Clinic website for more information.
• Cranstoun (Worcestershire) — Works to support those over 18 that are struggling with their alcohol or drug intake. The service also offers advice, support and guidance for family members and friends to cope with someone else’s substance use through the Family Support Service.
• Turning Point (Herefordshire) — Turning Point is an integrated substance misuse service providing free and confidential support for adults and young people around their use of alcohol and other drugs. Turning Point also offers support to families and carers affected by the alcohol or drug use of someone else.

National support

• Silver Line — The Silver Line is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and support to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. 
• Hub of Hope — The UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time. 
• DadPad — As a new dad you will feel excited, but you may also feel left out, unsure or overwhelmed. The DadPad can help by giving you the knowledge and practical skills that you need.  The resource will support you and your partner to give your baby the best possible start in life. 

What is it?

This is a course aimed at people living with Diabetes* and feeling low in mood or depressed.  We understand the huge impact that living with Diabetes can have on all areas of life including the effect on mood and emotional wellbeing.  We also know that keeping our mood as good as it can be, can make a huge difference to managing our physical health. 

Are you living with Diabetes and been:
- feeling low, down or fed up?
- thinking negatively about things?
- struggling with fatigue or sleep?
- feeling your motivation to do stuff is low?
- finding it difficult to concentrate?
- Perhaps you’ve been beating yourself up about things?

If you have been experiencing any of these, this course may help.

What does this programme involve?

This is a virtual course that is structured and based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is educational in nature, with opportunities for discussion.

Each course is 5 sessions long, for two hours on Wednesdays  1 – 3pm.

How will this help me?

You will learn to understand experiences from a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy viewpoint, explore the impact of living Diabetes (and other long term health conditions) and discuss common features.  You will learn about managing low mood and the vicious cycle of depression, in addition to the boom-and-bust cycles.  You will learn about breaking vicious cycles with behavioural activation and to spot negative thoughts and how to challenge them.  You will also learn more about different emotions and how emotions can affect what we do or don’t do.  We will also spend some time exploring communication styles, improving sleep and relaxation exercises.

Who runs the sessions?

The courses are run remotely by our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and we welcome patients with GPs across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners are fully trained in delivering guided self-help treatment based on CBT techniques and work closely with the Worcestershire Diabetes Team.

ALL courses and groups will be run online via video conferencing until further notice. If course spaces are not filled they may have to be cancelled.

* Type 1, Type 2, pre-diabetes and diabetes recently in remission

What is it?

This is a course aimed at people living with Diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, pre-diabetes and Diabetes recently in remission) and feeling stressed or anxious.  We understand the huge impact that living with Diabetes can have on all areas of life including the effect on our emotional wellbeing.  We also know that keeping our stress and anxiety levels as low as possible, can make a huge difference to managing our physical health. 

Are you living with Diabetes and been:
- feeling worried? 
- thinking about things that might go wrong?
- thinking more about worst case scenarios?
- feeling stressed, nervous or on edge?
- noticing tension around your neck and shoulders or other parts of your body?
- feeling anxious or panicky?
- finding it difficult to relax?
- feeling irritated by small things that perhaps wouldn’t normally bother you?

If you have been experiencing any of these, this course may help.

What does this programme involve?

This is a virtual course that is structured and based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is educational in nature, with opportunities for discussion.

Each course is 5 sessions long, for two hours weekly on Wednesdays  1 – 3pm.

How will this help me?

You will learn to understand experiences from a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy viewpoint, explore the impact of living with Diabetes (and other long term health conditions) and discuss common features.  You will learn about calming anxiety, panic and stress, and the vicious cycles that keep us anxious.  You will explore the nature of worry and uncertainty, learn techniques to reduce worry and feel more comfortable with uncertainty.  You will explore negative thoughts and different emotions, and the effect they might have on the things that we do.  The course also spends some time exploring improving sleep and relaxation.

Who runs the sessions?

The courses are run remotely by our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners and we welcome patients with GPs across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners are fully trained in delivering guided self-help treatment based on CBT techniques and work closely with the Worcestershire Diabetes Team.

ALL courses and groups will be run online via video conferencing until further notice. If course spaces are not filled they may have to be cancelled.