A Long Term Condition is defined as a condition that can not be cured; but can be controlled by medication and other therapies. Examples of Long Term Conditions are diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Having a long-term health condition can be frustrating or worrying at times. It is very common for health conditions to affect how you feel and for your mood to affect your health condition. This can lead to feeling stressed, low, anxious or worried.
There are approximately 26 million people in England that are living with at least one long term condition. If you are living with a respiratory problem or diabetes we can help.
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).
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 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, covid-19, depression, anxiety, stress and many more.
All you need is access to the internet and sound on a computer, tablet or mobile. The programme is flexible so you can use it anytime, anyplace, and anywhere. They feature videos, activities, quizzes, audio guides and your own online journal. Find out more on the SilverCloud website page.
Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing. Visit the Every Mind Matters website.
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 is a website detailing the services, groups, community hubs, events, and information available to people in Herefordshire.
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.
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 which the team can guide you through. To find out more about the service and self-refer visit the service webpage.
Free mental wellbeing support including online chat and forums - Visit Qwell.
Visit your GP practice team to discuss the best options for you, including access to specialist services.
Courses and workshops to give people the tools, skills and understanding that they need for their own wellbeing and recovery. Visit the Recovery College website to find out more.
Mental Health Matters work in partnership with NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Talking Therapies to provide employment-related support.
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.
(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.
These services offer confidential advice from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:
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.