Supporting someone with a mental health problem presents many challenges. Below we have described some common experiences of relatives of people with Bipolar Disorder.
Remember to click “Save Progress” button at the bottom to save your reflections and click “Save to Toolbox” at the top if you want to keep a copy in My Toolbox
http://www.mentalhealthconcern.org/
https://www.cumbriapartnership.nhs.uk/our-services/mental-health/our-mental-health-services/amaze
https://www.lancashirecare.nhs.uk/Hope-Health-Recovery
http://ncompassnorthwest.co.uk
https://www.lancashirecare.nhs.uk/Mental-Health-Helpline
https://livingwithpsychiatricmedication.co.uk/
Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. It has branches across the UK supporting people face to face, by telephone, email and letter.
Phone number: 116 123
Young Minds is a national UK charity committed to improving the mental health and emotional well-being of all children and young people and empowering their parents and relatives. They have a specific section of their website for parents and a dedicated helpline for parents.
Young person support: If you need urgent help text YM to 85258
ParentLine: 0808 802 5544
Suite 11, Baden Place, Crosby Row, London, SE1 1YW
Rethink is a national mental health charity supporting everyone affected by severe mental illness to recover a better quality of life. They provide services (including respite breaks for relatives and support workers), have a network of over 150 local support groups many run by relatives and run campaigns. The Rethink website has useful information for relatives, including sibling relatives. A good starting place is the ‘how can we help section’
www.rethink.org/living_with_mental_illness/caring/index.html
You can find out about local groups through the Rethink website home page.
Web: www.rethink.org
Email: info@rethink.org
Phone: 0121522700789
89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
The Hearing Voices Network offers information and support to people who hear voices and those who support them. They have a network of over 180 groups throughout the UK and through their website you can find details of your nearest support group.
Web: http://www.hearing-voices.org
Email: info@hearing-voices.org
Phone: 01142 718210
National Hearing Voices Network, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE
Chill4us Carers is a social network community for carers and provides information, the ability to chat with other carers. They are a peer support group offering carer resources and have experience of the isolation felt by family carers, the struggle with finding grants, money and the general difficulty of finding help for carers.
Email: support@chill4us.com
Phone: 01603 340193
Carers UK is the voice of carers. Most of their resources are generic e.g. guide to direct payments, work and caring. They have a number of discussion forums including one for mental ill health and up to date policy and campaign information on issues affecting relatives.
Web: www.carersuk.org//
Email: advice@carersuk.org
Phone: 02073784999
20 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4LX
The Carers Trust is one the largest providers of comprehensive relatives support services in the UK. Through its unique network of 144 independently managed Carers’ Centres, 85 young relatives services and interactive websites including discussion boards. There is useful mental health specific information on the site – use their ‘Help for carers’ search facility typing in ‘mental health’ to help you navigate.
Web: www.carers.org/
Email: support@carers.org / info@carers.org
Phone: 0300 772 9600
Carers Trust , Unit 101, 164–180 Union Street,London SE1 0LH
The Carers Federation was established in 1992 and is a small local organisation supporting relatives in the North of England.
England: www.carersfederation.co.uk/
Email: info@carersfederation.co.uk
Phone: 01159 629 310
Christopher Cargill House, 21-23 Pelham Road, Nottingham, NG5 1AP
Bipolar UK is a national user-led organisation and registered charity for people whose lives are affected by bipolar disorder with branches in England and Wales. There is specific information for relatives on the site, use their search facility typing in ‘carer’ to help you navigate. They also have a network of self-help groups and an e-community online discussion resource.
Web: http://www.bipolaruk.org/
Email: info@bipolaruk.org
Phone: 0333 323 3880
Bipolar UK, 11 Belgrave Road, London, SW1V 1RB
Making Space provides a range of services for relatives including respite breaks and support. They operate in the North West, Central England and London/South East of England
Email: enquiries@makingspace.co.uk
Phone: 01925 571680
Making Space – Head Office, Lyne House, 46 Allen Street, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 7JB
Mind is a national mental health charity that provides information and support for people affected by mental health difficulties. The website provides a great deal of useful information about mental health and the support available to people experiencing mental distress and their families. A useful starting point is the ‘how can we help section’ to find contact details for their legal service, information line, publications, information leaflets. The local mind organisations located across England also provide specific services to relatives – contact your local branch to find out more:
Web: www.mind.org.uk/help/mind_in_your_area http://www.mind.org.uk/
Email: contact@mind.org.uk
Phone: 02085 192122
15-19 Broadway, Stratford, London E15 4BQ
Sane campaigns to raise awareness, undertakes research and provides help and information to those experiencing mental health problems, their families and relatives. A key point of contact and support is the helpline: 03003047000
Web: www.sane.org.uk
Email: info@sane.org.uk
Phone: 02038051790
St. Mark’s Studios, 14 Chillingworth Road, Islington, London, N7 8QJ
Part of the Department for Work and Pensions, JobCentre Plus provides information on most benefits for people of working age and information on employment and schemes for getting into work.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) has made some recommendations about the treatments you and your relative should be offered. These are based on a careful review of all the available evidence by a panel of clinical experts, service users and relatives.
Information on help for relatives, including benefits, work issues and your rights as a relative.
The official UK government website for citizens, including information about disability rights and support in the UK
Government information on benefits, pensions and work related issues.
Government information on health and social care services, policies and strategies.
Information about the Care Quality Commission and the Mental Health Act.
Started in 1995, it is a leading non-profit web community dedicated to providing high quality information, support and education to the family members, caregivers and individuals whose lives have been impacted by schizophrenia co-ordinated in the USA. It has an extensive list of books about schizophrenia including material for children, siblings, parents and partners as well as personal accounts from service users and relatives.Started in 1995, it is a leading non-profit web community dedicated to providing high quality information, support and education to the family members, caregivers and individuals whose lives have been impacted by schizophrenia co-ordinated in the USA. It has an extensive list of books about schizophrenia including material for children, siblings, parents and partners as well as personal accounts from service users and relatives.
Includes extensive information on mental health conditions and treatments. It is an American site so some details may be different to the UK.
The DBSA is a leading American peer-directed organisation which focuses on depression and bipolar disorder and provides resources and empowering services.
The site has a range of information about psychosis including a report called: ‘Women and Psychosis: A guide for women and their families’.
The organisation actively promotes user empowerment and user involvement in the choosing, monitoring and running of mental health services.
Provides services for people with complex needs, including those affected by drug and alcohol misuse and mental illness.
Together’s focus is to support people who have complex and enduring mental health issues, most of whom are referred to our services by other professionals.
PALS are an impartial and confidential service which can provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related enquiry, help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS, provide information about the NHS
complaints procedure and how to get independent help if you decide you may want to make a complaint, and inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS locally. Your local NHS Trust will have its own PALS service.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the professional and educational body for psychiatrists in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. They produce a range of information leaflets that can be downloaded from their website such as debt, carers, schizophrenia, spirituality and mental health as well as podcasts. They ran a campaign a few years ago with the Princess Royal Trust for Carers producing specific information for relatives about information sharing and patient confidentiality.
Information and support for people affected by anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder or tranquilliser withdrawal.
The NHS Choices website offers in-depth information about psychosis and bipolar disorder, including symptoms, causes, diagnosis, useful questions you may want to ask of mental health professionals with answers. There are also ‘real stories’ on-line.
Offers accessible information on NICE mental health guidelines.
The Mental Health Foundation provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve the services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live. The interactive website has bulletin boards and forums, publications and information.
The McPin Foundation aims to transform mental health research by putting the lived experience of people affected by mental health problems at the heart of research methods and the research agenda.
Information on mental health conditions, diagnoses, treatments and research.
Provides information on mental health as well as information on research projects at the institute. It has developed a specific web resource for relatives where summaries of published research are held, interviews with professionals and relatives can be found and links to other resources sign posted.
Free confidential drugs advice.
The phone number is 0300 123 6600
For those with a hearing impairment, you can textphone FRANK on 0300 123 1099
A safe online community of people who are anxious, down or not coping to support and help each other by sharing what’s troubling them, guided by trained professionals.
Provides literature reviews of health related research including reviews into studies of schizophrenia. A project to produce lay summaries of all the schizophrenia studies is underway. They are also found on this site.
Specializes in providing community based mental health assistance and support to the ever growing Chinese community in the United Kingdom.
The Centre for Mental Health carries out research, policy work and analysis to improve practice and influence policy in mental health as well as public services. Their priorities are mental health care in the criminal justice system and employment and mental health. They publish reports on-line including information on recovery
The BPS are the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK. It has a publications section on its website including links to all the NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) guidelines that define best practice treatments and supports for mental health services users and their families.
A safe online community of people who are anxious, down or not coping to support and help each other by sharing what’s troubling them, guided by trained professionals.
Anxiety UK works to relieve and support those living with anxiety disorders by providing information, support and understanding via an extensive range of services. They work to improve services for those living with anxiety disorders, and also campaign to raise awareness of anxiety disorders.