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Alcoholism is a rough word to deal with, yet nobody is too young (or too old) to have trouble with booze. That's because alcoholism is an illness. It can hit anyone; young, old, rich, poor. black, white and it doesn't matter how long you've been drinking or what you've been drinking. It's what drinking does to you that counts. To help you decide whether you might have a problem with your own drinking, we've prepared this video below asking some questions. The answers are nobody's business but your own. If you can answer yes to any one of these questions, maybe it's time you took a serious look at what your drinking might be doing to you. If you do need help or if you'd just like to talk to someone about your drinking, call us on 0800 9177 650, message us via our Live Chat box at the bottom of the page here, or email us at help@aamail.org.
Watch the Young People's video here Watch the Young People's video with subtitles here.

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Alcohol and Me: A Message to Young People Video

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To help you decide whether you might have a problem with your own drinking, we've prepared this video below asking some questions. The answers are nobody's business but your own.

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Provides information about keeping young people safe alone, and if you are concerned about online sexual abuse

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Are you being bullied?

If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small.

Visit Childline

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Are you being bullied? If you are being bullied, or you are not ready to make a report to CEOP, you can talk to Childline anonymously online or on the phone - No worry is too big or too small. Visit Childline

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This self-help guide is particularly aimed at individuals who are leaving education and entering a new stage of their life. It covers techniques based on CBT principles to help an individual struggling with anxiety, stress and/or depression during this life transition.

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Try some of these activities to help boost the happy hormones your brain and body needs.

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Try thought dumping to help clear your mind

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01823 276 892/0800 138 1692
Mindline Emotional support and mental health helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mindline is a confidential listening service which provides a safe place to talk if you, or someone you know, is in distress

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Get help - free, 24/7, confidential mental health text support service | Shout 85258 (giveusashout.org)

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Home - Kooth

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Youth one-to-one mentoring - NoPanic

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Call 0800 068 41 41 – Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm, weekends 2pm to 10pm, bank holidays 2pm to 5pm
Text 07786 209697
Email pat@papyrus-uk.org
PAPYRUS is the national UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. You can contact them for help and guidance for yourself or for someone else in your care.

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Skip to content

Watch the full video

Thinking of suicide?

Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247.

My whole way of thinking has changed. I feel positive about my future and the people around me. I'm now looking forward to the future and helping others just like me!

Thank you so much for the incredible support PAPYRUS and HOPELINE247 has given me. You helped me in that moment and it kept me alive.

I intend to continue to fundraise for and promote PAPYRUS. I am so proud and humbled to be involved with a wonderful charity, and to have received the support that I have.

Having been personally bereaved by suicide I understand the importance and need for our charity. I am surrounded by others who are as passionate as I am about saving lives.

* All feedback is provided by people who contact PAPYRUS. All feedback has full consent of the user and the user remains fully anonymous. Some feedback may have been adapted to keep the users anonymity.

Our latest news

Stay up to date with PAPYRUS; our news section is regularly updated with helpful advice and guidance, as well as information about our upcoming events and campaigns. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.

Our upcoming events

Please see below some of our upcoming and exciting events including fundraisers and charity events we will be attending. For more information please get in touch.

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Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

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PAPYRUS UK is a charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35) in the UK | Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Now

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This workshop will support young people to recognise when they’re feeling stressed and identify helpful ways to cope.

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Click below for more exercises
8 Breathing Techniques and Breathing Exercises for Anxiety (verywellmind.com)

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Talk to a friend, family member, or someone at college

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Talk to a friend, family member, or someone at college

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Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service

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Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service

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Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service is here for anyone bereaved by suicide in Somerset. We offer emotional support as well as guidance through the trauma of sorting out personal affairs. The service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Fully trained members of staff advise on matters such as liaising with the Police, Coroner's office and faith groups. Most importantly, we are here to listen at a time of great stress and anguish. We provide telephone and face-to-face support, and host a peer support group for anyone bereaved by suicide, however recently or long ago. This is a safe place where people can share their stories and feelings and derive some comfort from spending time with those who have similar experiences. We also provide support and training to schools affected by the loss by suicide of a student or pupil.

Anyone in Somerset who is recently bereaved by suicide can phone or email us directly. We do not accept 3rd party referrals at this time.

Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service Offers:

​

Telephone helpline

Face-to-face bereavement support

Monthly peer support groups

Monthly Surgery sessions

Information and guidance on practical matters

Help to schools and colleges dealing with a suicide

Help and guidance for professionals who are dealing with a suicide

Referral and signposting to other agencies

Find out more by clicking here.

Corporate Training

Mind in Somerset has a large corporate and community training resource. Our experienced trainers can tailor teaching to your needs and the needs of your staff. Find out more

All our services are free!

Mind in Somerset couldn't exist without your support - whether that's through a donation, leaving a gift in your Will, or organising a fundraising event - you can help us be there for more people. Find out more

Volunteering

If you have some free time, whether it's 2 hours per week or 20 hours per week, we would love to hear from you. We are currently looking to recruit volunteers to support us. Find out more

FACEBOOK

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We are grateful for support from:

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Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service - Mind in Somerset

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Somerset Suicide Bereavement Support Service is here for anyone bereaved by suicide in Somerset. We offer emotional support as well as guidance through the trauma of sorting out personal affairs. The service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Fully trained members of staff advise on matters such as liaising with the [...]

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At Josephine's Star, we offer s upport to children and their families in Somerset when someone special has died.

We are small charity; formed by a group of professionals who know how important it is for children to have the opportunity of help and support in their grief. We provide one-to-one support, based around six, one-hour support sessions. In each session we work with the child to explore their grief and help them to develop coping strategies. All of our work is done in conjunction with the families, carers and schools to ensure the most positive outcome for the children and young people.

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Josephine's Star | Supporting Grieving Children | Somerset

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Josephine's Star is a bereavement charity offering support to children and families in Somerset when someone special has died. We also offer Grief First Aid training to schools to enable them to support and mentor grieving children.

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Grief can be overwhelming - you don’t have to deal with it alone. Cruse Bereavement Support is here. Call our helpline or chat online.

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A world where no child is left to grieve alone

We care passionately about helping bereaved children, young people and their families find hope and healing after the death of someone close.

Crises in the news

If you have been affected by the recent devastating events in the news, please read our useful guides or don't hesitate to reach out and call our helpline on 0808 802 0111 from 9am - 9pm weekdays.

This year, our theme is 'The Shape of Your Support'. We are focusing on the people around a bereaved child or young person, beyond their friends or family, that can be there to support them through their grief. At Grief Encounter, we help build compassionate communities that can provide the right support from the right people, at the right time. Find out more about how this special week supports bereaved children.

We use some necessary cookies which are essential for certain basic functionalities on our website. We would also like to set Google analytics cookies to help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. For more information please see our Cookies Policy.

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Home SUPPORTING BEREAVED CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

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One child in every UK classroom will experience the death of someone close by the time they reach 16 years old. Grief Encounter is here to help with the confusion, fear, loneliness and pain, providing a lifeline to children and young people to cope with free, immediate, one-to-one support.

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Winston's Wish is the UK's childhood bereavement charity. We support children and their families after the death of someone important.

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Essential support for under 25s

The Mix is the UK's leading support service for young people. We are here to help you take on any challenge you're facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to us via our online community, on social, through our free, confidential helpline or our counselling service.

Featured

The Mix. Registered charity number: 1048995

Log in

Welcome to The Mix, offering essential support for under 25s.

Log in to submit your own content on our platform Your Voices.

If you do not have an account with us you can sign up here.
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Sign up

Welcome to The Mix, the online guide to life for young people in the UK.

Your Voices is a community-focused section of The Mix where you can share stories about your experiences on a specific issue. Upload your own videos, images, blog posts, and playlists to Your Voices and share them with your friends.

Don't have a Your Voices account? Sign up here to submit your own content.

Already have log in, log in here.
I already have a login

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The Mix - Essential support for under 25s

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The Mix: 0808 808 4994 - Free information and support for under 25s in the UK. Get advice about sex, relationships, drugs, mental health, money & jobs.

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Local support for LGBTQ+

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Youth support services for LGBTQ+ young people in Somerset

Are you a young LGBTQ+ person living in Somerset

If you're a young LGBTQ+ person living in Somerset, you may find that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning your sexuality or gender identity can sometimes be difficult. This site is for you, have a look around

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Youth support services for LGBTQ+ young people in Somerset | 2BU Somerset

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Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone,
by email and through Instant Messaging.
Find out more here.

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A great tool for any student on a tranition

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In the UK? Here's how to change your:

Don't know where to begin?

Read how to get started.

You're reading Gender Construction Kit, the UK guide to changing things that are linked to gender.

Gender Construction Kit is an open source project created by a team of volunteers.

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Read how to get started. You're reading Gender Construction Kit, the UK guide to changing things that are linked to gender. Gender Construction Kit is an open source project created by a team of volunteers.

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Support for families and young people with gender and identity struggles

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Mindline Trans+ - Trans+ emotional support helpline

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Mindline Trans+ is an emotional and mental health support helpline for anyone identifying as transgender, non-binary, genderfluid...

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charity self-harm self-injury self harm distress trauma women girls

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Only UK-wide self-harm & self-injury charity offering direct support, reliable information, expert training and specialist consultancy

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https://selfharm.co.uk

Are you...

11-19 years old?

Living in the UK?

Someone who self-harms or worries they might?

Looking for support but not wanting to do it face to face?

Wanting to move towards a life free from self-harm?

Alumina could be a helpful step forward. If you sign up we’ll begin a conversation over email to work out if it might be a good fit – and you can ask us any questions you have.

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"Since starting alumina it's become the highlight of my week. It's such a safe, non judgemental place which has really helped me in my recovery."

Max

"If you're thinking about joining I'd say go for it, the team are lovely and everyone who does it is so welcoming and supportive"

Abi

Alumina is a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm. Each course has up to 14 young people, all accessing the sessions from their own phones, tablets or laptops across the UK. The courses take place on different evenings of the week and are run by friendly, trained counsellors and volunteer youth workers. You don't need an adult to refer you or sign you up, and no-one will see or hear you during the sessions - you'll just join in via the chatbox. We want to help you to find your next steps towards recovery, wherever you are on your journey.

IS ALUMINA RIGHT FOR ME?

Are you...

10-17 years old?

Living in the UK?

Someone who self-harms or worries they might?

Looking for support but not wanting to do it face to face?

Wanting to move towards a life free from self-harm?

If so...

Alumina could be a helpful step forward. If you sign up we'll begin a conversation over email to work out if it might be a good fit - and you can ask us any questions you have. The only rule we have in Alumina is that we don't talk about suicide in the groups. If that's something you are struggling with thinking about we recommend getting in touch with our friends at Papyrus who are better equipped to support you.

"I thought it would be all serious and uncomfortable because of the self-harm talk but actually, the staff have made me laugh, we've been given a space that feels relevant to our ages and most importantly we can turn up in any mood and they'll be there for us." Runa

What's a session like?

"Clicking on the link for the first time was nerve wracking and intense with lots of thoughts going through my head. But within only a few minutes of the session I had a smile on my face and felt comfortable with the staff and the group."

Sasha

"Alumina was quite different to what I expected, I thought it would just be an intense 6 weeks and it would be over like other services. But it was nothing like that - instead I felt and still feel very supported by the staff. The group and staff are like a big family who's always there for me."

Samara

"Clicking that link for the very first time was terrifying. But I knew it could be life-changing. The first session I felt welcome, I no longer felt like an outsider. It's fun, believe me!! Most days I find myself looking forward to the next session because Alumina gives me a sign of hope."

Dan

Questions

We aren't a crisis service so if you're in need of immediate support please contact one of the following:

The Mix: Offering essential support for anyone aged 12-25. For their crisis messenger support service text THEMIX to 85258.
Childline: Support for anyone up to age 18. Call, chat online or email their crisis service.
Samaritans: Call 116123 anytime if you need to talk to someone.

We've changed the shape of our support for young people. This website introduces Alumina, our online support groups for young people struggling with self-harm. We've also recently launched beheadstrong.uk offering young people all kinds of information, stories and videos about looking after your mental and emotional wellbeing. You can find links to some of selfharm.co.uk's most popular articles below.

Yes we have! We have worked with 14-19 year olds for many years but we have always heard from people who are younger (or those who care about them) asking if we do anything for younger people. Then from September 2022 we reduced our age range to 11, and found how important it was to support this age range and that our Early Intervention project was great for this age range. Therefore, from October 2023 we will be aiming our work at young people in secondary school or college (or equivalent) and those transitioning to secondary school and our age range has reduced to 10-17 years old. If you're under 13 we will need to get permission from someone with parental responsibility for you, and we will email them to explain how Alumina works and make sure they are happy with you joining a group.

We aim to group similar aged young people into groups together, so 10-13-year-olds will be offered groups together and 13-17 year olds will be in other groups together. We are happy to work with anyone until the end of their full-time education, therefore we will work with 17- and 18-year-olds so long as they are three months or more away from finishing their education at the end of August.

Meet the team

Live Webinars

We have recently started to do live webinars on YouTube on issues related to self-harm and emotional wellbeing

Supporting Young People Who Self-harm

If you're a parent, professional or friend supporting a young person who's self-harming, we recommend taking an hour to watch this webinar with our Alumina Managers. They explore why people self-harm, why young people especially self-harm, why it becomes addictive, how to break the addiction cycle, and what young people wish the adults around them understood about self-harm.

"Alumina is a well thought through support service for young people; it is professional, caring and accessible to all. Signposting a young person to Alumina will help them begin their recovery journey."

DR. KATE MIDDLETON

Our Alumina advisory panel

More information about self-harm

We've moved some of our most popular articles about self-harm over to beheadstrong.uk, and you can use these links to find them:

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Free online Self-harm support for 10-17 year olds

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"Since starting alumina it's become the highlight of my week. It's such a safe, non judgemental place which has really helped me in my recovery." Max "If you're thinking about joining I'd say go for it, the team are lovely and everyone who does it is so welcoming and supportive" Abi Alumina is a free, online 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm.

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Somerset & Wessex Eating Disorders Association (SWEDA)

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Having an eating disorder, or supporting someone who has, can be a distressing and bewildering experience. SWEDA offers a range of services throughout Somerset and the surrounding area. We are here to support and listen to you, wherever you are on your journey.

Getting in touch is the first step - we're here to listen, without judgement, and provide the support you need.

SWEDA offers a range of support: Counselling Services, a monthly Self help Support Group, Training and Presentations for Health Professionals and GPs, and a College Support Service, working with young people in Secondary Schools and four of the major Colleges in the county.

Do call us, email us or link to us via social media to find out more.

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Having an eating disorder, or supporting someone who has, can be a distressing and bewildering experience. SWEDA offers a range of services throughout Somerset and the surrounding area. We are here to support and listen to you, wherever you are on your journey.

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Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

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Support for children and young people around sexual abuse

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"Thank you so much for your invaluable and life-changing work that you have done with 'P'. As a result of your care, skill and commitment, 'P' can continue to inspire others as the truly exceptional young lady and learner that she always has been. She has grown in confidence, around adults in class and her peers, since working with you; she is appropriately assertive in a way that was less evident before your sessions. 'P' seems more confident, not only externally, but in themselves. Throughout Year 6, 'P' has developed their identity, esteem and ability to celebrate successes more deeply, truly giving 'P' skills that they will retain throughout their life as a learner and as a person."

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"Thank you so much for your invaluable and life-changing work that you have done with 'P'. As a result of your care, skill and commitment, 'P' can continue to inspire others as the truly exceptional young lady and learner that she always has been.

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A helpline for men 18 and over who have experienced rape or sexual abuse at any time in their lives

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SurvivorsUK | We challenge the silence to support sexually abused men

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SurvivorsUK. Men Overcoming Sexual Violence Together. We’re here for you.

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Our training service is here to support your work and ensure you are meeting the needs of survivors both within your organisation and accessing your organisation.

Our courses are tailored to your organisational needs:

Workplace

Education settings

NHS and Health Settings

For Charities

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Our training service is here to support your work and ensure you are meeting the needs of survivors both within your organisation and accessing your organisation. Our courses are tailored to your organisational needs: Workplace Education settings NHS and Health Settings For Charities

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Supporting children and young people who have been affected by crime. Also provides support for parents and professionals who work with children and young people

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Need help after crime?

Get in touch anytime for independent, free, and confidential advice:

In an emergency you should always call 999.

Our services are confidential. We will only share information about you without your consent if we're concerned about your, or someone else's safety, or if we're required to by law. Read our privacy policy.

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Victim Support is the independent charity dedicated to supporting victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales.

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Support for males who have experienced domestic abuse

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Skip to content Click to Exit website

Helping men escape
domestic abuse
Directory of Services
Helpline 01823 334 244
Menu
Directory of Services
Helpline 01823 334 244

Due to increasing levels of domestic abuse, we are receiving more calls than ever and our helpline solely relies on the public for funding (we receive no taxpayer funding or grants). If you are able to help us to help more men escape domestic abuse, please donate to us here. Thank you.

Male Victims of Domestic Abuse - Please call our helpline on
01823 334244 to speak to us confidentially

Our confidential helpline is available for male victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence across the UK as well as their friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues and employers.

We provide an information, support and signposting service to men suffering from domestic abuse from their current or former wife, partner (including same-sex partner) or husband. This can range from physical violence or object throwing to abuse such as constant bullying or insults.

We have also produced a directory of local services (called the Oak Book) which support male victims, so please visit this section to find the service in your community.

The helpline is a listening service which provides emotional support, practical information and signposting.

We receive calls from male victims of domestic abuse across all age ranges and professions:

From dustmen and doctors, to, bankers and builders

From men in their 20s to men in their 80s

From men in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The helpline also welcomes calls from friends, family members, neighbours, colleagues and employers of male victims seeking information.

We also receive calls from support organisations, charities and statutory agencies such as local authorities and police forces.

Subscribe to our newsletter

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By subscribing, you agree to receive communications, information and updates from the
ManKind Initiative (in line with our Privacy Notice and Terms of Usage).

© 2023 The ManKind Initiative - Registered Charity No. 1089547 and Company Registration No. 3869893, often referred to as "ManKind"

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Charity supporting male victims of domestic abuse through a helpline, directory of local services and general information on the website.

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Domestic abuse service

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We have been commissioned by Somerset Council to deliver the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service. Julian House will be providing the refuge and safe accommodation and we will be joined by a counselling team in 2024.

Our team offer targeted support for victims, children, and people causing harm in their intimate relationships.

We are also been funded and commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and National Government.
Download a referral form for children and young people

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Somerset - Paragon Team - SIDAS - Domestic abuse services

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We have been commissioned by Somerset Council to deliver their Integrated Domestic Abuse Services known locally as SIDAS.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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On Thursday 30 November from 2:30am - 7:30am, you won't be able to contact Childline whilst we do some important maintenance to our systems. This means that 1-2-1 chats, calling and messages to Childline will be unavailable. You'll still be able to use the Childline website for advice and information.

If you're in danger or it's an emergency, you should always call 999

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Get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call us on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards.

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Harmless is a passionate organisation who works to address and overcome issues related to self-harm and suicide.

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By Lisa Williamson (Suicide Bereavement Service Lead) On Wednesday evening (1st November), I was invited to attend The Voluntary Sector Awards 2023 as I had

By Laura Hughes (Suicide Crisis Service Lead - Maternity Cover) The Tomorrow Project is currently inviting applications for an unpaid academic internship, which involves contributing

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Self Harm Doesn't DiscriminateNeither Do WeGet In TouchSelf Harm Doesn't DiscriminateNeither Do WeGet in TouchSelf Harm Doesn't DiscriminateNeither Do WeGet In TouchSelf Harm Doesn't DiscriminateNeither Do WeGet in Touch Previous Next Welcome to Harmless Harmless is a passionate organisation who works to address and overcome issues related to self-harm and suicide.

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https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre.
Tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people

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Click the link above to report harmful online content

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Where is the content posted?

Before you submit a report to us it is essential that you have reported the material to the social media service directly using their online tools (at least 48 hours ago). You can find information on how to do this by clicking on the tabs below.

It is also important to remember that we can only submit reports on the following 8 harms:

Threats

Impersonation

Bullying & Harassment

Self-harm or Suicide

Online Abuse

Violent Content

Unwanted Sexual Advances

Pornographic Content

1. Hi there

2. I'm a chatbot here to support you in finding information and reporting content at a time that works for you

3. If you want me to help you with your issue, just click below

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Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

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Before you submit a report to us it is essential that you have reported the material to the social media service directly using their online tools (at least 48 hours ago). You can find information on how to do this by clicking on the tabs below.

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Harmful Sexual Behaviour Helpline

Available 8am - 8pm Monday - Friday

Phone: 0344 2250623

Email: hsbsupport@swgfl.org.uk

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How to Beat Exam Stress: 25 Tips Backed by Research

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Does exam stress frequently affect your grades? Read this article to learn 25 scientific tips to help you overcome exam stress.

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Somerset Wide Integrated Sexual Health Services - Swish Services

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Somerset Wide Integrated Sexual Health Services - how to access support for the diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraception, unplanned pregnancy and where to access emergency contraception

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Condom Issue Points | SWISH (swishservices.co.uk)

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Registration, Issue and Click and Collect sites

New C-Card+ Click and Collect point in Bridgwater

National Child Exploitation Awareness Day

MIRENA COIL - NEW DURATION OF USE

Our website uses cookies which are small files of letters and numbers that we put on your computer. These cookies allow us to distinguish you from other users of our website, which helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also helps us to improve our website. Read more about the cookies we use by clicking here. By clicking CONTINUE you agree to cookies being used in accordance with our Cookie Policy. If you don't agree you can disable cookies - see the Cookie Policy for more details.

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Somerset Wide Integrated Sexual Health Services

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Issue points where you can collect condoms | SWISH

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Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It's a natural part of life. But if your stress is ongoing, it can really start to get on top of you and become overwhelming. No matter how stressed you are, there are ways to make life a little simpler - read The Mix's guide to reducing stress.

Causes of stress

The first step to coping with stress is to understand what exactly it is that is getting too much for you. It could be your job, education, relationships - or it could be all of them at once. But if you're able to break down your big pile of stress into smaller pieces, it'll help you to compartmentalise and understand what you can do about it:

If it's exams that are stressing you out, you can read our article about exam stress.

If it's your job turning you into a frantic mess, you can read our article about work stress.

And if it's uni driving you up the wall, we have a student stress article.

I don't know why I'm stressed

Try to view stress as a warning that some aspects of your life might need changing. In order to beat stress, you'll need to work out what these aspects are. If you're unsure about what is causing your stress, try:

Carrying a notebook with you

Record everything you do throughout the day

Note down how stressed you feel on a rating of one to 10 for each listing

After a few days, some patterns should begin to emerge - are your ratings always higher when you are working to a deadline, dealing with a certain person, or are you just trying to cram too much into your day?

How can I feel less stressed?

Starting the move towards coping with stress is much easier said than done. Whilst the power of positive thinking can be helpful, it won't fix everything overnight. What you can do is build some healthy habits that become a part of your self-care - this will help to reduce your stress over time. Unsure where to start? Here are a few suggestions:

Breathing exercises for stress reduction

Ok, so we do it all the time, but very few of us do it properly. Re-train your breathing patterns and you could soon see an improvement in anxiety and tension levels. The NHS website suggests some simple breathing techniques.

Massage to ease stress and tension

Use this hands-on remedy and feel an instant improvement to your body's built-up tension. Massage Therapy UK can help you to find a qualified practitioner, but if your budget doesn't stretch that far, ask a partner or friend to work on your knots instead.

Mixing a few drops of aromatherapy oils into some plain massage oil will make the experience even better. AromaWeb has detailed information about each oil's different properties and how they can help relieve depression, fatigue, anxiety and anger.

Stress and exercise

Choose the right exercise and you'll feel both energised and relaxed. As a general rule, yoga and Tai Chi are excellent for reinstalling calm by focusing on breathing and centring the mind, but any physical exercise will reduce stress by using up adrenalin and other hormones that the body produces under stress, as well as relaxing the muscles.

Other strategies for coping with stress

Eat a healthy diet. Processed foods, too much salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine can all drain energy and often leave you with that 'wired' feeling, so try and moderate and be mindful of what you eat and drink.

Get enough sleep. The best way to do this is to regulate your sleeping hours by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. It'll become easier to do the more you do it!

De-clutter your life. Take anything you don't use to a charity shop, recycle old magazines and clear away the pizza boxes from under your bed. Then go to work/college on Monday and give your desk the once over. This is the quick-fix of all de-stressers.

Just say "no" to demanding colleagues/friends/family. You know how much you can cope with, so pick out the important stuff and delegate the rest. Prioritising lists can often help you decide what really needs to be done - and what can wait.

Try to set aside at least 30 minutes each day to switch off from the world and unwind.

Laugh. Research shows that not only does laughter improve our mood; it also relieves stress and improves our immune system. The next time you find yourself with a frown on your face, consider this: four-year-old children laugh on average 400 times a day, whereas adults only laugh 14 times. So go on, get those funny videos out and invite your friends over for some serious cheering up.

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Everyone experiences stress from time to time. It's a natural part of life. But if your stress is ongoing, it can really start to get on top of you and become overwhelming. No matter how stressed you are, there are ways to make life a little simpler - read The Mix's guide to reducing stress.

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Forgotten your pill or had unprotected sex? Maybe you're worried about something? Here's what to do and where to go if you need help urgently.

Could I have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?

If you have had unprotected sex (without a condom), there's a chance you could have caught a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Arrange to get tested if you:

haven't got symptoms, but are worried you might have an STI

have symptoms, such as an unusual discharge

feel something is wrong

If you're sexually active, either stop having sex or make sure you use a condom until you get your test results and know for sure whether or not you have an STI.

If you do have an STI, using a condom will help prevent passing it on. Your sexual partners should also get tested.

You can get free, confidential advice and treatment from your GP or specialist clinics in your area, including if you're under 16.

Hospitals often have sexual health clinics (also known as GUM clinics), which test for and treat STIs.

There are also lots of places that are set up especially for young people.

Most STIs can be easily treated, so don't be scared of having a test and finding you do have an STI.
Find sexual health information and support services near you

I think I might be pregnant

The first thing to do is find out for certain by taking a pregnancy test. The sooner you do this, the better.

There are lots of places where you can have a free pregnancy test and get confidential advice, even if you're under 16.

These includes:

sexual health clinics (GUM clinics)

contraception clinics (also called family planning clinics)

some young people's services - call the national sexual health helpline on 0300 123 7123 for details (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm)

Brook centres - for under-25s - visit the Brook website for details

some GP surgeries

Find your nearest sexual health information and support services
You can also buy a pregnancy test from pharmacies or some supermarkets, which you can do yourself at home.
Find out more about doing a pregnancy test

I'm pregnant

If you're pregnant and it's unplanned, you'll need to decide if you want to continue with the pregnancy.

If you decide to have an abortion, the sooner this is done, the easier and safer it is.

But you might want to take time making your decision, which is why it's important to find out if you're pregnant as soon as possible.

Nobody needs to know you're pregnant until you're ready to tell them.

You can ask to see a female doctor if it would make you feel more comfortable.

If you decide to continue with the pregnancy, you should start your pregnancy (antenatal) care as soon as possible.

This includes health checks for you and your baby. Your GP can discuss this with you.
Find out more about antenatal care

I've had sex without a condom

If you have had sex without a condom or the condom splits or comes off, there's a risk of both pregnancy and STIs.

The best thing to do is act quickly. The quicker you act, the sooner you can prevent a pregnancy or get tested for an STI.

Pregnancy

You can get pregnant if you have sex without a condom or the condom splits or comes off.

In this case, to avoid pregnancy you can either:

take the emergency contraceptive pill, sometimes called the morning-after pill, up to 72 hours (3 days) or 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex, depending on the type of pill

have an intrauterine device (IUD), sometimes called a coil, fitted up to 120 hours (5 days) after having unprotected sex

However, try to take emergency contraception before 3 days, or have the coil fitted before 5 days. The sooner you take it, the more effective they will be.
Find out more about emergency contraception
Take a pregnancy test if your next period doesn't arrive when you expect it to.

If you're having sex, don't regularly rely on emergency contraception to stop you getting pregnant.

There are lots of contraceptive options you can choose from.

Talk to a nurse or doctor at a clinic or GP surgery about what type of contraception is right for you.

STIs

If you have sex without a condom or the condom splits or comes off, you're also at risk of getting an STI.

If this happens and you're worried you have caught an STI, you can get confidential help and advice in your local area, as well as free testing for STIs, at:

sexual health clinics (GUM clinics)

some community contraceptive clinics

some GPs

Find sexual health information and support services near you
Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in the UK.

It can be easily tested for and testing is free and confidential at a sexual health clinic or GP surgery.

You can also buy chlamydia testing kits to use at home, with free tests available online for 15- to 24-year-olds.

Find free chlamydia tests online for under-25s.

I've forgotten to take my pill

You may not be protected against pregnancy if you have forgotten to take your pill.

This depends on the type you're taking, how many doses you have missed already, and how many pills are left in the packet.

Find out what to do if you miss a combined pill and what to do if you miss a progestogen-only pill.

If you have trouble remembering to take a pill every day, you could consider using another method of contraception, such as the contraceptive implant, contraceptive injection or IUD.

This means you don't have to think about your contraception every day or every time you have sex.

You may need to use condoms for extra protection.

If you need further advice, speak to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist as soon as possible.
Find out more about the different contraceptive methods

Will medication or being ill affect my pill?

If you take it correctly, at the right time on the right day, the contraceptive pill is 99% effective.

But certain things, such as being sick (vomiting), can stop it working properly.

Always read the leaflet inside the packet so you know what might affect it.

Some medicines can prevent the pill working properly. Always ask your doctor or pharmacist to advise you about this if they're giving you any medicines.
Find out more about taking the pill when you're sick or have diarrhoea

I've been pushed into sex

If someone has forced or persuaded you into a sexual situation you're uncomfortable with, help is available.

You can call the national sexual health helpline free on 0300 123 7123, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Your call will be treated with sensitivity and in strict confidence.

You can also contact a sexual assault referral centre (SARC), where you can get specialist support and medical care if you have been sexually assaulted.

A sexual assault can happen anywhere, including in your home, and is more likely to be carried out by someone you know rather than a stranger.

Find rape and sexual assault support services, including SARCs.

You can also ask at your GP surgery, contraceptive clinic or sexual health clinic.

Find out more about help after rape and sexual assault, either for yourself or someone you know.

Further information

British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) - provides advice and support about contraception, abortion and sexual health; call the helpline on 03457 30 40 30, 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, Saturday and 9.30am to 2.30pm on Sunday or email info@bpas.org

Brook - the young people's sexual health charity for under-25s provides advice, support and information about your nearest sexual health clinic

FPA - provides information about individual methods of contraception, STIs, pregnancy choices, abortion and planning a pregnancy

Switchboard: the LGBT+ helpline - provides an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans (transgender, transsexual, transvestite) people; call the helpline on 0300 330 0630, open 10am to 10pm daily

Terrence Higgins Trust - provides information, support and advice about HIV and sexual health; call the helpline on 0808 802 1221, open 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday

Health for Teens - includes sexual health information and advice for teenagers

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Where can I get sexual health advice, now?

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Find out what to do if you have had unprotected sex, including where to go if you need urgent help.

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Curious about sex, relationships, identity and more? Sex education for the digital age. Award-winning, registered youth charity in the UK.

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University can be a stressful experience, as well as being fun and exciting. You may feel stressed about starting university, exams, coursework deadlines, living with people you do not know, or thinking about the future.

Stress is a natural feeling, designed to help you cope in challenging situations. In small amounts it can be good, because it pushes you to work hard and do your best, such as during exams.

But if you're feeling very stressed or feel you cannot manage stress, it can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. It can also affect your academic performance.

Leaving home to start your studies can involve some stressful changes. These might include moving to a new area, meeting new people and managing on a tight budget.

Signs you might be stressed

There are lots of possible signs of stress.

Stress can make you feel:

irritable

anxious

like you cannot enjoy yourself

worried a lot of the time

You may start to:

have sleep problems (insomnia)

find it hard to concentrate

bite your nails, pick your skin or grind your teeth

snap at people

feel short of breath or breathe very fast

Things that can help with stress

Short periods of stress are normal and can often be resolved by something as simple as completing a task which cuts down your workload, or by talking to others and taking time to relax.

It might also help to:

Work out what it is that's making you feel stressed. For example, is it exams, money or relationship problems? See if you can change your circumstances to ease the pressure you're under.

Try to have a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, get enough sleep, be physically active, cut down on alcohol, and take time to relax as well as working and studying.

Read about the 5 steps to mental wellbeing.

Avoid drugs, including lots of caffeine - this can have a negative impact on your stress levels and wellbeing.

Try not to worry about the future or compare yourself with others.

Try relaxation and breathing exercises.

Try to plan your time to help you keep track of your work. Break it down into manageable chunks so you can keep up with deadlines.

Try talking to a friend, tutor or someone in your family about your stress.

Read about tips on preparing for exams

More information

When to get help for stress

You may want to consider getting help for stress if:

you're struggling to cope with stress

things you're trying yourself are not helping

stress is affecting your life or university work

You could try speaking to friends, family or your university tutor. A GP is also a good place to start and they can help you with advice or access to treatments if you need them.

Find out more about counselling for student mental health problems.

Video: stress

In this video, a GP describes what stress is, the physical and mental effects it can have and when to seek help.

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How to cope with the pressures of student life, such as exams, money worries, and separation from friends and family.

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We have now implemented a telephone triage system for all of our clinics. This system will be in place for the duration of the pandemic. Please contact our services to access this triage system. Our central telephone number is 0300 303 3989.

If you are experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus please do not attend the clinic. Clear advice for people with symptoms of coronavirus is available at nhs.uk/coronavirus .

Advice from our service:

We have updated information on the provision of routine contraception during this pandemic here.

More details on the fitting of LARCs (coils and implants) at our service can be found here

If you need the combined contraceptive pill please try (if you can) to get updated measurements of your height, weight and blood pressure before calling us.

There is also specific advice on coronavirus available for People Living with HIV here, and for pregnant women here.

Self-requested Sexual Health screening by post is available for for under 25s only - more info here

For others with testing requirements please contact the service on 0300 303 3989.

Alternative provision:

Please be aware that we may have to cancel, rearrange or shut clinical services in response to changing clinical and staffing pressures created by the Coronavirus pandemic.

If you are struggling to access sexual health services, alternatives may be available:

Emergency Contraception - at your local pharmacy - more info

Contraceptive pills and LARC procedures - obtained from your GP

HIV postal testing - available to at-risk groups for a small fee - more info

HIV PEPSE - available via A+E departments - more info

Condoms by post (for gay and bisexual men only) - more info

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Devon Sexual Health - providing sexual health services that support healthy relationships and sexual well-being - Devon Sexual Health

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We have now implemented a telephone triage system for all of our clinics. This system will be in place for the duration of the pandemic. Please contact our services to access this triage system. Our central telephone number is 0300 303 3989. If you are experiencing symptoms of Coronavirus please do not attend the clinic.

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How can I deal with pressure?

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Independent support for anyone who has been the victim of rape and sexual abuse across Somerset

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Safe Link telephone help lines are open 8.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday. Call 0333 323 1543 Services we offer What to do in a crisis

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Brook - YOUR FREE & CONFIDENTIAL SEXUAL HEALTH & WELLBEING EXPERTS

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Brook - YOUR FREE & CONFIDENTIAL SEXUAL HEALTH & WELLBEING EXPERTS

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Sexual Health & Wellbeing - Brook - Fighting for healthy lives

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Brook is the only national charity to offer both clinical sexual health services, education & wellbeing services for young people, plus training & support for professionals.

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With you - Get free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs or mental health

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With you - Get free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs or mental health

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We are a charity that offers free, confidential support to people in England and Scotland who have issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health

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At Turning Point we want to know what you think of our services. We want to hear your compliments, suggestions and complaints as this is one of the main ways we can know what we are doing well and what we can do better. If you would like more information about providing feedback about our service, our employees or your experience then please don't hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively you can get in touch with Somerset County Council here.

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At Turning Point we want to know what you think of our services. We want to hear your compliments, suggestions and complaints as this is one of the main ways we can know what we are doing well and what we can do better.

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Lives are transformed by the love and companionship pets bring. So, saying goodbye to one - whether due to death or separation - is always sad, difficult and often traumatic. It affects people in many ways.

But, remember, you are not alone. If you are grieving for a pet, or facing loss, our free and confidential Pet Bereavement Support Service (PBSS) is here for you by phone, email or webchat.

Our mission is to reach as many people as possible with compassion and understanding, so that no one goes through the pain of losing a pet alone.

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Lives are transformed by the love and companionship pets bring. So, saying goodbye to one - whether due to death or separation - is always sad, difficult and often traumatic. It affects people in many ways. But, remember, you are not alone.

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Apart of Me is a safe space for young people grieving someone they love.

Our free game and tools help you explore your grief, your way.

Everything we make is co-designed with young people, because you know what helps.

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Apart of Me | Helping young people cope with grief

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Apart of Me is a multi-award winning charity registered in the UK but with a global reach, giving millions of young people grief support. Our aim is to prevent mental health problems developing as a result of grief and trauma. We blend cutting edge design with world-leading clinical expertise, and we co-design all our products and services with young people, ensuring their effectiveness.

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Grief may not feel normal but it is. Everyone will grieve in their own way. You may experience all sorts of feelings or you may feel nothing. You may find it easy to talk or you might bottle all of your emotions up.

Grief is:

A massive bundle of different emotions and intense feelings. Feeling sad and missing somebody. Love happens and people die in your family. Someone who has lost someone and they can't get over it. You cry over someone dying. You cry then you stop. Then you cry, then you stop.
- Member of our Young People's Advisory Group

Whatever you feel is how you feel. You may experience a mixture of feelings all at once. It helps if you can learn to recognise your feelings.

You may feel......

Numbness when you think you should be feeling very upset. Lots of young people have told us they feel numb at first.

Disbelief: You might find it hard to believe this has happened and you may expect them to walk through the door at any time

Confusion about what has happened and the way everything in your life has changed. You may feel you have lots of unanswered questions.

Worry, perhaps about the future, who will look after you, your siblings or your parent? You may feel you have new responsibilities and worry about how to cope with these.

Anger. There is not always an easily understood reason for anger but it is perfectly natural to feel it.

Guilt and Regret. It is very normal to think that you could have done more or that you should have behaved differently. It was not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent the death.

Loneliness: You may have a good group of friends but if none have experienced your situation, then you can feel lonely even when surround by people. Even with your family, if you are all grieving differently, bereaved young people tell us you can feel very alone.

Overwhelmed. You may feel completely overwhelmed by powerful feelings and emotions that you do not understand or expect.

Grief also has physical effects: You could go off your food or even find it becomes tasteless. You may find it hard to sleep, and as a result, become tired and irritable, especially when trying to concentrate at school or work.

Whether the death was expected or not when someone close to you dies, you suddenly have a lot of difficult emotions to deal with. The most important thing to remember about grief is that it can affect different people in different ways, and all these feelings are normal.

Latest

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Our short films are delivered by support practitioners and cover a range of topics on grief and bereavement, providing guidance on what can help. Read more

A list of books and resources relating to grief and bereavement and what may help. Read more

Some bereaved families find it helpful to read about other peoples' experiences and how the support they have received has helped them. Read more

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charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

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Grief may not feel normal but it is. Everyone will grieve in their own way. You may experience all sorts of feelings or you may feel nothing. You may find it easy to talk or you might bottle all of your emotions up. A massive bundle of different emotions and intense feelings.

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Advice for Teens in Somerset

- Organisation: Somerset County Council
- Service: Somerset School Nursing Service
- For: Children and Young People aged 11-19 in Somerset
- Response Time: Within 24 hours, 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays)

Text 07480 635516 to speak confidentially with a nurse about all things mental health, physical health and sexual health.

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Somerset's Mental Health Alliance - Open Mental Health
Mental health support for anyone over 18 based in Taunton, West Somerset, Mendip, Sedgemoor and South Somerset

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Open Mental Health is an alliance of local voluntary organisations, the NHS and social care, Somerset Council, and individuals with lived experience of mental health. We are working together to improve the way people in Somerset receive support with their mental health by providing access to a number of specialist services including NHS support, housing advice, debt and employment advice, volunteering opportunities, community activities, peer support and local exercise groups. We want to ensure that people in Somerset get the right support when they need it most.

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Somerset's Mental Health Alliance - Open Mental Health

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If you are an adult living in Somerset and experiencing difficulties with your mental health, we are here to help.

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We've Got This - Open Mental Health
Mentoring and Peer Support. We’ve Got This is here to support young people to feel more positive about themselves, through providing fun, safe and purposeful environments to help them feel more empowered about their mental health and your life in general.

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We will support you with a peer mentor who can;

help you to talk about what you are feeling and experiencing

introduce you to ideas and approaches that other have found helpful

reassure you that you're not alone in how you are feeling

help you to connect with others and give you a sense of belonging

encourage you to value your strengths

build your self-esteem and confidence

help you to feel more hopeful about the future.

Our peer mentors have been where you are now and use their own experiences to offer you support to help you feel better about yourself, recognise your self-worth, as well as help you build positive social networks through community groups. Each peer mentor has their own areas of interest and we aim to match you up with a mentor who shares a similar interest to you.

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We will support you with a peer mentor who can; help you to talk about what you are feeling and experiencing introduce you to ideas and approaches that other have found helpful reassure you that you're not alone in how you are feeling help you to connect with others and give you a sense of belonging encourage you to value your strengths build your self-esteem and confidence help you to feel more hopeful about the future.

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We do not tolerate behaviours that are threatening or abusive in any way. While we recognise that people who exhibit these behaviours have a right to the support they need, it's not possible for us to provide a safe and supportive space when met with threatening or abusive behaviours.

We act to prevent further contacts from callers who behave in these ways. Please see our privacy policy for more information.
Limiting or withdrawing access to our services
From time to time we may have to use the information collected about you when you contact us to make decisions about limiting access to our services. If we believe you are abusing our service or are abusive towards volunteers, we will use our system to block your calls or messages from getting through.

If you can't get through by phone, you will hear a message that explains how to contact us to discuss our decision to block you from our system.

If we take the decision to limit your access to our systems, we will make every effort to inform you as to the reason why we have restricted your access. We may ask you to give us a contact number so that a member of our Caller Support Team can call you to talk about your support needs.

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If you're going through a tough time, contact us free. We won't judge you or tell you what to do. We are here to listen so you don't have to face it alone.

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Dr Julie Smith, social media superstar and experienced clinical psychologist, shares ideas, insights and techniques that she has seen change her clients' lives.

Her new book "Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?" can be found in the college library and may become your mental health toolbox.

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psychologist anxiety depression doctor "mental health" psychology meditation motivation doctor cbt therapist therapy "panic attack" "dr julie" "dr julie smit...

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Welcome to my channel. I'm a clinical psychologist. I am here to share insights from therapy and psychology research so that you can make use of it in your daily life to understand how your mind works and optimise your own mental health. I cover all things from confidence and motivation to mood and anxiety.

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Voice Collective

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Voice Collective and the ACAMH 2022 Awards

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Supporting young people who hear, see, or sense things that others don’t.

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The OCD Treatment Centre | Taunton, Somerset, United Kingdom

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Craig Shirley, the Co-Founder and Clinical lead here at The OCD Treatment Centre, has shared his expertise with Lydia Smith and Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE for the articles on Official NHS information website Patient.Info

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The OCD Treatment Centre in UK | Taunton, Somerset

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The OCD Treatment Centre We are a team of experts with over 15 years experience working in the field of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Treatment options Get in touch Our next intensive group date: More information on our intensive program. 'What it's really like to have OCD' Craig Shirley, the Co-Founder and Clinical lead here at The [...]

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This service is one step you can take to help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18.

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This service is one step you can take to help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18.

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Report Remove is here to help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet.

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Content warning: This section includes graphic sexual descriptions.

A nude image must include one of the following to be removed:

nude or semi-nude sexual posing

someone nude or semi-nude touching themselves in a sexual way

any sexual activity involving a child

someone hurting someone else sexually

sexual activity that includes animals.

Where possible, it is better if you can upload the original image or video, or a copy of it, rather than a photograph of it on another screen. This helps IWF find the image more accurately.

If you want to report something that isn't a nude image or video to see if it can be taken down, you can see more information from Childline about deleting things shared online here. You can make a report to CEOP, the part of the police who are there to support children and young people online. You can always speak to a Childline counsellor.

Confirming your age with ID gives us more legal powers to remove images from as many places as possible. If you don't have ID or feel comfortable using it, we can still take down images, but from fewer places.

You can use the following ID to confirm your identity using Yoti:

passport or biometric residence permit

driving licence and provisional licence

Young Scot Card (Yoti app only)

CitizenCard (Yoti app only).

If you don't have any of these, you can get a young person's ID card. You'll be able to get this for £5 with the promo code NSPCC5. Make sure you choose 'Yoti CitizenCard' on the first page.

Whatever ID you use, please make sure that it is valid and in-date.

IWF will read all reports within one working day, from Monday to Friday. The time it takes to get your image removed from the internet can be different depending on where the image is hosted.

If the image is on a UK-based website it can often be removed within 2-3 hours. Unfortunately, in some countries it can take longer - sometimes days or weeks. But IWF analysts will always try to make sure it happens as soon as possible.

We'll do our best to let you know once your image has been removed by sending a message to your  Childline locker.

We recommend you check your locker every few days after you make a report. This is so you can see if your image has been removed, and so Childline can let you know if IWF need more information to be able to remove it. Remember, IWF can't contact you directly.

If you need support to help you cope while you're waiting, you can also speak to a Childline counsellor any time.

When you use Report Remove, your image or video is shared with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). They'll work to get your image removed from the internet. See 'Who are the IWF?' to learn about how that happens.

Most of the time, nobody will know that you've made a report and your report won't be shared with anyone else.

If the police already have the image or video you report, then they might investigate what's happened. Only the police can decide if they'll need to tell someone else.

The police might already have your image or video if:

someone has reported it on another website and that website passed it to the police

they're investigating someone who had or has the image or video already (if someone is found to have your image and is breaking the law - regardless of how, it may be included as evidence in a criminal case against that person

someone else reported the image to them directly.

Remember that the police are there to protect you, not to get you into trouble. If the image has been reported somewhere else and you're worried, you can always  speak to a Childline counsellor.

If you have parental controls on your phone your parent or carer might see when you want to download a new app, so they might get a notification if you try to download Yoti and want to know why. To avoid this, use the second option to prove your age (called 'ID verification').

The IWF can remove images that are public or available to anyone on the internet. However, they won't be able to remove images or videos on encrypted networks like WhatsApp, or which are saved on a person's phone or computer.

If you're over 13 and you've made a report without using ID, then there may be some sites the IWF can't take images down from.

If you don't use ID the IWF can help by removing your image or video from most sites. If you do use ID, the IWF can remove from all sites

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UK charity, are there to help remove illegal nude images of under 18s posted online.

Once the IWF has confirmed your nude image is against the law and can be removed from the internet they give it a digital fingerprint called a 'hash'. The hash can be used to find your image online even if it has been cropped or slightly changed.

Sharing just the hash with certain trusted companies and organisations, means that technology can be used to find online matches of the image - this is key to trying to stop it appearing in different places on the internet. Even though the hashes and images are shared with UK police, this is so that if they came across the image some other way, they'd know that you also reported it yourself. Report Remove was developed with the full support of the police and no one involved wants to get you into trouble for sharing the image so it can be removed.

Different companies use the hash in different ways. For example, if an illegal image match is found to have been shared by an online account holder, a company may decide to close that person's account as posting illegal images will be against the company's terms and conditions. If your image(s) are found on or are linked to your online user account(s) it may be possible for the company to associate your profile with the images.

The companies that take the hashes trust the Report Remove process, however if they have significant concerns that the person in the image may not be the person who was age verified, they may get in touch with the IWF to raise their concerns.

There are 3 organisations that help you report your image using Report Remove. These are Childline, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and also Yoti if you are 13 or older and choose to prove your age using ID. All of them have a responsibility to keep all of your personal information safe.

1. We'll ask you to choose your age range (under 13, 13-15, 16-17, 18 and over). If you're under 13, you'll go straight to step 3. If you're aged 13 or older, us at Childline will ask you if you have access to ID to prove your age. If you do, you'll be asked to visit Yoti. The only information we will share with Yoti is that you are wanting to prove your age to use Report Remove.

2. Once you prove your age using Yoti, you will come back to Report Remove on Childline. The only information Yoti will share with Childline is confirmation that you're younger or older than 18.

3. We'll then ask you to create or sign in to a Childline account. Then you'll go to the IWF website to share the content you want removed. Childline will only share the information below with IWF:

that you're younger than 18 (either confirmed by Yoti, or that you told us you are younger than 18),

the age range you selected at the start,

a unique number that is created when you use Report Remove.

4. After your report has been passed to the IWF, they will tell Childline if they were able to work to take the images or video down from the internet, and why. This is so Childline can let you know what happened. IWF may also tell Childline some information about what you reported, to help them know how best to support you and keep you safe. IWF will never share an image or video that you report with Childline.

Information you give to Childline
Any information you give Childline will always be treated carefully and in line with our  Privacy Policy. This means that any information you give us as part of Report Remove will only be used to help the IWF review your report and to keep you safe. This will include the age range that you select and a unique number that's created when you go onto the IWF website. We will not share any of your information with Yoti.
Information you give to IWF
The only information you will give to the IWF are the images, videos or URLs you report. There is space to add information such as where the image or video is on a webpage.

They will process this in line with their privacy policy.

Nude images and videos that IWF decide are illegal may be kept by the IWF for up to 2 years. This is because there is an agreement with the Police and CPS (Crime Prosecution Service), called a 'Memorandum of Understanding' (MOU). Illegal images are given a hash (a string of numbers that are like a digital fingerprint). The hash is shared with organisations such as technology companies who host online content, so that they can look for the image and take it down. The actual image is not shared with these companies. The image and the hash are shared with the police who store it on their Child Abuse Image Database. Any images or videos that they decide are not illegal may be kept for a maximum of 6 months for quality checking and any follow up questions. They will then be deleted. Sometimes, even if it's decided that the content isn't illegal, IWF can share the content URL with some industry members to see if they can take the content down.

If you report a URL (link to a webpage), and choose not to prove your age using ID, IWF will still check to see if the content is something they can take action on. If so IWF may share the URL with South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL), who are a charity who help people who have had intimate images of them shared online. SWGfL will never view the content on a URL that is shared with them. SWGfL send a notice to internet companies that host the webpage you reported, to tell them to take it down. This is because IWF can only send a notice to companies to take a specific webpage down when it is confirmed it is of a child. SWGfL can also send notice to take down content, but they do not need to prove it is of a child. This helps get your images or videos from even more places.

Childline will never see what pictures, videos or URLs you share with the IWF. The only information the IWF shares with Childline apart from your case number is whether or not they could take down your images or videos, and why, so we can let you know, as well as information about the image or video that you reported that will help Childline to support you and keep you safe.

Information you give to Yoti
You can choose to use Yoti to confirm your age if you're over 13. This may involve taking a selfie, so Yoti know it is you who are proving your age, and uploading a picture of some ID. Any personal data you send Yoti - like your photo, date of birth or address - is scrambled with a high level of encryption so that even if it was stolen, no one could use it to identify you. The only information Yoti shares with Childline is confirmation that you're under or over 18.

You can see Yoti's privacy policy here, and more information about their age portal here, which is what is used in Report Remove to prove your age.

If you're using the Yoti app, Yoti may use the selfie, month and year of birth you add to the Yoti app to improve its age estimation technology. You can opt out from this in the More> My Data> Biometric consent menu of the app.

There are lots of ways to get help with your report:

if you're having problems with Yoti, you can contact them directly in the app.

if you need any support with making your report send a message to Childline with the title 'Report Remove'.

Childline counsellors are always here for you and want to help. And you can  talk to them  about anything you're going through.
I have a technical issue, what should I do?

Try using your default browser and close private browsing if you're using the Yoti app.

See if you can log in to your locker and send an email to Childline explaining your problem and the team will be able to help.

Make sure the ID you're using is valid and in-date (not expired).

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Use Report Remove to remove a nude image shared online

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The checklist holds information on how to keep your Facebook profile under your control.

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The checklist holds information on how to keep your Instagram profile under your control .

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The checklist holds information on how to keep your Snapchat profile under your control.

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The checklist holds information on how to keep your TikTok profile under your control.

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Sextortion: how to protect yourself.

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Sextortion emails: how to protect yourself

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Advice in response to the increase in sextortion scams

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StopNCII.org is a free tool designed to support victims of Non-Consensual Intimate Image abuse.

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Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (https://swgfl.org.uk/)

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Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse | StopNCII.org

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StopNCII.org is operated by the Revenge Porn Helpline which is part of SWGfL, a charity that believes that all should benefit from technology, free from harm.

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Access free NHS Talking Therapies support for low mood. Students can self-refer themselves from the age of 16.

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Who can make a self referral?

We encourage you to make a self referral to our service if you are:

Experiencing depression, anxiety or PTSD

Over 18 years old

Ready to start working on your problems and able to attend regular appointments

Registered with a GP in Somerset, see the map above

Not currently receiving support from other mental health services.

If you are registered with a GP outside of Somerset please contact your GP and ask to be referred to your local Talking Therapies service or use this link to find a service local to you Find a Psychological Therapies Service.

We do not cover North Somerset, Bristol, or Bath and North East Somerset.
Refer Yourself
We are not a crisis service. If you need urgent help please see this webpage Mental Health Crisis to find urgent support.

What happens when I refer?

We will review your referral and then if appropriate contact you to book your assessment appointment.

What if I am not suitable for your service?

If we are unable to meet your needs we will do our best to find the service that can help.

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We welcome you to refer yourself to our service, using our online referral form. Visit Talking Therapies on the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust website.

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Gratitude Journal to help combat low mood

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Gratitude Journal to help combat low mood

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Adding self-care into your daily routine can increase dopamine in the brain therefore lifting mood.

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Instead, you could try doing a guided meditation using Headspace or Calm, listening to some soothing music, or doing something creative you can lose yourself in like colouring. Find what makes you feel grounded.

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What Is Self-Care? | Self-Care And Mental Health

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What is self-care and how can it help your mental health? Read our information and advice on what self-care means and how to find what works for you.

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Weekly planner to help plan for adding self-care and social activities into the week

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Weekly planner to help plan for adding self-care and social activities into the week

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Planning meaningful and social activities into your daily routine will lift mood and self-esteem.

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Organize your week with this free printable weekly planner template. Perfect for your notebook planner organizer. #papertraildesign #free #freeprintable #goals #planning

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Students can self-refer themselves to Young Somerset for 6-8 sessions of brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for free.

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At Young Somerset, we have Wellbeing Practitioners (community and school based) who are trained in Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (LI-CBT) for mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The practitioners use practical methods, tools and techniques, to help the young person learn ways of coping with anxiety, low mood and phobias. You may be offered support in a group or 1:1. Wellbeing Practitioners can work with individuals/groups to provide interventions in cases of… Social anxiety  Separation anxiety Mild, specific phobias such as fear of dogs, spiders, the dark etc.  Mild to moderate OCD (lasting for less than an hour a day) Generalised Anxiety disorder (GAD) Low to moderate health anxiety  Panic disorder  Low mood  Nurturing positive relationships with primary age children Minor/mild self-harm. Low intensity CBT is not always effective, and the young person may not be able to benefit from this intervention if they are experiencing or have recently experienced: Trauma Eating disorders Complex Family relationships Grief/Bereavement  Bullying  Severe depression  Anger management  Extensive phobias such as blood, needles, vomiting. Severe/complex OCD (lasting more than an hour a day) Attachment issues Pain management  Severe self-harm where there is a high risk of harm to self or others or intent to end life. Attempts to end life in the last 3 months.   If you are looking for support for the above, counselling may be better suited at this time. Counselling provides a space to process your feelings and allows you to reflect on things which have happened in the past.  For issues with bullying, we recommend that you speak to your school or college. Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LI-CBT) requires a commitment on the part of the young person to engage, complete the practice tasks and attend every session for the therapy to be successful. Therapy should usually be completed within a 6-8 week time frame. If you’d like to request wellbeing support click on the options below to complete an online form. Please note, we are not a crisis service and there is a waiting list for our LI-CBT support. If you need immediate help, please call 999. Please click here for more support https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/need-support-immediately If you need any help completing the form please contact wellbeing@youngsomerset.org.uk 

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Students can self-refer themselves to Young Somerset for 6-8 sessions of brief Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for free.

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At Young Somerset, we have Wellbeing Practitioners (community and school based) who are trained in Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (LI-CBT) for mild to moderate mental health difficulties. The practitioners use practical methods, tools and techniques, to help the young person learn ways of coping with anxiety, low mood and phobias. You may be offered support in a group or 1:1. Wellbeing Practitioners can work with individuals/groups to provide interventions in cases of… Social anxiety  Separation anxiety Mild, specific phobias such as fear of dogs, spiders, the dark etc.  Mild to moderate OCD (lasting for less than an hour a day) Generalised Anxiety disorder (GAD) Low to moderate health anxiety  Panic disorder  Low mood  Nurturing positive relationships with primary age children Minor/mild self-harm. Low intensity CBT is not always effective, and the young person may not be able to benefit from this intervention if they are experiencing or have recently experienced: Trauma Eating disorders Complex Family relationships Grief/Bereavement  Bullying  Severe depression  Anger management  Extensive phobias such as blood, needles, vomiting. Severe/complex OCD (lasting more than an hour a day) Attachment issues Pain management  Severe self-harm where there is a high risk of harm to self or others or intent to end life. Attempts to end life in the last 3 months.   If you are looking for support for the above, counselling may be better suited at this time. Counselling provides a space to process your feelings and allows you to reflect on things which have happened in the past.  For issues with bullying, we recommend that you speak to your school or college. Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (LI-CBT) requires a commitment on the part of the young person to engage, complete the practice tasks and attend every session for the therapy to be successful. Therapy should usually be completed within a 6-8 week time frame. If you’d like to request wellbeing support click on the options below to complete an online form. Please note, we are not a crisis service and there is a waiting list for our LI-CBT support. If you need immediate help, please call 999. Please click here for more support https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/need-support-immediately If you need any help completing the form please contact wellbeing@youngsomerset.org.uk 

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A new free service for anyone aged 16+ to contact an NHS nurse about anything health related. It is a confidential text service.

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Professional help

friendly staff

Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend.

The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

Health professionals

start messaging

Set-up a messaging service and support more people, more easily with the resources you already have.

You'll start conversations earlier, stop problems escalating and make connections where it's hard to reach.

I thought it would be awkward or embarrassing but it's actually not. Thanks for helping. ANONYMOUS USER

Happy with the quick and professional response and that my worries are being addressed and taken seriously. YOUNG PERSON, YEAR 10

I was struggling so much today but having someone at the end of a text that's willing to help is great. FIRST TIME PARENT

hello

I love being part of this service!
It's a valuable addition. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

It's a great tool to provide a service to our client group in an accessible way. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We are excited to have this opportunity to engage with the young people in our area. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Parents are enjoying having this as an additional way to access advice. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We've had contacts from young people that would not have contacted us before. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Young people can 'park' a question, even out-of-hours, knowing it will be responded to appropriately. STAFF FEEDBACK

Confidential

and anonymous

It can be easier to say something difficult in a discrete message. Your conversation will be confidential, if a health professional is very concerned you're in danger, they may involve other services to help keep you safe.

Trusted

safe and secure

We work with teams across the UK so you will get help from health professionals near you. Staff share secure electronic records of conversations so you never have to repeat yourself and all teams follow strict confidentiality rules.

Convenient

helping everyone

Health professionals say setting-up a messaging service is a safe and manageable way for small teams to speak directly with lots of people. Messaging helps provide support at a time that suits everyone.

Need to talk?

how it works

We'll confirm receipt of your message immediately then you'll speak to a health professional who will listen, ask questions and support you. You only have to share what you feel comfortable with and you can ask questions too.

Most teams reply during normal office hours. If you message out-of-hours they'll reply when they're next in. You should always hear back from someone within 24 working hours at most.

If you need help in the meantime contact your doctor, visit a NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency, dial 999 or visit A&E.

Your network provider will charge your usual rate for messages you send.

Start a chat

Health teams

set-up a service

We've been helping clinical teams set-up healthcare messaging services since 2012. As an NHS team we understand how to support you all the way. We will help you take the quickest route to setting-up a safe, secure and successful service so you can stay focused on providing high quality care.

"You have a great enthusiastic team of professional, experienced, supportive people"Zoe Warren, Professional Lead, School Nursing, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend. The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

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Support for the LGBTQ+ community

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1. Personal Information
In some cases, you may voluntarily provide personal information. For instance, you may provide your address or email address in order to receive further information, or support through our Help, Support & Advocacy team. We may collect this information and use this information to respond to your request and provide you with support. Please note that if you don't provide your personal data may it may result in us not being able to provide you with the relevant support you require. We comply with current Data Protection legislation and have updated our systems to adhere to the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018.
2. Who is collecting and using your personal data?
The Intercom Trust will act as a "data controller" for any personal data that you provide to us. As such, we will ensure that the data you give us is processed in line with our organisation's Data Protection Policies and in line with your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR.
3. Why are we collecting your personal data?
We are collecting your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide training, consultancy, conferences and events;

To provide information regarding the Directory we hold on our website.

We are not responsible for the content, details or delivery of the above groups, unless they are delivered by the Intercom Trust. To provide service users with help, support and advocacy
4. Who we will we share your personal data with?
In order to deliver services to you, it may be necessary for us to share your personal data with other organisations. There are certain circumstances where data sharing is permissible, for example, when safeguarding a child or adult see ICO Data Sharing Code of Practice for more information go to

https://ico.org.uk/media/fororganisations/documents/1068/data_sharing_code_of_practice.pdf

or see our consent forms on the Request for help, support and advocacy form on our Help page or contact Julia Boas, the Information Governance Lead.
5. How long will we hold your personal data?
The Intercom Trust will retain your personal data for only as long as is necessary, and in line with our organisation's Retention Schedule.
6. Automated decisions
We do not use any automated decision making, including details of logic used and potential consequences for the individual
7. Exercising your rights
Under the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR you have the following rights;

The right of access to your own personal data

The right to request rectification or deletion of your personal data

The right to object to the processing of your personal data

The right to request a copy of the information you provide us in machine readable format

The right to withdraw your consent to any processing that is solely reliant upon your consent

Should you wish to exercise any of your rights or find out more about The Intercom Trust's Data Protection Policies, you should contact Julia Boas, the Information Governance Lead.

Should you wish to make a Subject Access Request - in which you can request access to personal data we hold about you. You can find a template for this on our website, on the ICO website, or by asking a staff member to send it to you.
8. Your right to complain
In the event that you wish to complain about the way that your personal data has been handled by The Intercom Trust, you should write to the Data Protection Officer and clearly outline your case. Your complaint will then be investigated in accordance with the Intercom Trust's Complaint Procedure.

Email : julia@intercomtrust.org.uk or Tel: 01392 201015

or Write to: Julia Boas, Information Governance Lead, Intercom Trust, PO Box 285, Exeter, EX4 3ZT

Website: https://www.intercomtrust.org.uk

If you remain dissatisfied with the way your personal data has been handled, you may refer the matter to the UK supervisory authority, which is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) whose contact details are below:

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545745 (national rate)

Website: www.ico.org.uk

Email: casework@ico.org.uk
9. Website
The Intercom Trust is committed to protecting the privacy of its website users. Accordingly, we strictly adhere to all accepted guidelines and will continue to review and improve our privacy policy and procedures to ensure the safety and protection of your information. Intercom Trust adheres to all UK Data Protection legislation made in Parliament and EU General Data Protection Regulations 2018 that governs the confidentiality of each website user and guarantees the privacy of all databases and client/inquirer lists. The databases remain the property of Visit Bournemouth and will not be given or shared with any other organisation, company or individual. Security systems have been put in place to expel any likelihood of unauthorised access to our database and confidential list information.
10. Cookies
What are cookies?

Cookies are widely used tiny pieces of software (files) that are installed on a computer or mobile device when an individual visits a website. Cookies allow websites to recognise that a user on an individual computer has previously visited the site. The cookies save some information about that user for when they access the site again in the future. By using and browsing out website, you consent to cookies being used in accordance with our policy. If you do not consent, you must turn off cookies or refrain from using the site. Most browsers allow you to turn off cookies. To do this, look at the 'help' menu on your browser. Switching off cookies may restrict your use of the website and/or delay or affect the way in which it operates.

What types of cookies are there?

The four main types of cookie:

Strictly necessary cookies. These are cookies that are essential to make a website work and enable features that users have specifically asked for. These types of cookies are commonly used with shopping baskets or e-billing. Without use of cookies, these features of the website could not operate.

Performance cookies. These cookies collect anonymous information about users for the purpose of assessing the performance of a website. Common uses include well-known web analytics tools such as 'Google Analytics'.

Functionality cookies. These are cookies that automatically remember choices that users have previously made in order to improve their experience next time they visit a website. For example, where users select their preferred settings and layout.

Targeting or Advertising cookies. These cookies are similar to performance cookies, in that they collect information about users' behaviour. However, this information is used at individual user level to advertise products and services to users on the basis of the behavioural information collected.
What cookies do we use?
Google Analytics

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__utmc

__utmz

___utmv

AddThis

__atuvc

Uit

Ssh

Sshs

Ssc

Uid

Uvc

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Duration: 1 month - 2 years. Track usage of AddThis links.

The cookies may be set and used on other websites too. AddThis explain their cookies (anonymous tracking cookies) and offer an opt-out mechanism here.
11. Links
This privacy statement applies solely to the technology of our website intercomtrust.org.uk

Our web site may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to be careful that when leaving our site you should ensure you read the privacy statements of each web site that collects your personally identifiable information.
12. Consumer Privacy
If you should have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Statement, please contact The Intercom Trust. We recommend you periodically review our Privacy Statement as we may update it from time to time.

The main contact for Intercom Trust is julia@intercomtrust.org.uk

The Intercom Trust PO Box 285 Exeter EX4 3ZT
13. Policy and Forms
You will find our Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy 2019 here

You will find our Data Protection Policy 2019 here

You will find our Subject Access Request form here

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Intercom Trust is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community resource in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. We provide help against homophobic and transphobic prejudice, crime and discrimination (including bullying, harassment, abuse, attacks, and threatening behaviour), helping to develop the LGBT communities, providing professional training and consultancy.

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For anyone who lives in Devon please look here to access free wellbeing support.

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Our Wellbeing service is nationally recognised, and has been running for over 20 years. Our staff are hugely experienced, will listen, help and never judge.

We give straightforward support for problems that young people might be facing.

Are you looking for support with your mental health and wellbeing?
Do you live in Devon, Plymouth or Torbay, and are 11 (and in year 7) to 25 years old?
Are you a parent/carer or a professional who would like advice on how to best support a young person?
If you answer yes to the above, please contact us for help.

Click here to make an enquiry*

*Please be sure to include your email address when making an enquiry.

If you are really worried and need help right now, please check out our list of crisis support numbers you can call.

What will happen next?

Once we have checked over your enquiry, you will receive an email with instructions on how to book your initial telephone conversation with us. A member of our Wellbeing team will then give you a call for a Wellbeing conversation; this is a chance to talk about what is happening for you, your feelings and what support you would like. Together, we will then decide what support feels like the best fit for you.
We offer support face-to-face, or remotely via Zoom.
While you're waiting, please check out our Wellbeing Toolkit for tips on how to look after and improve your Wellbeing.

What we offer
Click here to read more about the variety of Wellbeing services we offer to support young people, and parents/carers and professionals.
Consent and confidentiality

When you make an enquiry into our Wellbeing services, you are consenting to us contacting you to discuss support. If you are enquiring on the behalf of a young person, please ensure that you have their consent to make the enquiry and to share their information.

If you tell us something that leads us to be concerned for your safety, or the safety of others, we may need to share this information.

Your suggestions

We would really welcome your suggestions and ideas about services that could support you and your peers. If you would like to email us with feedback or ideas, please use the following email address wellbeingenquiries@youngdevon.org

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We give straightforward support for problems that young people might be facing. Are you looking for support with your mental health and wellbeing? Do you live in Devon, Plymouth or Torbay, and are 11 (and in year 7) to 25 years old?

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5 things you can do

1. hobbies or stuff you enjoy like listening to music (not something that could make things worse like drugs and alcohol)

2. physical activity like sports, dancing, jogging or yoga

3. talking to someone you trust or to others on our message boards

4. something that give you a sense of achievement, like drawing or doing a puzzle

5. look at a photo of someone who really cares about you.

Focus on 1 thing you're doing right now. Concentrate on your body, not on your thoughts. You could have a warm bath or just lie down on your bed or the sofa.

You can try:

tensing up all your muscles using all your strength and then slowly relax them

taking deep breaths by breathing in slowly through your nose, and then breathe slowly out through your mouth.

Fill your comfort box with all your favourite things. You could have photos of people you care about, inspirational quotes or song lyrics you like, your favourite snacks and gifts from someone you love. Turn to your comfort box when you're struggling.

Imagine things are going well and you're coping. In your mind, picture a favourite place. It could be somewhere real or made-up. Imagine you're there. Create a mental image of yourself coping really well and getting help with what's going on.

Think of a positive phrase which reminds you that you can cope with things.

It should be in the first person ("I" and "me"). And in the present tense ("I am" or "I do" NOT "I will" or "I am going to")

You could try repeating these positive phrases to yourself:

"I am doing really well"

"I am getting through this"

"I have a lot to give"

Or try making up some of your own. Get more ideas on our message boards.

Doing exercise is great for your mental health. It can relax you. And give you more energy. It can also make you feel more confident and help you deal with things.

It's important to find a type of exercise that's right for you. Everyone enjoys something different. It could be running, walking, football, skipping, dancing or yoga. You could try a few different things and see what you like.

Create a space in your room or diary and fill it with pictures or things that you like - the things you feel good about. You could look at old pictures that bring up good memories. Or watch one of your favourite films. You can also use our Art box to create, save and print your own images.

Put on the music you love. It could be something soft and soothing. Or it could be loud and exciting. Whatever you're into. If you're not in the mood for music, try going to a park and just listening to the sound of birds and trees. Focussing on these noises can help block out worrying thoughts.

Everyone has a few favourite smells. So think about what smells you like and try to enjoy them when you're feeling down or stressed. Take your time to breathe them in. Focus on the smell and try to block out your other thoughts. It could be a certain perfume or shampoo. Maybe oranges, toast or food being cooked. Or it might be the smell of freshly cut grass.

Have your favourite meal. Or you could eat something you used to love, but haven't had in a while. Try different flavours and textures. And don't forget to try eating healthy food as this can affect your mood. Check out our advice on staying healthy.

Touching different things can make you feel a connection with the world around you. And can also take your mind off worrying thoughts. Run your tongue around your mouth and feel the different surfaces. Gently touch walls in your school or home. Feel the zip or buttons on a jacket. Have a bath. Stroke your pet. Give yourself a hand massage or feel the texture of each of your fingernails. Exercise or lift weights. Go for a walk or run.

Talking to someone about how you feel is a really important part of getting help. It means you don't have to deal with everything on your own.

But it's not always easy to do. Describing how you feel can feel really scary.
Try our tips to make it easier to talk:

plan and prepare what you want to say

write down what you want to say and practise saying it

think about the main things you want to get out of talking to someone

ask yourself if you want advice, or if you just want to say how you're feeling

try talking when the person isn't busy or about to rush off.

Keeping the conversation going

It's good to talk about a problem. But what if you told someone and it didn't help?

Talking about an issue is often a process. It's not just something you do once.

Telling someone how you feel might make you feel bad at first. But after a few times of talking about it, you could start to feel differently.

And it doesn't have to be new information either. Sometimes talking about the same things again and again can help you understand what you're going through.

So remember, if you told someone how you feel but it didn't help - keep trying. And think of other people you trust who might be able to help.

You can talk to us about anything
Whatever you say will be just between you and Childline. And you can feel safe talking to us, knowing that no one else will find out.

Read more about our confidentiality promise.

Somewhere new

To be able to see YouTube videos, we have to ask you to accept Targeting Cookies within your Cookie Settings

Other sites that can help:

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Coping with suicidal feelings | Childline

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Learn about how you can cope with suicidal thoughts. Over time, you can start to feel better. And Childline is here with you for every step.

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Information relating to domestic abuse and the services available across Somerset.

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Domestic abuse can affect anyone and is much more common than people think

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A charity that supports and prevents sexual abuse.

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Safeline - Believe in you - Surviving sexual abuse & rape

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We help prevent sexual violence and support anyone who has been affected. Established in 1994, we have supported over 100,000 people and they help us shape the services and support we provide. Working with clients, we want to support more people who have been abused or are at risk of abuse, removing the barriers that prevent people from accessing specialist support.

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Home - Safeline - Believe in you - Surviving sexual abuse & rape

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We help prevent sexual violence and support anyone who has been affected. Established in 1994, we have supported over 100,000 people and they help us shape the services and support we provide. Working with clients, we want to support more people who have been abused or are at risk of abuse, removing the barriers that prevent people from accessing specialist support.

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Hope Again - Young people coping with bereavement and living after loss. A website from Cruse Bereavement.

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The National Helpline is provided by Rape Crisis South London. It offers confidential emotional support, information and referral details. Callers can have a one-off call lasting up to 40 minutes.

Open between 12:00 -14:30 and
19:00 - 21:30 every day of the year.

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Want to talk? | Rape Crisis England & Wales

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The National Helpline is provided by Rape Crisis South London. It offers confidential emotional support, information and referral details. Callers can have a one-off call lasting up to 40 minutes. Open between 12:00 -14:30 and 19:00 - 21:30 every day of the year.

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Pete's Dragons - Suicide Bereavement Support (Devon)

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Pete's Dragons - Suicide Bereavement Support (Devon)

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Pete's Dragons is a fundraiser group who support those that have lost family members or close relationships to suicide.

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Pete's Dragons has a passion for making sure those impacted by suicide are supported. The Dragons are a team that have experienced the aftermath first-hand and worked together to ensure that all those impacted by suicide in Devon and North Somerset have access to timely and appropriate support.

We are honest, brave, vibrant and a little bit sweary... so we will come straight out and say it - losing someone to suicide is just so totally devastating and exhaustingly shit. We know, we've been there. We know that as families, partners, friends and colleagues adapt to the world without their loved one, we can help in a number of practical and meaningful ways, such as: practical advice, emotional support, peer support, talking & holistic therapies, activities & events, grief courses and counselling. We also know that psychological and therapeutic support must be timely, appropriate and carried out by professionals and we work hard to ensure we have a range of quality therapists and specialists within our team to provide their support.

Click on any of the below headings to read more about us, get in touch or to refer someone for our support.

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Pete's Dragons has a passion for making sure those impacted by suicide are supported. The Dragons are a team that have experienced the aftermath first-hand and worked together to ensure that all those impacted by suicide in Devon and North Somerset have access to timely and appropriate support.

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Exam Self-Care | Mental Health Advice For Students

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It’s important to look after your mental health while revising for exams, but how can you do this? Our Activist, Rose, shares her favourite ways.

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Info on exam stress - for 11-18 year olds | Mind - Mind

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Learn what exam stress is and how it can affect our mental health. Find advice on how to cope with exam stress and where to go for support.

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Anyone aged 12 years and over who wants advice and support to quit their nicotine addiction

Current smokers who are willing to work with a Stop Smoking Practitioner towards setting a quit date within 2 weeks of their first appointment and returning weekly for support

Ex-smokers who have recently quit and would like some extra support to avoid relapse

Somerset residents only

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Free advice and support to stop long-term nicotine use.

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Offers a range of support to help you quite vaping

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Vape Escape – Helping You Quit Vaping for Good

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Truth Initiative - Youth Nicotine Addiction

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Truth Initiative - Youth Nicotine Addiction

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Want support quitting? Join EX Program for free

Everyone deserves the chance to live free from nicotine addiction. Through our national public education campaigns, as well as in-school curriculums, we are inspiring a movement to live free from nicotine addiction by empowering young people to quit or never start in the first place.

National campaigns that prevent addiction and empower quitting

Our newest young adult campaign, Outsmart Nicotine, introduces a new generation to our market-leading, free EX Program, equipping them with the tools, resources, and support to quit for good or never start in the first place. Following the science and data, we are focusing on young adults (18-24) where prevalence of e-cigarette use is high and dual use of cigarettes is a growing concern. Developed over 15 years ago in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, EX Program supports anyone looking to quit smoking, vaping, or using any tobacco product with tools that have been proven to increase odds of quitting by up to 40%.

See the campaign

Curriculums to address the youth e-cigarette crisis

Youth nicotine addiction remains a serious public health concern. Among middle and high school students who currently vape, nearly 40% - over 620,000 teens - report using e-cigarettes frequently (38.4%), signaling signs of persistent nicotine addiction. To educate young people about the dangers of e-cigarette use, we provide a free digital course called Vaping: Know the truth that guides students through real-world scenarios in an authentic peer-to-peer youth voice. The curriculum also includes modules that address cannabis use and prescription drug misuse.

Learn more about our curriculums

A track record of saving lives

We have a legacy of transformative impact when it comes to nicotine addiction prevention and education. Our national public education campaigns helped bring down teen smoking from nearly 23% in 2000 to less than 2% today, and youth e-cigarette use to its lowest point in a decade.

See our impact

Youth engagement and training

Truth Initiative offers in-person and virtual leadership trainings with young people - including through our Tobacco/ Vape-Free College Program with over 230 campuses participating - to engage them in educating their peers on issues surrounding tobacco use, including physical and mental health consequences, health equity, and environmental impact. We also offer in-person and virtual training for adults at youth-serving organizations.

Explore youth and community initiatives

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YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT NICOTINE ADDICTION PREVENTION & EDUCATION

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Want support quitting? Join EX Program for free Everyone deserves the chance to live free from nicotine addiction. Through our national public education campaigns, as well as in-school curriculums, we are inspiring a movement to live free from nicotine addiction by empowering young people to quit or never start in the first place.

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They help with the following types of health concerns:

healthier lifestyles information – for example, diet, sleep, oral health, physical activity, personal care

navigation of health system and supported referral to other services

understanding healthy relationships

sexual health services (age appropriate)

resilience building and psycho-social education

keeping safe, options for managing substance misuse including drug, alcohol, smoking and vaping

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The LifeHacks - Looking after yourself.pdf is packed with ideas and links to support your own mental health and includes true stories from people who’ve tried them out. This booklet has all the details and is great to share with others who need it.