Anxiety

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.

Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life – for example, you may feel worried and anxious about having a medical test or job interview. During times like these, feeling anxious can be perfectly normal.

However, some people can find it hard to control their worries. Their feelings of anxiety are more constant and can often affect their daily lives. People with anxiety challenges tend to feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed. As soon as one anxious thought is resolved, another may appear about a different issue.

Signs and symptoms of anxiety can be:

• feeling tired, irritable or restless
• feeling shaky or trembly, dizzy or sweating
• being unable to concentrate or make decisions
• difficulty sleeping
• feeling worried about the past or future, or thinking that something bad will happen
• stomach aches, muscle pain or headaches
• dry mouth
• pins and needles
• fast, strong or irregular heartbeat
• shortness of breath when you're feeling anxious

Panic or anxiety attacks aren't dangerous and are very common, they can be frightening, but they don't usually last too long, and the feelings will pass.

Anxiety can be the main symptom of several conditions, including:

• General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Panic Disorder
• Phobias, such as Agoraphobia or Claustrophobia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder

Although feelings of anxiety at certain times are completely normal, see your GP if anxiety is affecting your daily life or causing you distress.

Things you can do +

Quick Anxiety Meditation +

Who can help? +

Autism

What is Autism?

Autism is a spectrum disorder, which can be diagnosed as autism spectrum disorder or neurodiverse. Autism is a lifelong condition that can affect people in how they communicate and interact with others.

Autism can affect people in different ways, however most autistic people see, hear and experience the world differently to how people without autism experience the world.

1 in every 100 people are estimated to be autistic in the UK. Men and boys are diagnosed as autistic more often than women and girls; however, it is thought now that older women and girls may manage autism differently and therefore go through life without a diagnosis.

There is no “cure” for autism, with the right support many autistic people live fulfilled with active lives.

What are the signs and characteristics of autism?

Every person is different, so the characteristics and signs vary widely. There are however, two common characteristics:

• Repetitive behaviour, activities and routines – such as fixed daily routine and repetitive body movements.
• Difficulties with social communications and interactions – autistic people can find it hard to make friends or join in conversations.

People with autism can also be under or oversensitive to certain noises, colours, lights and other things, known as sensory sensitivity. These characteristics are present over time and have noticeable effect on daily life.

Certain health challenges and conditions are more common in autistic people. These include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Epilepsy
• Learning disabilities
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Dyspraxia

It’s important that these conditions should be identified and treated properly, and are not thought of as a part of the autism spectrum.

Getting a diagnosis

The main signs of autism, for example, difficulties with social interactions and communications, can often be recognised in early childhood. Some signs of autism may not be noticeable until a situation change, such as when the child starts nursery, changes school or leaves school.

Many adults have not had a formal diagnosis, but there are benefits to getting a diagnosis, including:

• Protection under the Equality Act
• Understanding your differences
• Access to support services

See a GP or health visitor if you notice any signs of autism in your child or yourself, or if you’re worried about your child’s development. It can also help you get educational, health and care support without a diagnosis of autism, getting one makes sure your child gets the right support when they need it.

Support Services +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Bereavement

What happens when you go through bereavement?

It is devastating when you lose someone close to you. Everyone’s experience of grief is unique, but there are some common things that lots of us will feel. You might feel numb, angry, exhausted or guilty for something you did or didn’t do or say. Your mind will be distracted so you may also find it hard to concentrate as well as you would do normally. These feelings are normal and will pass, but it can take time.

Speaking to someone can help, and you may get all the support you need from family and friends. If you don’t feel able to open up to people that you know, or you feel you are struggling, then there are organisations and sources of support that can help. The services below can give you some support:

Helplines and Support Groups +

Sometimes it isn’t just your own grief that you have to deal with, but that of your children. Children need time to grieve too, and it’s important to try and talk to them about their feelings as well as your own. Try to encourage them not to hide their feelings, but instead talk about them. As much as possible try to keep to the routine that your family had before the death to give a bit more stability, as hard as this may be.

These services provide specific support for young people and their families who are bereaved +

Other local healthcare services +

Voluntary organisations +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Carers

Services you can get in contact with for support +

Young people in caring roles who would like advice or support can contact one of the following services +

What benefits can carers get? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Dementia

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a term used to describe a range of disorders or conditions that are affecting the brain. There are several types of dementia, the most common and well known one is Alzheimer's disease. You can have Dementia at any age, not just as you get older, and everyone diagnosed with dementia will experience their own unique symptoms.

What are the most common types of Dementia?

The most common types of Dementia are as follows:

Alzheimer's Disease - symptoms are usually mild to begin with and then worsen over time. (Difficulty with language, depressed or agitated and may withdraw from family and friends, memory lapses, problems with special awareness, difficulty making decisions, problem solving and/or disorientation of time or place, a person not recognizing a familiar face.)

Vascular Dementia - caused by small blood clots preventing oxygen getting to the brain. (Progression can be quite erratic as a person my not have a series of blood clots for sometime. People suffering will usually appear to be 'getting better', this is usually temporary, as the damage to the brain can eventually lead to difficulties; e.g. with daily living, attention, memory, decision making and motivation.) 

Frontotemporal - More common under the age of 65. Frontotemporal Dementia represents a group of conditions which are caused due to nerve cells in the brain dying and the nerve pathways becoming damaged in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. (Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia symptoms can be: changes in behavior or personality, apathy, obsessive or repetitive behaviours, loss of empathy, changes in appetite, difficulties making decisions, problem solving and concentration.)(Primary Progressive Aphasia, which consists of Semantic Dementia and Progressive Non Fluent Aphasia can have the following symptoms: language difficulties, speech or grammar problems, reduced understanding and difficulty recognizing familiar faces or objects.)

Dementia with Lewy bodies - Dementia with Lewy Bodies is caused by a build up of clumps and proteins in nerve cells in the brain, known as Lewy Bodies. (Symptoms of this are: fluctuating alertness, confusion and concentration levels, memory issues, mood changes, struggling with problem solving, spatial awareness, difficulty doing everyday tasks, tremors, slower movement, sleep disturbance, unsteadiness, an increase in falls and visual hallucinations.

Although there is no known cure for Dementia just yet, there is still support out there for you, anyone looking after someone with Dementia and anyone looking for more information. Here are some services here to help with Dementia:

Local Services +

Local Dementia Cafes and Groups +

National Services +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days.

Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you're depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days.

Some people think depression is trivial and not a genuine health condition. They're wrong – it is a real illness with real symptoms. Depression isn't a sign of weakness or something you can "snap out of" by "pulling yourself together".

The good news is that with the right treatment and support, most people with depression can make a full recovery.

Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.

They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety. There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains. However, some people may have little to no physical symptoms and are functioning professionals dealing with depression.

The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living. Most people experience feelings of stress, unhappiness or anxiety during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression.

Who can have depression? +

Luckily there are many ways of treating depression, the treatment you may receive will depend on the type of depression you have.

Different Types of Depression and possible treatments:

• Mild Depression - wait and see, exercise, self-help groups
• Mild to Moderate Depression - talking treatment, cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling
• Moderate to Severe Depression – antidepressants, combination therapy, mental health

What are the different methods of treating/managing depression? +

Who can help? +

Drug and Alcohol Misuse/Addiction

What is Drug and Alcohol Abuse?

Drug and Alcohol abuse is when someone is addicted to taking drugs or drinking or both, and cannot stop taking drugs/drinking when they choose as it is more than a matter of willpower.

Many people do not understand why people become addicted to drugs and alcohol. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs or drink as morally weak. One very common belief is that drink/drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. This is not the case.

What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug and drink addiction. It is a disease that impacts the brain, and because of that, stopping drink and drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug and drink addiction can be successfully treated to help people who want to stop abusing drugs/alcohol and live a full happy life.

Some people become addicted to drugs and alcohol due to many reasons. They may suffer from other mental health challenges, for example; depression, and the only way they feel like themselves again is by drinking or taking drugs. There’s a different story behind every drink/drug addiction and all of them are valid. What is also important is wanting to get help and finding services that will allow you to get help.

Who can I talk to?

Your GP is a good place to start. They can discuss your problems with you and get you into treatment. They may offer you treatment at the practice or refer you to your local drink or drug service.

If you're not comfortable talking to your GP, you can approach your local drug/drink treatment service yourself.

Drug Addiction Treatments +

Drink Addiction Treatments +

Who can support you? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Eating Disorders

In this section:

About Eating Disorders

Signs and Symptoms

If you're living with an eating disorder

Caring for someone with an eating disorder

Video stories from those with lived experience of eating disorders

Leaflets for those struggling with or caring for someone with an eating disorder

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust's Keeping Safe Programme - Developed to provide information to help you begin to make sense of your difficulties and to encourage you to take steps to minimise any potential harmful effects caused by your eating disorder whilst you are waiting for treatment.

Learning Disabilities

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability is something that affects a way in which a person learns new things throughout their life. A learning disability can affect a person’s ability to:

• Understand new or complex information
• Learning new skills
• Coping independently

Learning disabilities can vary in severity. They can be mild, moderate or severe.

Some people who have a learning disability will find talking easy, and can live independently but may need slightly longer to learn new skills; whereas other people may struggle with communicating and could have other disabilities as well. A persons’ ability to live independently can depend on the level of care and support they need and receive.

Young people and children with learning disabilities may also have special educational needs (SEN).

Most learning disabilities are diagnosed in childhood, but they can be diagnosed at any time in a person’s life. Down’s syndrome for example, is diagnosed at birth, whereas some others may only be discovered when a child is old enough to talk and walk.

After a diagnosis of a learning disability, your GP can refer you for any specialist support you may need. You can then get to know the team of professionals that will be involved in the care of your child.

People with a learning disability can live as full and independent a life as possible with the right support from some of the following professionals:

• GPs
• Paediatricians
• Speech and Language Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Educational and Clinical Psychologists
• Social Care Workers

What causes learning disabilities? +

What is a profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD)? +

Living with a diagnosis of a learning disability +

If you’re worried about your child’s development, speak to your GP.

To ensure a person with disabilities or long-term health conditions get the right care for their needs, they will be assessed. This can be finding the right health treatment and support, education and training. If someone needs more than one kind of assessment, they should be combined together.

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.cpft.nhs.uk .

Long-term Conditions

Managing your Well-Being with a Long-Term Condition:

Living with a long term health condition can take its toll on your mental well-being. Long-term conditions can lead to frustration, anxiety, low mood and other mental health challenges. If you live with a long-term health condition it does not mean you will suffer with mental health challenges, everybody had mental health and we all cope with stress and things like health conditions in our own ways. 

 

Managing your well-being with diabetes:

Having the long-term condition of diabetes means that you have to juggle managing your condition along with everyday life. This can be very overwhelming, stressful and can cause frustration. Changes in mood are very common because of this. Research suggests that if you have diabetes, you are more likely to experience challenges with anxiety and depression.

National clinical health guidelines have demonstrated that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is useful for people who are struggling with managing their diabetes. CBT can enhance peoples’ understanding of diabetes care and has also been shown to improve mood and glycaemic control.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Managing your well-being with a heart condition:

People living with heart conditions typically experience higher rates of mental health challenges. Some research suggests that you can be three times more likely to suffer with anxiety and/or depression if you are living with a heart condition. Anxiety is the most common symptom (77%) and over half (51%) of people with a heart condition experience symptoms of depression. Despite these strong feelings, many people do not speak to anyone about the emotional or psychological impacts of having a heart condition.  

It can be really helpful to talk with someone about your heart condition. Improved management of stress and depression can help support future changes to your physical and emotional health. This in turn will help to improve your cardiovascular risk profile and lower your risk of further cardiac events.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Managing your wellbeing with Respiratory Disorders:

People living with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or other chronic respiratory diseases can find themselves feeling low and/or anxious. Research shows that people with COPD are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population. Symptoms such as breathlessness, coughing and fatigue can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. These feelings can lead to reduced activity levels, which may worsen your condition.  Cognitive behavioural therapy techniques have proven to be successful in psycho-educational breathlessness/health promotion groups as well as individually  in primary and secondary care, with positive outcomes on: psychological wellbeing, coping strategies and use of health services.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Who is NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies for? Is if free? And how can I refer myself?

The service is for people aged over 17 years who are normally resident in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who are registered with a GP in one of these areas. We do not have an upper age limit.

The service is free of charge as it is an NHS service.

You can refer yourself Here! You can also call their self-referral team on 0300 300 0055 and they will guide you through the process, let them know that you have a Long-term Condition. The telephone line is open from 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri.

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies provides psychological therapy that recognises the difficulties for some patients with long-term physical health conditions including COPD, Diabetes and Cardiac disease including heart failure.

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies aims to help you to improve your well-being, support you to manage your health problem and help you to look at how you can live your life in a more positive way.

We offer a range of treatment options including courses as well as individual therapy, which case take place via the telephone, online or face to face depending on the treatment you receive. The type of therapy we predominantly use is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (see therapies section).

We are based in a variety of locations across the county to make access easier, including at our base sites in Huntingdon, Cambridge, Wisbech, March and Peterborough.  We also work out of many GP surgeries, various rooms in the community such as libraries and some hospital settings.  However, we do not see people in their own home.

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.ageuk.org.uk/.

Mood Disorders

What is a Mood Disorder?

'Mood disorders' can cover several different challenges, these are characterized by low mood, with other symptoms including challenges with self-worth, sleep, appetite, concentration, a change in energy levels and having thoughts about death and suicide in some cases. Mood disorders are very common, with the most commonly heard one being Bipolar Disorder. 

What is Bipolar?

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.

People with bipolar disorder have periods or episodes of:

·         Depression – feeling very low and lethargic

You may initially be diagnosed with clinical depression before having a future manic episode (sometimes years later), after which you may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During an episode of depression, you may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which can potentially lead to thoughts of suicide. If you're feeling suicidal or having severe depressive symptoms, contact your GP, care co-ordinator or local mental health emergency services as soon as possible.

·         Mania – feeling very high and overactive (less severe mania is known as hypomania)

During a manic phase of bipolar disorder, you may feel very happy and have lots of energy, ambitious plans and ideas. You may spend large amounts of money on things you can't afford and wouldn't normally want. Not feeling like eating or sleeping, talking quickly and becoming annoyed easily are also common characteristics of this phase. You may feel very creative and view the manic phase of bipolar as a positive experience. However, you may also experience symptoms of psychosis, where you see or hear things that aren't there or become convinced of things that aren't true.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on which mood you're experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or even longer), and some people may not experience a "normal" mood very often.

The high and low phases of bipolar disorder are often so extreme that they interfere with everyday life.

However, there are several options for treating bipolar disorder that can make a difference. They aim to control the effects of an episode and help someone with bipolar disorder live life as normally as possible.

The following treatment options are available:

medication to prevent episodes of mania, hypomania (less severe mania) and depression – these are known as mood stabilisers and are taken every day on a long-term basis
medication to treat the main symptoms of depression and mania when they occur
learning to recognise the triggers and signs of an episode of depression or mania
psychological treatment – such as talking therapy, which can help you deal with depression, and provides advice about how to improve your relationships
lifestyle advice – such as doing regular exercise, planning activities you enjoy that give you a sense of achievement, as well as advice on improving your diet and getting more sleep
It's thought using a combination of different treatment methods is the best way to control bipolar disorder.

Who’s affected?

Bipolar disorder is fairly common and one in every 100 adults will be diagnosed with the condition at some point in their life.

Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder.

Who can help? +

OCD

What is OCD?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental health condition in which a person has obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

It affects men, women and children and can develop at any age. Some people develop the condition early, often around puberty, but it typically develops during early adulthood.

OCD can be distressing and significantly interfere with your life, but treatment can help you keep it under control.

If you have OCD, you'll usually experience frequent obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

• An obsession is an unwanted and unpleasant thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters your mind, causing feelings of anxiety, disgust or unease.
• A compulsion is a repetitive behaviour or mental act that you feel you need to carry out to try to temporarily relieve the unpleasant feelings brought on by the obsessive thought.

For example, someone with an obsessive fear of their house being burgled may feel they need to check all the windows and doors are locked several times before they can leave the house.

People with OCD can be reluctant to seek help because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. But there's nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. It's a health condition like any other – it doesn't mean you're "mad" and it's not your fault you have it.

Who Can Help? +

Pregnancy and Mental Health

While many people are aware that you can become depressed after having a baby, it's less well known that many women and men experience anxiety during and after pregnancy. In fact, it's common to experience depression and anxiety together.

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health challenges during pregnancy, many women and men will experience both. Depression and anxiety also affect 15-20% of women in the first year after childbirth. During pregnancy and the postnatal period, anxiety disorders, including Panic Disorder, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Tokophobia (an extreme fear of childbirth), can occur on their own or can coexist with depression.

Perinatal anxiety and depression are mental health challenges experienced during pregnancy or in the year after childbirth. You might hear it called:

• Perinatal or antenatal anxiety and/or depression if you experience anxiety during pregnancy.
• Postnatal anxiety and/or depression if you experience it after giving birth.

Perinatal mental health challenges are those which occur during pregnancy or in the first year following the birth of a child. Perinatal mental challenges affects 12-20% of women, and covers a wide range of conditions. Me can also suffer with Peri/Postnatal depression and anxiety. If left untreated, it can have significant and long lasting effects on the person and their family. Perinatal mental health challenges can also have long-standing effects on children’s emotional, social and cognitive development.

Formed Films have a video called 'Perinatal Positivity' and another called 'A Black Cloud' which have the aim of encouraging parents-to-be to prepare for and think about looking after their mental health through pregnancy, birth and beyond and to raise awareness of birth related trauma, and to give people comfort that they are not alone.

Trigger Warning: The below videos contain sensitive content.

'Perinatal Positivity'

'A Black Cloud'

Different types of depression and anxiety that can happen during and post-pregnancy +

How do I know if I have perinatal or postnatal depression or anxiety? +

What are the treatments? +

What can I do to help myself? +

Who can help? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Personality Disorders

What is a personality disorder?

A person with a personality disorder thinks, feels, behaves or relates to others very differently from person to person. Someone with a personality disorder may also have other mental health challenges, such as depression or drug/alcohol addictions. It is important to realise that although you may have a personality disorder, your personality disorder is not all that you are, you are still a member of society like everyone else, you just have a mental health challenge and our mental health challenges do no define who we are as people.

There are several different types of personality disorder; and not any two people will have the same symptoms, emotions and challenges.

In mental health, the word ‘personality’ refers to the collection of characteristics or traits that we have developed as we have grown up and which make each of us an individual. These include the ways that we:

• Think
• Feel
• Behave

By our late teens, or early 20s, most of us have developed our own personality. We have our own ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. These stay pretty much the same for the rest of our life. Usually, our personality allows us to get on reasonably well with other people.

For some of us, this doesn't happen. For whatever reason, parts of your personality can develop in ways that make it difficult for you to live with yourself and/or with other people. You may not be able to learn from the things that happen to you. You find that you can't change the bits of your personality (traits) that cause the issues. These traits, although they are part of who you are, just go on making life difficult for you - and often for other people as well. 

Other people may have noticed these traits from your childhood and early teens. For example, you may find it difficult to:

• Make or keep close relationships
• Get on with people at work
• Get on with friends and family
• Keep out of trouble
• Control your feelings or behaviour
• Listen to other people

If this makes you unhappy or distressed and/or often upset or harm other people, then you may have a personality disorder.

What are the symptoms? +

Who can help? +

Phobias

What are Phobias?

A phobia is an overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, feeling or animal.

Phobias are more pronounced than fears. They develop when a person has an exaggerated or unrealistic sense of danger about a situation or object.

If a phobia becomes very severe, a person may organise their life around avoiding the thing that's causing them anxiety. As well as restricting their day-to-day life, it can also cause a lot of distress.

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. You may not experience any symptoms until you come into contact with the source of your phobia.

However, in some cases, even thinking about the source of a phobia can make a person feel anxious or panicky. This is known as anticipatory anxiety.

If you don't come into contact with the source of your phobia very often, it may not affect your everyday life.

There are a wide variety of objects or situations that someone could develop a phobia about. However, phobias can be divided into two main categories:

Specific or simple phobias:

Specific or simple phobias centre around a particular object, animal, situation or activity. They often develop during childhood or adolescence and may become less severe as you get older.

Common examples of simple phobias include:

• Animal phobias – such as dogs, spiders, snakes or rodents
• Environmental phobias – such as heights, deep water and germs
• Situational phobias – such as visiting the dentist or flying
• Bodily phobias – such as blood, vomit or having injections
• Sexual phobias – such as performance anxiety or the fear of getting a sexually transmitted infection 

Complex phobias:

Complex phobias tend to be more disabling than simple phobias. They tend to develop during adulthood and are often associated with a deep-rooted fear or anxiety about a particular situation or circumstance.

The two most common complex phobias are:

• Agoraphobia
• Social phobia 

Agoraphobia is often thought of as a fear of open spaces, but it's much more complex than this. Someone with agoraphobia will feel anxious about being in a place or situation where escaping may be difficult if they have a panic attack.

Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, centres around feeling anxious in social situations. If you have a social phobia, you might be afraid of speaking in front of people for fear of embarrassing yourself and being humiliated in public. In severe cases, this can become debilitating and may prevent you from carrying out everyday activities, such as eating out or meeting friends.

How common are phobias? +

Who can help? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Physical Activity and Mental Health

How can being active help your mental health?

Evidence shows that being active is good for your physical health and fitness and can have a positive impact on your mental well being too. Being active does not mean that you need to be spending several hours a day in the gym, if that isn't something you enjoy. You can stay healthy by finding an activity which is, in broad terms, active that you enjoy, and do that instead.

Scientists believe that being active helps maintain and improve mental and physical well-being. It has been said that physical activity can help people who are living with anxiety and depression. Being active is thought to cause chemical changes in the brain, which can help our mood in a positive way. It is also believed that being active helps build self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

How can you get more active?

It is generally recommended that an adult over the age of 19 years old should do at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) per week of moderate to intensive activity. Find an activity you enjoy doing that involves being active, because this will help you make being active a normal part of your life.

Some places have programs that are free for people who have been diagnosed with mental health challenges, for example; Invigorate offer a range of different activity groups to anyone who has mental health challenges and their support system, you can find out more here.

	Invigorate - The Invigorate programme provides a variety of activities specifically for adults experiencing mental ill health and those who wish to improve their well-being through exercise. The activities are provided by Cambridge City Council’s Active Lifestyles team and a variety of local partners, who help to support, deliver and facilitate sessions. The activities on offer currently include: Football, t’ai chi, multi-sports activities, pickleball and badminton sessions, yoga, pilates, well-being walks and mental health swims. Some sessions are free; others have a small charge.  Membership to Invigorate may also give you a free BETTER card, giving you 50% discounted pay-as-you-go access to GLL facilities in the City.  Anybody can access the activities, including those living outside of the City boundary.  For more information visit: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/fitness-activities-to-help-improve-your-wellbeing or follow us on facebook @Getmovingcam
	How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - is a website that brings together everything in the local Peterborough community that is good for mental wellbeing. It includes activities from yoga to singing, sports clubs to arts groups, places to talk or get a cup of tea, plus information about local professional mental health support.
	Healthy You - are a free service for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough residents who are looking to make changes to their lifestyle. So, whether you want help to stop smoking, lead a more active lifestyle, lose some weight, or simply take advantage of the NHS Health Checks we offer, Healthy You – funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council – can help you. Healthy You have several services available: Falls Prevention NHS Health Checks Health Trainers Healthy Workplaces Healthy You Adult Weight Management Stop Smoking Alcohol Reduction Stop Smoking in Pregnancy
	Mental Health Mates - Bryony Gordon established MHM in February 2016 as a safe space for you to walk and talk about mental health problems without fear of judgement. There are walks around the nation and you can find out some more information about the walks here and on their website here.
	Love to Move - Love to Move is a seated exercise and movement programme, packed with fun, music and laughter and specially designed to help improve the fitness of mind and body. This exercise programme is unique in the UK and proven to have significant physical, emotional and cognitive benefits for all participants, particularly those living with dementia. Each session lasts one hour and is delivered by an experienced and enthusiastic tutor.

Psychosis

What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. this can involve hearing or seeing things that other people can't and believing things that are not actually true.

What are the symptoms of Psychosis?+

Causes of psychosis +

Treating psychosis +

Who can help? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder which you may develop after being involved in, or witnessing, traumatic events. The condition was first recognized in war veterans and has been known by a variety of names, such as 'shell shock'. But it's not only diagnosed in soldiers – a wide range of traumatic experiences can cause PTSD.

When is it diagnosed? +

Are there different types of PTSD? +

Who can help?+

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Schizophrenia

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a severe long-term mental health challenge. It causes a range of different psychological symptoms.

Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis. This means the person may not always be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.

Symptoms of schizophrenia +

What treatments are there? +

Who can help? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Self-harm

What is Self-Harm?

Self-harm is when someone chooses to inflict pain on themselves in some way. It is a sign of distress and can take many forms. Often self-harm is someone's way of coping with feelings and is a sign that something is wrong. Self-harm can be dangerous, and it is a sign that there is an underlying problem, therefore you should get help.

It is important to realise that self-harm is not the same as suicide, with self-harm there is not always an intention to end life like in suicide. The intention is more often to punish themselves, express their distress or relieve unbearable tension. Sometimes the reason is a mixture of both. Although the intention may not be to end life when self-harming, it is important to still get help.

Treatment for people who self-harm usually involves seeing a therapist to discuss your thoughts and feelings, and how these affect your behaviour and wellbeing. They can also teach you coping strategies to help prevent further episodes of self-harm. If you're badly depressed, it could also involve taking antidepressants or other medication.

Who can help? +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Sexual and Domestic Violence

What is Sexual Violence? +

What is Domestic Abuse? +

Services here to help +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Sleep

Sleep allows your mind to unwind and de-stress. It also helps your brain to make sense of the day, and enables your body to fight illnesses better. Sleep and mood effect each other, so try and boost how much good quality sleep you are getting each night.

A few tips to help you sleep well:

• Try making a list of the things you need to do tomorrow before you go to bed so that they aren’t on your mind when you are trying to sleep.
• If you can’t sleep, then don’t lie in bed worrying about it, get up and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy before returning to bed.
• Moderate exercise (that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster and feel warmer) on a regular basis can help to relieve tension and aid sleep.
• Cut down on caffeine, particularly in the evenings, as it can interfere with falling asleep and prevent deep sleep. Try switching to a warm milky drink or herbal tea instead.
• Try to have a regular routine for your sleep – going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time each day can really help.
• Avoid using phones, tablets or watching TV for around an hour before bed.
• Think about the room you are sleeping in – is it a good temperature? Is it dark enough?

For more tips and advice on sleep visit the Better Health NHS website.

Mental health challenges are common but help is available and with the right support many people recover completely. Check out our Support Services Page for lots of services who are local and national!

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Social Isolation

What Is Social Isolation?

Spending time alone is a good thing, and some people require more alone time than others. Introverts, for example, enjoy spending lots of time alone and can feel drained through social interaction, whereas extroverts prefer the company of others and are recharged through social interaction.

Social isolation is typically considered unhealthy when people spend excessive time alone, particularly when they no longer benefit from time spent alone. Socially isolating oneself can mean staying home for days, not talking with friends or acquaintances, and generally avoiding contact with other people. Any form of contact, however limited, is likely to remain superficial and brief, while more meaningful, extended relationships are missing.

Social isolation can increase a person’s feelings of low self-worth, shame, loneliness, depression, and other mental health concerns. Isolation itself is not a diagnosis, but it can be a symptom of depression, social anxiety, or agoraphobia. Other things that impair social skills can lead to isolation, though not necessarily by choice, for example; physical disabilities, homelessness or hoarding.

When deciding to tackle your isolation, remember to take it slowly. Here are some tips you could try+

Here are some services that are here to help tackle social isolation and some of its causes.+

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Stress

If you are feeling stressed, you're not alone. Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure, and pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope. A bit of stress is normal and can help push you to do something new or difficult, but too much stress can take its toll.

There are things you can do, and people or services that can help you to get on top of what is causing you to worry. Check out Better Health NHS information on stress and try some of these top tips:

Talk to Someone - Sharing how you feel can really help. Start by telling a friend, family member or someone else you can trust just how you feel. If you've tried self-help techniques and they aren't working, you could speak to a health professional who will be able to give you more guidance and suggest other sources of support.

Take Control of Money Worries - A common root of many people’s worries is money problems. There are lots of organisations that can help you manage your situation, so don’t feel alone. Visit the NHS Choices website for information on charities that can help.

Stopping Smoking - Stopping smoking is not only beneficial to your physical health, but can also improve your mental health and relieve stress. It’s a myth that smoking helps people to relax, it actually can increase anxiety and stress. There is lots of help available to support you. As a first step call the local Stop Smoking service on:

Cambridgeshire - 0800 018 4304

Peterborough - 0800 376 56 55

Get Active! Being physically active can boost your mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reduce your risk of stress. Often the easiest way to build activity into your day is through walking or cycling instead of taking the car. Visit the Better Health website for more information on ways to get active or visit:

Be Well Cambridgeshire

Healthy Peterborough

Mental health challenges are common but help is available and with the right support many people recover completely. Check out our Support Services Page for lots of services who are local and national!

 

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Victims and Witnesses

vBeing a victim of a crime and witnessing a crime can be very traumatic. This can cause harm to your mental health, this can happen instantly or develop over time. Getting help is nothing to be ashamed of. 

If you report a crime you will be asked questions to find out how you have been affected by the crime. You may be asked about your personal circumstances to help identify if there is any additional support that you might need and to understand how you'd prefer to be contacted thereafter.

You will usually receive either a letter with information about the support available to you as a victim of crime, or a telephone call from a skilled victim and witness care coordinator.  They will work with you to assess your needs and create a personalised plan to help you cope and recover from the effects of crime. They will also ensure you receive your entitlements under the Victim’s Code of Practice, acting as your single point of contact, should you need them.

This support is also available to victims who do not wish to report a crime. If you have been a victim of a crime but don't want to report it, you can still speak with a member of the Victims and Witness’ Support coordinators. You can also go online to your local authority and they will have a victim and witness information and support area for you.

Everyone copes with the after-effects of crime differently and can vary from person to person depending on their personality, the support of friends and family and their personal circumstances. All reactions to crimes are completely normal and you should not be embarrassed.

Anyone can become a victim of crime. A victim is defined as “a person who has been harmed (physically, financially or emotionally), injured or killed as a result of a crime, accident or other event or action”. The definition of a victim can also include;

• Families or friends of a person who has died as a result of criminal conduct
• Families or friends of victims in fatal road collisions
• Nominated representatives of a business that has been the subject of a criminal activity.

If you have seen or been a victim of a crime, you will be called a witness. As a witness, you play a vital role in helping solve crimes and deliver justice. The criminal justice system cannot work without witnesses and are the most important part in bringing offenders to justice. Witnesses can be:

• Victims of crime
• Someone who saw a crime or incident
• Someone who knows something about a crime or incident
• Someone with specialist knowledge
• Someone who knows someone involved in a case, known as a character witness.

There are lots of support services out here for you; the different support services will be able to offer advice and support to help you manage your mental health challenges, we listed a few below:+

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Working in Emergency Services

If you’re someone that works within the emergency services, it’s likely you’ve been face to face with difficult and potentially traumatic situations. It’s important to keep your mental wellbeing healthy, as you live with this day-in day-out, and it’s what gets you through the stressful situations you see every day in your job.

Working in an environment where you are helping other peoples traumatic and stressful situations every day doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to have mental health challenges of your own. Mental health challenges are completely normal and are different for everyone. Your mental wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, and you need to maintain both in order to stay fit and healthy.

Your mental wellbeing can be affected by work-related factors like:

• Repeated exposure to traumatic events
• Workload pressures
• Long working hours
• Lone working
• Dealing with people who may be physically or verbally abusive

There are lots of ways you can get some help if you feel that you’re struggling with your mental wellbeing. You can talk to your GP, refer yourself to mental health services or you can talk to friends and family about it.

Here’s a list of services available to help:

Policing Services +

Ambulance Services +

Fire and Rescue +

Search and Rescue +

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Dementia

Dementia:

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a term used to describe a range of disorders or conditions that are affecting the brain. There are several types of dementia, the most common and well known one is Alzheimer's disease. You can have Dementia at any age, not just as you get older, and everyone diagnosed with dementia will experience their own unique symptoms

What are the most common types of Dementia?

The most common types of Dementia are as follows:

Alzheimer's Disease - symptoms are usually mild to begin with and then worsen over time. (Difficulty with language, depressed or agitated and may withdraw from family and friends, memory lapses, problems with special awareness, difficulty making decisions, problem solving and/or disorientation of time or place, a person not recognizing a familiar face.)

Vascular Dementia - caused by small blood clots preventing oxygen getting to the brain. (Progression can be quite erratic as a person my not have a series of blood clots for sometime. People suffering will usually appear to be 'getting better', this is usually temporary, as the damage to the brain can eventually lead to difficulties; e.g. with daily living, attention, memory, decision making and motivation.) 

Frontotemporal - More common under the age of 65. Frontotemporal Dementia represents a group of conditions which are caused due to nerve cells in the brain dying and the nerve pathways becoming damaged in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. (Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia symptoms can be: changes in behavior or personality, apathy, obsessive or repetitive behaviours, loss of empathy, changes in appetite, difficulties making decisions, problem solving and concentration.)(Primary Progressive Aphasia, which consists of Semantic Dementia and Progressive Non Fluent Aphasia can have the following symptoms: language difficulties, speech or grammar problems, reduced understanding and difficulty recognizing familiar faces or objects.)

Dementia with Lewy bodies - Dementia with Lewy Bodies is caused by a build up of clumps and proteins in nerve cells in the brain, known as Lewy Bodies. (Symptoms of this are: fluctuating alertness, confusion and concentration levels, memory issues, mood changes, struggling with problem solving, spatial awareness, difficulty doing everyday tasks, tremors, slower movement, sleep disturbance, unsteadiness, an increase in falls and visual hallucinations.

 

Although there is no known cure for Dementia just yet, there is still support out there for you, anyone looking after someone with Dementia and anyone looking for more information. Here are some services here to help with Dementia:

Local Services:

• Huntingdonshire Dementia Action Alliance  - Dementia Action Alliance brings together leading organisations across England committed to transforming health and social care outcomes for people affected by dementia. Dementia Action Alliance captures and promotes best practice, enabling it to benefit many more people. They do this through member Action Plans. These are made public on their website. Members come together to share best practice and learn about the latest trends and innovations from across health and social care. We enable this through our events programme that includes roundtables, conferences and webinars. Members come together to influence system-wide change and campaign on major issues within health and social care affecting people living with dementia.                                        
• Dementia Carers Support Service - The Dementia Carers’ Support Service (DCSS) provides support for carers of people with dementia throughout the journey of their caring role. This is achieved by linking current carers of people with dementia with those who already have first-hand carer experience. These experienced carers are a befriender or buddy and become Dementia Carers’ Support Volunteer.                        
• Dementia Support Service Cambridgeshire - The Alzheimer's Society dementia support workers offer information and practical guidance to help you understand dementia, cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future. They offer information to people who are worried about their memory and ongoing support to people affected by dementia face to face, over the phone or in writing.                                                                                                                                                                
• Peterborough Dementia Action Alliance - Dementia Action Alliance brings together leading organisations across England committed to transforming health and social care outcomes for people affected by dementia. Dementia Action Alliance captures and promotes best practice, enabling it to benefit many more people. They do this through member Action Plans. These are made public on their website. Members come together to share best practice and learn about the latest trends and innovations from across health and social care. We enable this through our events programme that includes roundtables, conferences and webinars. Members come together to influence system-wide change and campaign on major issues within health and social care affecting people living with dementia.                                             
• Love to Move - Love to Move is a seated exercise and movement programme, packed with fun, music and laughter and specially designed to help improve the fitness of mind and body. This exercise programme is unique in the UK and proven to have significant physical, emotional and cognitive benefits for all participants, particularly those living with dementia. Each session lasts one hour and is delivered by an experienced and enthusiastic tutor.                                                                                                                                                                            
• Dementia Compass - Founded in 2010, Dementia Compass works to support individuals with a cognitive impairment and their families and care partners. We are a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organization based in Cambridgeshire, England.                                                                          
• Dementia Compass - D'Music'a Community Choir - We welcome anyone who loves music, especially those with memory challenges. We are a group consisting of individuals diagnosed with a dementia or mild cognitive impairment, their care partners and people who are keen on singing, having fun, and supporting opportunities for people living with dementia.

Local Dementia Cafés:

A Dementia Café is a café that people suffering with dementia can visit and be social, along with their friends, families and carers. The cafés are relaxed are give people the opportunity to talk with staff and other people about dementia whilst having a cup of tea and cake. Some cafés host regular talks by a range of local services who promote wellbeing and safety.

• Forget Me Not Café - Alex Wood House Nursing Home, 3A Fortescue Road, CB4 2JS, Cambridge
• Dementia Café Ramsey - Rainbow Surgery, Stocking Fen Road, 1B Stocking Fen Road, Ramsey, PE26 1SA, Huntingdon
• Dementia Café St Ives Cambridgeshire - St. Ives Free Church Market Hill, PE27 5AL, St. Ives
• Synergy Café, Thorpe Hall - Thorpe Hall Hospice, Thorpe Road, PE3 6LW, Peterborough
• Dementia Café March -36 High Street, PE15 9JR, March
• Dementia Café Ely - Ely Methodist Church, 15 Chapel Street, CB6 1AD, Ely 
• Dementia Café Wisbech - Robert Hall Centre, St. Augustines Road, PE13 3AH, Wisbech

 

National Services:

• Dementia UK - This site offers support and helpful information about dementia and how you can get in touch for more help and info.
• Alzheimer's Research UK - Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity, dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure. Backed by our passionate scientists and supporters, we’re challenging the way people think about dementia, uniting the big thinkers in the field and funding the innovative science that will deliver a cure.
• Alzheimer's Society - This site has great information about getting help and getting involved in supporting people with Alzheimer's.
• Age UK - Age UK's vision is to make the UK a great place to grow older. They do this by inspiring, supporting and enabling in a number of ways.
• Carers Trust Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk - We support family carers of all ages across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk. We also offer flexible, professional care services to adults and children with a range of disabilities and health conditions.

Mental health challenges are common but help is available and with the right support many people recover completely. Check out our Support Services Page for lots of services who are local and national!

 

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.ageuk.org.uk/.

Long-Term Conditions

Managing your Well-Being with a Long-Term Condition:

Living with a long term health condition can take its toll on your mental well-being. Long-term conditions can lead to frustration, anxiety, low mood and other mental health challenges. If you live with a long-term health condition it does not mean you will suffer with mental health challenges, everybody had mental health and we all cope with stress and things like health conditions in our own ways. 

 

Managing your well-being with diabetes:

Having the long-term condition of diabetes means that you have to juggle managing your condition along with everyday life. This can be very overwhelming, stressful and can cause frustration. Changes in mood are very common because of this. Research suggests that if you have diabetes, you are more likely to experience challenges with anxiety and depression.

National clinical health guidelines have demonstrated that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is useful for people who are struggling with managing their diabetes. CBT can enhance peoples’ understanding of diabetes care and has also been shown to improve mood and glycaemic control.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Managing your well-being with a heart condition:

People living with heart conditions typically experience higher rates of mental health challenges. Some research suggests that you can be three times more likely to suffer with anxiety and/or depression if you are living with a heart condition. Anxiety is the most common symptom (77%) and over half (51%) of people with a heart condition experience symptoms of depression. Despite these strong feelings, many people do not speak to anyone about the emotional or psychological impacts of having a heart condition.  

It can be really helpful to talk with someone about your heart condition. Improved management of stress and depression can help support future changes to your physical and emotional health. This in turn will help to improve your cardiovascular risk profile and lower your risk of further cardiac events.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Managing your wellbeing with Respiratory Disorders:

People living with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or other chronic respiratory diseases can find themselves feeling low and/or anxious. Research shows that people with COPD are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population. Symptoms such as breathlessness, coughing and fatigue can contribute to feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. These feelings can lead to reduced activity levels, which may worsen your condition.  Cognitive behavioural therapy techniques have proven to be successful in psycho-educational breathlessness/health promotion groups as well as individually  in primary and secondary care, with positive outcomes on: psychological wellbeing, coping strategies and use of health services.

Finding Support

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies works alongside and collaborates with GPs, hospitals, diabetes specialist nurses and consultants. We will help you recognise if you are experiencing anxiety or depression and how this might affect health and management of your diabetes. Therapists have training and experience in working with people with diabetes and other physical health conditions. Together, we will be able to talk about the range of therapy options that would be most helpful and suitable for you.

 

Who is NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies for? Is if free? And how can I refer myself?

The service is for people aged over 17 years who are normally resident in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who are registered with a GP in one of these areas. We do not have an upper age limit.

The service is free of charge as it is an NHS service.

You can refer yourself Here! You can also call their self-referral team on 0300 300 0055 and they will guide you through the process, let them know that you have a Long-term Condition. The telephone line is open from 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri.

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies provides psychological therapy that recognises the difficulties for some patients with long-term physical health conditions including COPD, Diabetes and Cardiac disease including heart failure.

NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies aims to help you to improve your well-being, support you to manage your health problem and help you to look at how you can live your life in a more positive way.

We offer a range of treatment options including courses as well as individual therapy, which case take place via the telephone, online or face to face depending on the treatment you receive. The type of therapy we predominantly use is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (see therapies section).

We are based in a variety of locations across the county to make access easier, including at our base sites in Huntingdon, Cambridge, Wisbech, March and Peterborough.  We also work out of many GP surgeries, various rooms in the community such as libraries and some hospital settings.  However, we do not see people in their own home.

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.ageuk.org.uk/.

Retirement

Retirement is a big event in our lives, for some people is will be a great time. But for some people it can also feel like we’ve lost part of our identity.

When it comes to retiring there’s often quite a few questions we would like answers to, which is why we’ve put together the most popular ones here for you.

Question: What age can I retire at? And can my boss/employer force me to retire at a certain age?

Answer: You can retire at any time you wish, there is no limit to when you can or can’t retire. Your employer cannot legally force you to retire at a certain age anymore; Age UK’s campaign caused the ‘Default Retirement Age’ law to be scrapped in 2011, which means you can continue working if you want/need to.

Your employer can however force/ask you to retire under the law when a valid reason has been given, for example:

·         If the job has, by another law, had an age limit set.

·         If your job requires you to have specific physical abilities and mental abilities.

Should you be forced to retire by your employer then they will have to give you some notice and they will also have to follow fair procedure.

Employers will still have the right to make dismissals and redundancies if you’re not completing your job roles/duties to the correct standard. These decisions must be based off criteria, regardless of age.

 

Question: Have I got to tell my boss/employer about my retirement plans?

Answer: In short no. You do not have to tell your employer about your retirement plans if you do not wish to; however, some employers will ask about your plans as they will be interested in when you plan on leaving the business.

Retiring takes a few months or more of planning, research and discussions. Everyone take this at their own pace and that is okay, it’s a big life event that will cause a lot of changes. For more information about what lifestyle changes you may come across, visit the Age UK website.

 

Question: If I continue to work, will I still get a State Pension?

Answer: You can claim your State Pension when your reach your ‘State Pension Age’. This is determined from your date of birth and your gender. You can find out your State Pension Age here on the GOV.uk website.

When you are getting closer to your State Pension Age you will be given the option to either claim your State Pension payments or delay them. You can still claim your State Pension whilst you’re working; however, some people like to delay their payments until after they have finished working as this means they often won’t have to pay income tax on it.

You can also have a workplace/private pension scheme. This can have a different age as to when you can start receiving it, this can also be whilst you’re still working. Every workplace/private pension scheme will differ from one another so you should ask your employer about how your pension is affected if/when your work arrangements change or if you continue to work past your State Pension age.

 

Question: Have I got to continue paying tax if I continue to work past my State Pension Age?

Answer: Once you’ve worked past your State Pension age you will no longer have to pay National Insurance; some employers will need some proof of age so they can stop National Insurance tax from being deducted from your pay.

Depending on your income, there is a chance you will have to continue to pay income tax on your total income. Your total income will include your State Pension, workplace/private pension and your workplace salary. Some people like to delay their State Pension until they have finished working in order to possibly pay less tax.

 

For more information about retirement, you can visit GOV.uk and Age UK.

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.ageuk.org.uk/.

Who Can Help?

If you are worried that you or someone you know may have a mental health challenge, visit your GP for support and you can access the following websites for more information:

• AgeUK - Age UK's vision is to make the UK a great place to grow older. They do this by inspiring, supporting and enabling in a number of ways.
• Alzheimer's Society - This site has great information about getting help and getting involved in supporting people with Alzheimer's.
• Dementia UK - This site offers support and helpful information about dementia and how you can get in touch for more help and info.
• NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Talking Therapies - (Self-Refer) - Offer support to those aged 17 and over via a range of brief supported self-help and talking therapy options. The service usually helps people with mild to moderate mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, panic attacks, phobias or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. You can self-refer to the service by calling 0300 300 0055 or you can self-refer here.
• MindEd For Families - MindEd for Families supports parents and those caring for children and young people in their family when they are concerned about a young person’s mental health or well-being. They also provide support for older people and their families when they are concerned about mental health and well-being, either their own or other family members.
• Contact The Elderly - Supported by a network of volunteers, Contact the Elderly organizes monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people aged 75 and over who are dealing with loneliness and social isolation.
• The Silver Line - The Silver Line is the only confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK open every day and night of the year. Our specially-trained helpline team offer information, friendship and advice, link callers to local groups and services, offer regular friendship calls and protect and support older people who are suffering abuse and neglect.
• Independent Age -  As well as offering regular friendly contact and a strong campaigning voice, Independent Age can provide you and your family with clear, free and impartial advice on the issues that matter: care and support, money and benefits, health and mobility.  
  A charity founded over 150 years ago, we’re independent so you can be.
• Friends of the Elderly - We are dedicated to providing individual care with dignity that meets your needs. We employ an informal, relaxed approach to ensure that we maintain our home from home feel, but we always deliver our care with absolute professionalism. Our homes provide residential, dementia, nursing and respite care.
• The Women's Institute - The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities.

Mental health challenges are common but help is available and with the right support many people recover completely. Check out our Support Services Page for lots of services who are local and national!

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and www.ageuk.org.uk/ and the services listed.

About eating disorders

What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are a range of conditions that can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially, regardless of gender, age or size. A person with an eating disorder may focus excessively on their weight and shape, leading them to make unhealthy choices about food with damaging results to their health.

Although serious, eating disorders are treatable conditions and full recovery is possible. The sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery. Eating disorders are complex; there’s no single cause and not all symptoms will apply to all people.

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are the most commonly spoke about eating disorders. However, there are several types of eating disorders and all of them are important.

Some of the main eating disorders are as follows:

• Anorexia Nervosa -

People who have anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve. They often have a distorted image of their bodies, thinking they are fat even when they are underweight. Men and women of any age can get anorexia, but it's most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens. 

• Bulimia Nervosa - 

People who have bulimia go through periods where they eat a lot of food in a very short amount of time (binge eating) and then make themselves sick, use laxatives (medication to help them go to the toilet) or do excessive exercise, or a combination of these, to try to stop themselves gaining weight. Men and women of any age can get bulimia, but it's most common in young women and typically starts in the mid to late teens.

• Binge Eating Disorder - 

Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating large portions of food all at once until you feel uncomfortably full, and then often upset or guilty. Binges are often planned in advance and the person may buy "special" binge foods. Men and women of any age can get binge eating disorder, but it typically starts in the late teens or early 20s.

• Orthorexia -

It is currently not recognised in a clinical setting as a separate eating disorder, so you would not be officially diagnosed with “orthorexia” at the doctors, but the term would likely be brought up in discussion. Orthorexia refers to an unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” food. Food considered “pure” or “impure” can vary from person to person. This doesn’t mean that anyone who subscribes to a healthy eating plan or diet is suffering from orthorexia. As with other eating disorders, the eating behaviour involved – “healthy” or “clean” eating in this case – is used to cope with negative thoughts and feelings, or to feel in control. Someone using food in this way might feel extremely anxious or guilty if they eat food they feel is unhealthy.

• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) - 

It is common for symptoms to not fit with the exact diagnostic criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, so it is classed as an OSFED – OSFED accounts for a large percentage of eating disorders.

Examples of OSFED's are: 

-  Atypical anorexia – where someone has all the symptoms a doctor looks for to diagnose anorexia, except their weight remains within a “normal” range.

-  Bulimia nervosa (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – where someone has all of the symptoms of bulimia, except the binge/purge cycles don’t happen as often or over as long a period of time as doctors would expect.

-  Binge eating disorder (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – where someone has all of the symptoms of binge eating disorder, except the binges don’t happen as often or over as long a period of time as doctors would expect.

-  Purging disorder – where someone purges, for example by being sick or using laxatives, to affect their weight or shape, but this isn’t as part of binge/purge cycles.

-  Night eating syndrome – where someone repeatedly eats at night, either after waking up from sleep, or by eating a lot of food after their evening meal.

 

Eating disorders do not always involve the physical aspect of being thin, someone with a normal or high BMI may still have an eating disorder; you just may not be able to see it. If you or someone you know could be suffering with an eating disorder, it is important to get help. You can always go to your GP who can pass you on to services and people who can give you support and advice.

 The Centre for Clinical Interventions has several resources available for self help and help for others struggling with an eating disorder along with helpful guidance with other mental health challenges.

Who can help?

If you are worried that you may have an eating disorder, visit your GP for support and access the following websites for more information:

• Beat – Beat provides Helplines for people of all ages, offering support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey. These Helplines are free to call from all phones.

  Our Helplines are open 365 days a year from 1pm – 9pm during the week, and 5pm–9pm on weekends and bank holidays. Support on the Helpline is available by phone, email, webchat (live link) through our social media accounts and by letter. Calls to the helpline are free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK and do not appear on itemised bills.

  Sometimes our lines are busy. If you can't get through immediately, please do try again or try our one-to-one web chat or send us an email.

  If you are in need of urgent help or medical advice for yourself or someone else, please contact 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123 if you or someone else is in immediate danger. If you are looking for medical advice, contact your GP or 111.

  Helpline for England: 0808 801 0677

  Helpline for Scotland: 0808 801 0432

  Helpline for Wales: 0808 801 0433

  Helpline for Northern Ireland: 08088 010 434

• Personalised Eating Disorder Support (PEDS)- (Self-Refer) - offers assessment and support with signposting and where appropriate to service users, families and loved ones and professionals. We offer our service users individual sessions which are tailored to meet the unique needs of each person. We also provide family sessions which include practical help, education and support. We operate mostly remotely and sessions are via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. This includes assessments, 1:1s and groups (service users and carers). Face-to-face sessions, if required, are held at Boroughbury Medical Centre

• National Centre for Eating Disorders - Has information and professional training involving all eating disorders.

• SEED - We are a group of ordinary people with first hand experience of eating disorders, who make a difference to those people whose lives are blighted by this devastating illness. All services can be accessed through self-referral. We provide support and services for people living in Hull East Riding and Out of Area.

• MaleVoicED - MaleVoicED is a charity providing a platform to all males enabling the sharing of narrative around poor relationships with food and co-morbid conditions. MaleVoicED also shares the experiences of caregivers, friends and associates who have been affected by such poor food related relationships. MaleVoicED hopes that with the sharing of such narratives, services for males will be improved.

• Overeaters Anonymous - Overeaters Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength and hope are recovering from compulsive overeating. Welcomes everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively.

• British Nutrition Foundation - Promotes the wellbeing of society through the impartial interpretation and effective dissemination of scientifically based knowledge and advice on the relationship between diet, physical activity and health.

• Recover Your Life - One of the biggest and best Self Harm Support Communities on the Internet, offers help on a variety of topics surrounding self harm, including self injury, eating disorders, mental health issues, abuse and bullying, as well as drugs and alcohol and first aid.

• The Mix - The Mix is a website for young adults. It has advice and will help you take on any challenge you’re facing - from mental health, eating disorders to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. Talk to them via online, social or their free confidential helpline.

• NHS Choices -website.

 

Mental health challenges are common but help is available and with the right support many people recover completely. Check out our Support Services Page for lots of services who are local and national!

*Some information gathered from www.nhs.uk and the services listed.

Signs and symptoms

You may not feel you relate to any of the below. You could still be struggling and should access help. Eating disorders are not gender specific and can happen to anyone at any age.  

Symptoms of general eating disorders include: 

To view general signs and symptoms please click here.+

Early habits - There can be early signs or habits that are unhealthy for individuals to do. It is a good idea to act quickly. Beat have a 'Know the first signs' poster which you can see to the right or you can download a copy here.

Physical symptoms include but are not limited to:  
Tiredness and fatigue, cold skin, sight and eye health issues, weak bones, hair loss, lanugo – fluffy light hair growth, behavioural changes and mood swings, abusing laxatives, low self-esteem, poor nail growth, low concentration, sleeping patterns being disturbed, irritability, feeding others, depression and anxiety, disappearing after mealtimes, poor teeth, skin condition changes, changes to menstrual cycles, dizziness, nose bleeds, anaemia, creating or following rules around food, excessive exercising (even when ill), hyper-vigilant/on edge. 

The above signs and symptoms are across most eating disorders. This list is not inclusive, you may find that what you are experiencing is different from this and are still concerned. You may also find that you are experiencing symptoms across several eating disorders.  

Individual experiences of eating disorders may vary. You may not identify with the below definitions or find that you connect with more than one definition. 

For more information on:  

Anorexia  

The NHS defines Anorexia as 'An eating disorder and serious mental health condition. People who have Anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by controlling their intake of food through not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both. This can make them very ill because they start to starve. People may often have a distorted image of their bodies' (NHS, 2021).  

Sometimes the goal is not to reduce or have a low weight, but our weight is affected as a result of the illness. You can still be diagnosed with Anorexia but not be medically classed as underweight. 

Links to more information: 
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/anorexia/overview/ 

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/anorexia  

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Binge Eating  

The NHS defines Binge Eating Disorder as the following 'Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food over a period of time until you're uncomfortably full. Binges are often planned in advance, usually done alone, and may include "special" binge foods. You may feel guilty or ashamed after binge eating' (NHS, 2020). You may feel out of control and unable to stop. 

Links to more information:  
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/binge-eating/overview/ 

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/binge-eating-disorder  

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Bulimia  

The NHS defines Bulimia as 'An eating disorder and mental health condition. People who have bulimia go through periods where they eat excessive amounts of food (binge eating) and then make up for this by purging what they have eaten e.g. by making themselves sick, using laxatives (medicine to help them go to the bathroom) or doing excessive exercise, or a combination of these, to try to stop themselves gaining weight.' (NHS, 2020).  

Links to more information: 
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/bulimia/overview/ 

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/bulimia 

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Diabulimia 

Diabetes UK define Diabulimia as 'An eating disorder that only affects people with Type 1 diabetes. It’s when someone reduces or stops taking their insulin to lose weight. But when you have Type 1 diabetes, you need insulin to live. So without it, there can be life-threatening consequences' (Diabetes UK).  

Links to more information:  
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/diabulimia  

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/diabulimia-5  

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Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) 

BEAT define ARFID as 'A condition characterised by the person avoiding certain foods or types of food, having restricted intake' (BEAT, 2019). A person will avoid certain types of food by drastically reducing their intake. People may do this for a number of different reasons, for example disliking certain textures, tastes or smells, having a distressing experience around food or being unable to identify when you are hungry.  

Links to more information:  
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/arfid  

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/arfid 

https://www.arfidawarenessuk.org/copy-of-what-is-arfid-1  

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Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) also known as Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) 

BEAT define OSFED as when a person’s symptoms don’t exactly fit the expected diagnosis for any of these three specific eating disorders - Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder. They may have symptoms from a variety of different eating disorders. In that case, they might be diagnosed with an 'Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder' (OSFED) (BEAT, 2020). 

Links to more information:  
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/osfed  

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/osfed  

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Orthorexia 

BEAT define Orthorexia as 'An unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” or clean food. Food considered to be “pure” or “impure” can vary from person to person. This person may then only consider eating foods they consider to be clean, cutting out other groups of food completely, for example refined sugars or processed foods etc. It is not currently recognised in a clinical setting as a separate eating disorder, so someone who visited the doctor with the symptoms would not be officially diagnosed with “orthorexia”, although the term may be brought up when discussing their illness' (BEAT, 2020). This can become an unhealthy and unbalanced diet due to missing key nutrition and vitamins that comes with a balanced diet.  

Links to more information:  
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/orthorexia  

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia  

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Rumination Disorder 

BEAT define Rumination disorder as 'An illness that involves repetitive, habitual bringing up of food that might be partly digested. It often occurs effortlessly and painlessly and is not associated with nausea or disgust' (BEAT, 2019).  

Links to more information:  
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/rumination-disorder  

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/rumination-disorder

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Pica 

BEAT define Pica as 'A feeding disorder in which someone eats non-food substances that have no nutritional value, such as paper, soap, paint, chalk, or ice. For a diagnosis of pica, the behaviour must be present for at least one month, not part of a cultural practice, and developmentally inappropriate' (BEAT, 2020).  

Links to more information:  
https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/types/pica 

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/pica  

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Bigorexia/Muscle Dysmorphia  

Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD) Foundation, describe Muscle Dysmorphia 'As sometimes used to describe BDD in which the person is preoccupied with muscle size, shape and leanness. People with muscle dysmorphia often believe that they look small, when in reality they look normal or may even be more muscular than average' (Body Dysmorphia Disorder Foundation).  

Links to more information:  
More about BDD – BDDF (bddfoundation.org)

https://www.verywellmind.com/bigorexia-muscular-dysmorphia-reverse-anorexia-2328475

Bigorexia: Never Buff Enough | BBC Newsbeat - YouTube

If you're living with an eating disorder

Disclaimer - The information on this website is not absolute. It has been created by individuals who have experienced eating disorders and from their observations of their journey through recovery, so some of the text may not resonate with you. The information on this page may be triggering. If you need urgent mental health crisis support, call NHS111 Option 2.

Contents:

• Warm Words - Introduction
• Words Of Encouragement
• Explaining Eating Disorders
• Myths And Truths
• Physical And Mental Health
  • Quiz
  • Signs And Symptoms
• How To Start (Have) A Conversation
• What Might Happen If You (I) Ask For Help
• Wellbeing Tool Kit
• Pandemic
• Support Information
• Services (What Is On Offer)
• Resources

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Warm words

Welcome to our page.  

Are you currently facing challenges surrounding eating, your relationship with yourself and your body? This website has been put together by those who have experienced different eating challenges and recovered or in recovery. We want you to know you are not alone and support is available. 

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Words of encouragement  

• You matter and your feelings are valid 
• You are not the eating disorder; you are still yourself 
• You are loved and will always be loved 
• You have top-notch qualities, don’t forget about them 
• Recovery is possible and there is life after an eating disorder. You can write down your reasons to recover 
• Stay connected with your support network 
• Reach out. You are worthy of help 
• Talk to yourself as you would to someone you love 
• There are times of joy beyond the eating disorder 
• Each day is a new day 
• Small steps are still progress 
• Be proud of yourself for how far you have come  
• You can still be a friend, partner, employee 
• People will listen 
• There is no one or reason to blame 
• Find reasons to love yourself 
• Small steps are still progress, celebrate them 
• Every journey is different, but the end goal is the same 
• Your eating disorder doesn’t have to fit in a specific box 
• It’s ok to speak out, don’t be ashamed, your mind wants to silence you. You wouldn’t be ashamed of breaking your leg 
• Forgive yourself 

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Explaining eating disorders

‘An eating disorder is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations. Anyone can get an eating disorder, but teenagers between 13 and 17 are mostly affected. With treatment, most people can recover from an eating disorder’ (NHS, 2021)  
Click here for more information from the NHS explaining eating disorders.  

Who could develop an eating disorder? Anyone, of any age, race, culture, gender, or ethnic background,

Types of Eating Disorders – Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Diabulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) / Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), Orthorexia, Rumination Disorder, Pica, Bigorexia.

Causes: Eating disorders are complex. There is no single reason. There can be a range of factors that could combine to make it more likely any one person could develop this condition.

Further explanations: Eating disorders are ever changing and different for everyone. Unhealthy eating behaviours may include but aren’t limited to eating too much or too little or worrying about your weight or body shape. 

So many things can be going on at the same time and you can feel like things are so out of control.

You may feel the urge to want to put things in a box or label things you don’t understand, to normalise or minimise what you are experiencing.

Eating Disorders can become a crutch and feel like it is all you have got.

You do not have to focus on recovery if this feels like a long way off. Consider small more manageable steps to help you on the journey of recovery. Small steps are still steps.

Often there are religious holidays, festivals, rituals or periods of our lives that are focused on food. These can be difficult so don’t be afraid to ask for support.

Individual’s experience eating disorders and feelings differently. You could do certain behaviours or experience thoughts and activities that are unhealthy but make you feel good. It can be hard to let that go as that’s a coping mechanism.

Early habits - There can be early signs or habits that are unhealthy for individuals to do. It is a good idea to act quickly. Beat have a 'Know the first signs' poster which you can see to the right or you can download a copy here.

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Myths and truths 

To view all of the myths please click here.+

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Physical health = Mental health

It is a common misconception that eating disorders are about physical looks. Whilst there are physical aspects such as weight loss or gain, bingeing, and vomiting, over or under eating, or over exercising, eating disorders are a mental health illness affecting thoughts and feelings. Physical and mental health are closely linked, and it is important to look after both.  

Quiz

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Signs and symptoms

Anyone can have an eating disorder; you don’t have to experience all symptoms to be struggling with one. Individuals who have their own experiences with eating disorders have put together a list of signs and symptoms to look out for, alongside a list of different eating disorders and their descriptions which you can view here.

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How to start a conversation  

Who to talk to.
When considering who to talk to about any concerns you might have with food, eating, your weight or shape, it is important to find someone you can trust and who can listen to you without judgement. This might be a teacher, a friend, a colleague, or a family member. You might also want to talk to a healthcare professional such as a GP. Choosing a time when you don't feel rushed can be important, and perhaps avoiding mealtimes or other potentially difficult times can be helpful too. 

What to say? Helpful phrases and sentence starters+

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What might happen if you ask for help? 

We know that speaking about this topic with healthcare professionals might seem overwhelming. We want to share some pointers as to what might happen at your appointments.  

• Trust yourself at the GP surgery. You can have a say in your appointment. If your GP suggests you’re fine and you know you are not, don’t take no for an answer, you can ask at the reception to see another doctor/a doctor that is good with mental health. It is also ok to take someone with you to support you. You can also write down specific points you want to say
• Professionals will want to check your health. They need to get a clear understanding about your physical wellbeing to view you in a holistic way (all aspects of your whole self). Some may take blood tests, ECG’s, (recording of your heart activity) blood pressure, and weigh you. You can ask for this to not be shared with you if you choose, and you don’t have to look while they do these tests
• You may be referred to other services and specialists, and you may go on waiting lists. This may mean you could come across different professionals and specialists in your journey such as counsellors or therapists, specialist eating disorder staff, mental health staff, social workers, health care assistants, nurses or psychologists/psychiatrists
• Try not to be put off by professionals if they do not understand or if your experience isn’t as positive as you had hoped. Sometimes the advice you get might not always work for you. Professionals do not always get it right first time. Please don’t let any of this put you off asking for other support

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Wellbeing tool kit 

Self-care  

• Breaking the cycle, if may be helpful to look at the cycle of change - Beat has helpful information on this that can be viewed here 
• Look after your physical health. If you are physically unwell don’t avoid seeing  a health care professional 
• Basic self-care, like brushing your teeth or having a shower is important for your physical and mental health in helping you feel better. Try to set yourself small goals, like getting dressed and washing your face or accepting that you’re allowed to look after yourself 
• Prioritise yourself, this includes giving yourself time to rest and sleep, self-acceptance and self-love 

Healthy distractions

• Puzzles, games, reading a book, listening to some music, meditation, taking a bath, yoga, Pilates, tai-chi  
• Put your favourite film, TV program or music on 
• If your ways of coping include self-harming or inflicting pain on yourself, try less damaging alternatives such as pinging an elastic bands, writing on your skin or holding ice cubes. These physical distractions could help 
• Volunteer/charity work – this can be a great way to boost your confidence and aid your recovery 

Connecting - Is there someone you can talk to? 

• Have a catch up with a friend or family member. Contact someone you trust, it doesn’t have to be a phone call, and you can talk about anything  
• Beat have a helpfinder on their website to help you find support in your area
• Beat has helplines you can call which are open 365 days a year from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on weekends and bank holidays and they also have online chatrooms, one-to-one online advice chat options, 'Blossom' - which is an online structured group to help support those who are managing their eating disorder whilst waiting for NHS treatment and 'Invicta' - which is an online unstructured chat group where others with similar experiences can share helpful advice for recovery and their experiences, the chat room is moderated by BEAT employees so posts are approved before being 'published' to the group to ensure no posts are triggering or inappropriate

Mindful- Find what works for you — gratitude, appreciating the little things  

• Try to step back and reflect on what is going on for you right now. You might find it helpful to write this down 
• Get some fresh air. Take in your surroundings—connect with nature  
• Writing down things to look forward to, reasons to recover 

Get creative — journal, scrapbook, write down your reasons to recover, paint, draw, crochet, or knit  

• Write down your own positive affirmations and gratitude. You can do this on post-it notes, in a journal or on your phone 
• Doing things that make you happy 

Use recommended sites like NHS, Mind, BEAT, PEDS. Information can be damaging and unhealthy. Being aware of unhealthy sites that encourage negative behaviours/thoughts/actions. There can be negative and positive information online. 

• Access support CPSL Mind, Cambridge Community Arts, Good Mood Café, Illuminate 
• https://wellbeingandcoping.net 
• https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/wellbeing/wellbeing/  
• The SUN Network quotes of the day, Blurt affirmation cards, #allontheboard, affirmations 
• What are you missing out on and want to do?

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Pandemic  

Coping with the change during the pandemic. It is a worrying time at the moment for many people, so anxieties are bound to be heightened, try and take things one step at a time (BEAT has information about shopping, routines and anxiety during the pandemic). You can write a worry list or worry tree here.  

Beat has a section on their website with information on how to cope during the pandemic which you can view here.  

• Being eligible for a vaccine. For information on vaccinations please click here
• Not wanting to get help with your physical and/or mental health challenges because of the effect the pandemic has had. Your wellbeing is important so you should still seek help, click here to go to view resources available to support you
• You might not initially see a medical professional face to face due to the pandemic, however you might get a phone or video call. This may change depending on the restrictions in place at the time you make contact
• Worrying about life post pandemic and social interactions can be triggering. Try not to rush yourself, trust how you are feeling and be kind to yourself when you are entering a difficult situation. Perhaps you could speak to a friend about your worries to set some goals for yourself. Try not to feel that as lockdown is easing you have to say yes to making plans or going out, you can say no if you don’t feel ready. You can make plans within the limits that you feel comfortable with
• Routines and rules changing can be disturbing. Setting yourself a healthy routine to provide some structure to your time can be useful
• You may be concerned about shopping. It could help you to make a shopping list for the items you need or want to buy. You can go shopping at quieter times in the day depending on opening hours (between 7am-9am and 7pm-9pm)
• Campaigns, advice and social media messages can be overwhelming. Advice and information from the government and other organisations are blanket messages that do not cover individual aspects of health. They aren’t always relevant to everyone and often can miss important aspects. Take a break from the news, you don’t have to engage with everything all the time
• Whether there is a pandemic or not you are worthy of help and there is support. It just might look different
• The pandemic will not last forever
• Pressure of being encouraged to exercise, socialise and ‘be happy’ because everything is returning to normal. This can be hard to manage and work through so be kind to yourself and focus on your mental wellbeing

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Support information 

There is appropriate support and help for what you are going through.

Things you can do to make it easier for you when/with getting help: 

• Ask someone to come to an appointment with you 
• Making notes/plan of what you want to say 
• Plan something nice after your appointment
• Choose a time and a place you are comfortable with 
• Take it slow – you do not have to say it all in one appointment. Remember it is the start of a conversation and what’s important is getting it out in the open 

What to do if you are unhappy with the service you access/can’t access:

• Firstly, you could speak to the service themselves through their complaints process. Don’t worry, this won’t prevent you from accessing further services if you require them
• If you wish not to speak to the service yourself, you are welcome to contact The SUN Network or you could go to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
• There are a variety of other support services out there so if the one you are currently with isn’t working for you don’t worry

While you wait:

You could have been: referred and are on a waiting list, moving out of/into areas, moving back to home after being away, moving into community, inpatient or outpatient services or you could be between children and adult services and waiting to get support.

• Monitored chat rooms – Beat has helplines you can call which are open 365 days a year from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on weekends and bank holidays and they also have online chatrooms, one-to-one online advice chat options, 'Blossom' - which is an online structured group to help support those who are managing their eating disorder whilst waiting for NHS treatment and 'Invicta' - which is an online unstructured chat group where others with similar experiences can share helpful advice for recovery and their experiences, the chat room is moderated by BEAT employees so posts are approved before being 'published' to the group to ensure no posts are triggering or inappropriate
• Self-care
• You can speak to your GP. They can help in different ways, they may offer to sign you off work
• Occupational support may be offered
• There are private healthcare avenues available
• You could access other local voluntary sector organisations
• There are helplines available to call

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Services (what is on offer) 

• Support groups - PEDS and BEAT have support groups. These can be accessed through self-referrals, GP referrals and online portals. Due to the limited amount of support groups available, they can be at times difficult to access. There are however other support services you can go to and other resources you may find useful
• Support services - Keep Your Head has a list of support services for mental health and wellbeing
• The SUN Network co-produced some information leaflets, with the help of carers of loved ones with eating disorders and individuals who had lived experience of an eating disorder. The two free information leaflets can be accessed via this link and a leaflet about medical monitoring with eating disorders can be read and download here
• School/college/uni
• NHS - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust (CPFT) Eating disorder services. CPFT run the Eating Disorder Service locally. Most people will be seen as outpatients, with a small number requiring a hospital inpatient stay. To access support for an eating disorder, please visit your GP.
• CPFT's Keeping Safe Programme - The Keeping Safe programme is the first step in your treatment. It has been developed to provide information to help you begin to make sense of your difficulties and to encourage you to take steps to minimise any potentially harmful effects caused by your eating disorder whilst you are waiting for treatment. The aims of the Keeping Safe programme are:
  • to provide information about eating disorders
  • to promote a better understanding of the effects of eating disorders
  • to give guidance and harm minimization tips to help you keep yourself safe whilst you are waiting for treatment
• Primary Care Mental Health Service (PCMHS) - is a service that covers all surgeries in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The service provides specialist mental health support for GP surgeries so that patients with mental ill health can access prompt advice and support, receive help in a community setting and experience a more joined-up approach to care.  
• Your GP surgery
• Beat have a helpfinder on their website to help you find support in your area

Voluntary organisations: 

• Personalised Eating Disorder Support - PEDS - (Self-Refer) - offers assessment and support with signposting and where appropriate to service users, families and loved ones and professionals. We offer our service users individual sessions which are tailored to meet the unique needs of each person. We also provide family sessions which include practical help, education and support. We operate mostly remotely and sessions are via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. This includes assessments, 1:1s and groups (service users and carers). Face-to-face sessions, if required, are held at Boroughbury Medical Centre
• CPSL MIND is a mental health charity which promotes positive wellbeing across our communities and supports people on their road to recovery from a wide range of mental health challenges. They offer online support, community initiatives to connect people, counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, peer support groups, Perinatal services and opportunities to get involved with training, volunteering, campaigning and fundraising
• Centre 33 — exists to help every young person in Cambridgeshire fulfil their potential and overcome problems through a range of free and confidential services - including housing, sexual health, family problems, and bullying
• Lifecraft is a user-led organisation for adults in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who experience mental health difficulties. They offer a range of free mental health services to help and support individuals in their wellbeing and recovery
• Illuminate is an organisation specialising in mental health coaching and training to help make positive changes
• Beat – Beat provides Helplines for people of all ages, offering support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey. These Helplines are free to call from all phones.

  Our Helplines are open 365 days a year from 1pm – 9pm during the week, and 5pm–9pm on weekends and bank holidays. Support on the Helpline is available by phone, email, webchat (live link) through our social media accounts and by letter. Calls to the helpline are free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK and do not appear on itemised bills.

  Sometimes our lines are busy. If you can't get through immediately, please do try again or try our one-to-one web chat or send us an email.

  If you are in need of urgent help or medical advice for yourself or someone else, please contact 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123 if you or someone else is in immediate danger. If you are looking for medical advice, contact your GP or 111.

  Helpline for England: 0808 801 0677

  Helpline for Scotland: 0808 801 0432

  Helpline for Wales: 0808 801 0433

  Helpline for Northern Ireland: 08088 010 434

• SEED – (Support and Empathy for people with Eating Disorders) are a voluntary organisation and registered charity whom have first-hand experience of eating disorders and make a different to others who are challenged with this illness

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Resources 

Books: Authors of lived experience and carer books:  

• Hope Virgo
• Emma scrivener 
• Jenny Langley
• Tina McGuff
• The Invisible Man - A Self-help Guide for Men With Eating Disorders, Compulsive Exercise and Bigorexia
• Samuel Pollen - author of The Year I Didn’t Eat
• Christopher Eccleston - I Love the Bones of You
• Rhik Samadder - I Never Said I Loved You 
• Andrew Walen - Man Up to Eating Disorders 
• MaleVoiced - this website is specifically for male ED suffers and has some brilliant resources including this great list of books 
• Beat have suggested books
• Mindful Eating: A guide to rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food - By Jan Chozen Bays
• Life without ED by Jenni Schaefer
• 8 keys to recovery by Geneen Roth
• The Inside Scoop on eating disorder recovery: Advice from two therapists who have been there by Colleen Reichmann and Jennifer Rollin
• Goodbye ED, Hello Me: Recover from your eating disorder and fall in love with life by Jenni Schaefer
• Body Image Workbook
• The secret language of eating disorders, Peggy Claude-Pierre
• The War of art - Steven Pressfield
• Sick enough: A guide to the medical complications of eating disorders by Jennifer L Gaudiani
• Thinsanity by Glen Mackintosh 
• Janet Treasure books - aimed at carers

Podcasts:

• Full of Beans Podcast
• Kimberly Quilan Podcast

Apps:

• Headspace
• Rise up + Recover
• Recovery Record
• Calm
• Reasons2
• Dare: Anxiety and Panic Attack Relief
• Calm Harm
• Stay Alive
• SAM Self-Help for Anxiety Management
• MindShift
• Hub of Hope
• Feeling Good: positive mindset  

Websites:  

• PEDS
• Keeping Safe Programme
• Keep Your Head
• Cambridgeshire Peterborough South Lincs (CPSL) Mind
• How Are You Peterborough
• Beat Eating Disorders
• Beat Downloads and Resources
• Beat blog posts
• The Blurt Foundation
• Male Voice ED
• Anorexia and Bulimia Care (ABC)
• Seed - Seed also has a page on their website for getting help and support
• National Centre for Eating Disorders
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
• Mind
• Overeaters Anonymous
• Rethink Mental Illness

There are resources for carers which can be viewed here.

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Helplines:  

• Lifeline - 11am-11pm every day 0808 808 2121 
• NHS First Response Service. In a mental health crisis? Call NHS 111 option 2 
• Samaritans - 24hours a day, 365 days a year. Free line 116 123  
• Beat (Adults) - Call for eating disorder support - 0808 801 0677 
• Beat (Student Line) - 0808 801 0811 
• Beat (Under 18's) - 0808 801 0711 
• SEED Advice Line - (01482) 718130 
• National Centre for Eating Disorders - 0845 838 2040
• Your GP surgery