Readers of Asylum magazine occasionally say to us ‘it’s all very well critiquing the mental health system but where are the alternative sources of help?’ In order to address this we have made a list of resources giving practical support to help people cope with mental distress.
Additionally, we have compiled a list of places in the UK – not part of the mental health system – that offer alternative support to people experiencing mental distress and madness. If you know of any good resources or places in your local area which you feel should be on the list, please let us know.
We are always interested in both positive and negative feedback from people who have used any of these ‘alternatives’, and from workers who have had contact with them. If you would like to share your experiences, or write a review of them, please contact us. We would like to include discussion about these in future pages of ASYLUM Magazine.
Contact us at: editors@asylumonline.net with ‘alternative sources of support’ as the heading, or write to: Asylum magazine, Limbrick Centre, Limbrick Road, Sheffield, S6 2PE.
Resources
Coming off psychiatric medication
‘Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs and Withdrawal’ by the Icarus Project and Freedom Center. Free to download from: http://theicarusproject.net/HarmReductionGuideComingOffPsychDrugs
‘Coming Off Psychiatric Medication’ website: http://www.comingoff.com/
‘Surviving Antidepressants’ website – provides volunteer peer support for antidepressant withdrawal:http://survivingantidepressants.org/
Coping with hearing voices and unusual beliefs
Hearing Voices Network – includes list of hearing voices groups in England, Wales and Scotland: http://www.hearing-voices.org/ Tel: 0114 2718210
Intervoice – the international community for hearing voices, includes ‘the practical guide to coping with voices’: http://www.intervoiceonline.org/
‘Beyond Belief – Alternative ways of working with delusions, obsessions and unusual experiences’ by Tamasin Knight. Book which includes self help strategies for people living with ‘unusual’ or distressing beliefs and things friends, relatives and professionals can do to help. Free to download: http://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/beyond-belief.htm
Rufus May’s Website: http://rufusmay.com/
Living with self harm
Kreative Interventions – includes free downloads of the self-help books ‘The Hurt Yourself Less Workbook’ and ‘Cutting the Risk: Self-Harm, Self Care & Risk Reduction: http://www.kreativeinterventions.com/resources_7.html
Bristol Crisis Service for Women – includes many self help resources related to self injury, including strategies for dealing with feelings and flashbacks. Also includes a list of self injury support groups in the UK: http://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/home
Coping with distress
Samaritans –provides confidential emotional support for people experiencing distress, despair and suicidal feelings: http://www.samaritans.org/ Tel: 08457 90 90 90 email: jo@samaritans.org
Spiritual Crisis Network – provides information and email support for people experiencing spiritual crisis: http://www.spiritualcrisisnetwork.org.uk/
‘Lift depression – the human givens approach’ – includes practical self help ways of overcoming depression: http://www.lift-depression.com/
Human Givens Institute: http://www.hgi.org.uk/archive/
‘Just Pull Yourself Together’ website – lists various categories of websites on topics related to mental health: https://sites.google.com/site/
Helping people in crisis
See the resources above plus:
‘Where women have no doctor’ – Chapter 13 mental health – by Hesperian. Book designed for those living in countries with few health care resources, describes practical, non-medical ways to help women experiencing mental health problems. Free to download: http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/
First aid for emotional trauma: http://freedom-center.org/files/trauma_first_aid_fact_sheet12-08.pdf
Helping others in crisis: http://theicarusproject.net/files/IcarusNavigatingCrisisHandoutLarge05-09.pdf
Responding to people who have self-harmed: http://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/helpful-responses-self-injury
Rape Crisis Centres – provide support to people who have experienced sexual violence: http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/
Art and Creative Writing
Start2
Start2 is an exciting online wellbeing resource that uses art and creative activities to boost your health. Start2 is full of ideas that anyone and everyone can enjoy regardless of experience of doing creative activity.
Alternative places of support in the UK
The projects and support services listed below have been advertised as ‘alternatives’, however we have not visited them all, and so we can’t necessarily vouch for them. We offer them as examples in good faith without any endorsement. We are always interested in both positive and negative feedback from people who have used any of these places of support, and from workers who have had contact with them. If you would like to share your experiences, or write a review of any of the places below, please contact us, our details are given above.
England: South West
Bridge Collective, Exeter. A democratic community of mutual support run by people who have experiences, beliefs, and feelings that have sometimes been labelled as mental illness: http://www.bridgecollective.org.uk/ Tel: 01392 433358
Counselling for Social Change, Cornwall. Counselling for Social Change offers an accepting and confidential space to discuss any issues currently affecting your life and work. We work in a supportive and empathic way to help you through life’s challenges. http://www.counsellingforsocialchange.org.uk/
England: South East
Maytree, London. A short term retreat for the suicidal, stays are free of charge: http://www.maytree.org.uk/ Tel: 020 7263 7070
Philadelphia Association Community Houses, London. Therapeutic houses for people going through personal crisis, serious distress or confusion. Stays are longer term, not usually for less than a year. Houses are open to people eligible for housing benefit or who can pay the low rent themselves: http://www.philadelphia-association.co.uk/Tel: 020 77942652
England: North West
Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service, Leeds. Provides ‘sanctuary and support in times of crisis’. Has a telephone helpline and Dial House, a place of sanctuary where people in crisis may visit (6pm – 2am Fri-Mon), they also have group sessions: http://www.lslcs.org.uk/ Tel (helpline): 0808 800 1212 – open 6-10.30pm every evening
Sacred Space Foundation, Cumbria. A charity providing peaceful and confidential rest and recuperation facilities. It helps those suffering from the extremes of stress, burnout, emotional exhaustion or ‘spiritual crisis’. No fixed charge for stays but a donation is requested: http://www.sacredspace.org.uk/ Tel: 01768 486868
Sharing Voices, Bradford. A community development mental health organisation for people from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities. Believes in ‘giving power back to local people or people living in distress’. Promotes self help and mutual support, runs various groups and offers one-to-one support: http://www.sharingvoices.org.uk Tel: 01274 731166
England: North East
Holy Rood House, Centre for Health and Pastoral Care, North Yorkshire. A therapeutic residential centre working with people living with mental distress from across Britain. Mainly supported by volunteers with a team of 12 therapists – counsellors, psychotherapists, complementary therapists, arts therapists – who offer hours of their time and skills to people because they believe in the unique work of Holy Rood. Working with all areas of trauma and in particular – trauma following sexual abuse. http://www.holyroodhouse.org.uk/ Tel: 01845 522580
Wales
Hearing Voices Network Cymru. Includes information and a list of hearing voices groups in Wales: http://hearingvoicescymru.org/
Scotland
HaVen, The Hearing Voices Network, Dundee. A user led charity that seeks to create acceptance that hearing voices is a valid experience. ‘Hearing voices’ is seen to include voices, visions and distressing beliefs. Runs self-help groups and social activities: http://hearingvoicesnetwork.com/new/ Tel: 01382 223023
Respite and Recovery, Isle of Lewis. Personalised respite and recovery breaks for individuals wishing to engage with their emotional, spiritual and mental health issues in a positive way, stays are free of charge: http://www.workingtorecovery.co.uk/respite-recover
Lothlorien Therapeutic Community, South West Scotland. Based on the therapeutic community model, which includes principles of collective responsibility and empowerment: http://www.lothlorien.tc
