Help organisations for people with mental health
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hi, as a long term sufferer of schizophrenia and in view of the dreadrful cutbacks in NHS etc services under this current govt, I thought it might be helpful to outline what help nowadays is actually out there for mental health sufferers.
Obviously some of these are only going to be local but there may be something similar in your area.
So firstly Rethink Mental Illness, now they have been instrumental in helping me declutter my flat, encouraging me over my poetry and photography, so ones hobbies, and are generally all round really helpful, even phoned my housing for me over some repairs I was going to be charged for and got them dropped.
Secondly Poole (local) Housing Partnership, may be known as Sustain, sent a very nice lady out to me once a fortnight as I felt isolated, who chats and also helps with a bit of housework.
MIND, the mental health charity, I use the Dorset area one, have been a constant help on the phone, very empathic the lady I spoke to and a good listener. The lady says she is happy for me to phone whenever I like so I phone once a fortnight.
More peripheral is Live Well Dorset, there may be something comparable in your area, obviously it varies, who have helped me over weight related issues about my medication and and "Beat" who offer a similar service and also help over giving up smoking.
There is also Advocacy who used to attend medical appointments with me although I'm not certain if they still provide this service but PALS do I know.
This is very precied but by all means ask me any questions and I'll try to help.
Best wishes, Fiona
2 likes, 11 replies
fiona51388
Posted
PS I forgot to mention The Richmond Fellowship run art classes locally so there may be something like that in your area, that's all I can think of for now.
fiona51388
Posted
borderriever fiona51388
Posted
So there are plenty thing to get involved in over an extended period
BOB
fiona51388 borderriever
Posted
Thanks I'll check them out and see if they operate locally x
borderriever fiona51388
Posted
BOB
fiona51388 borderriever
Posted
fiona51388
Posted
Hi again, in addition to this there is also "Relate" which has online chat on their website for councelling and also "Live Chat" online, I'm about to check them out and the good news is MIND, sampled some of my poetry and said they liked it so much they want to put some on their website! Must admit I am thrilled. I will update this message as and when if more help organisations or info come up.
Best wishes, Fiona
fiona51388
Posted
PS The Richmond fellowship just do "self managed" classes now due to lack of funding but there art class and their womens group still running as they come under that umbrella, so to speak.
fiona51388
Posted
I feel I may have misled people there, Relate seems to be for relationship councelling rather than mental health, I do remember I'd heard of them now.
fiona51388
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I have to say I have issues with "Beat", the comment I posted on the website was precied out of all recognition, altered and made it look like I was making up stories and not having weight gain issues at all (wasnt mentioned when interpreted by their third party) looked more like I was describing dismorphia and I spoke to a guy at length saying that I'd had issues in my 20's and 30's so past 25 but he obviously wasn't listening to me at all as he put me onto an organisation called "The Mix" which is purely for the under 25s so I have to say I feel their attitude is dismissive and off the cuff as the guy evidently said the first thing that came into his head and the comments should be published in full, it wasn't that long anyway, or it actively discourages mental health users with a flair for writing, this being the tip of the iceberg, I have emailed them to make them aware of how unprofessionally I felt I'd been handled. Don't like to give bad press but then again its important to be honest and accurate really.
fiona51388
Posted
If you fancy a holiday, again mind the local interpretation but try googling for similar, Green Island Holiday trust run subsidised holidays and I am after an asssessment, hopefully going to stay in one of two adjoined cottages in July going on horse drawn carraige rides, trips to Corfe castle, Swanage, doing a bit of bird watching and generally having a good time, worth googling sponsered holidays for Mental heatlh or disabled, possilbly.