Help Hub

While we have many laughs with our guests throughout the series, we do explore some subjects which may be upsetting and triggering for some.

Issues explored, include:

• Alcohol and substance abuse
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Complex post-traumatic stress ‘disorder’ (CPTS‘D’)
• Imprisonment
• Parental imprisonment
• Perimenopause and menopause
• Post-natal depression (PND)
• Post traumatic stress ‘disorder’ (PTS‘D’)
• Self-harm
• Suicide ideation or planned suicide
• Trauma

We want you to know that you are not alone and that help is available.

This Hub includes easily accessible UK-based resources that we have found helpful. We hope that you do, too.

In the case of anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide ideation or a planned suicide, you can reach out to the following (be it for yourself, or on behalf of someone you are concerned about):

Call 111 – 24 hours every day

Call free of charge, on 116 123

Email jo@samaritans.org

The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service – visit their website to choose from a range of useful resources:

http://www.addiss.co.uk/

ADDITUDE Magazine is an online magazine which also has frequent webinars on different aspects of ADHD. 

https://www.additudemag.com/

For menopause – visit their website on the link below to download their useful guide on the menopause and possible interventions:

https://www.additudemag.com/download/menopause-adhd-treatments-interventions/?srsltid=AfmBOorwFob5W_1D61hZ8mNmXcXLU0Df-My8ZjnFlK0jYm_DFtheigPj

ADHD Action offers resources and support for parents of children with ADHD, at:

https://www.facebook.com/ADHDUKcharity/

ADHD Babes is a support group for Black women and Black non-binary African-Caribbean ADH‘D’ers. Visit their website to access a range of useful resources

https://www.adhdbabes.com/

At https://www.adoptionuk.org

Action for families enduring criminal trauma offering face to face or telephone counselling, telephone support, group meetings, befriending, court support, training and presentations.

Call 0300 365 3651

Alcohol Change UK, at https://alcoholchange.org.uk/

This website is packed with accessible information, tips and interactive tools to help you reduce your alcohol intake – and the benefits of doing so.

Their practical guide to reducing alcohol intake is also worth checking out – not only because of Lee Mack’s contribution to it!:

Try Dry: The Official Guide to a Month Off Booze.

A no-nonsense official guide to an alcohol-free month, by Alcohol Change UK – with Foreword by comedian, Lee Mack.

Available to purchase here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CZ769BZ?tag=prhmarketing2552-21

Call their free helpline, on 0800 917 7650

Email help@aamail.org

Appropriate Adults UK provides support to juveniles and vulnerable adults held under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (P.A.C.E) Codes of Practice for the Detention Treatment and Questioning of Persons by Police Officers or being interviewed by any statutory organisation.

They help individuals who, because of disability, illness, social exclusion and other challenges, find it difficult to express their views or get the support they need.

Visit their website for information, at https://www.appropriateadults.co.uk/ 

During her interview, Katie Price heaped thanks upon the Appropriate Adult service, which, as she explained, made a critical difference in helping her to better process and understand legal issues and what she needed to do, to help improve outcomes for herself.

Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity and their website is full of diverse resources. The link below takes you to the list of menopause related resources: https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/autism-and-menopause

A website for autistic people going through menopause. Find out more at: https://autisticmenopause.com/

I had to include Dr Carrie Grant’s and David Grant’s book here, because it truly is a manual in how to survive parenthood and all the struggles it may bring! Carrie and David have four children, one of whom is adopted and all have come with a curveball: mental health challenges, neurodivergence, trans non-binary identities, various sexualities and they are a mixed-race family. In this book, they share their challenges, while providing pertinent and applicable advice:

Grant, C. and Grant, D. (2023). A Very Modern Family: Stories and guidance to nurture your relationships. London: Piatkus Books.

Available to purchase at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Modern-Family-guidance-inclusive/dp/0349434727

For more book recommendations please see our Bibliography page.

An organisation and support group for black SEND mothers which aims to break down barriers and build inclusivity through its services. Find out more on their website at https://blacksenmamas.com/about/

This website is full of diverse resources to help individuals experiencing body dysmorphia, as well as their family. Visit their website to choose from a range of useful resources at https://bddfoundation.org/

Mind’s online information on body dysmorphia also has some useful resources that you might wish to explore. Visit their dedicated page at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd/useful-contacts/

Provides information and support for parents of children with dyslexia, at https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day

Visit the webchat page at https://www.thecalmzone.net/suicide-prevention-helpline

Please note: the webchat opens from 5pm

For children and young people under 19.

Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill.

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a type of talking therapy. It’s based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but it’s specially adapted for people who feel emotions very intensely. Visit Mind’s dedicated page at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/talking-therapy-and-counselling/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-dbt/ 

Created by Joseph Pack, this website and its accompanying resources are a must for any ADH‘D’ers who is thinking about managing ADH‘D’ without medication (and instead, with skills not pills, as Joseph says!) For further information and inspiration, visit https://www.drugfreeadhd.org/

At https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

At http://www.dyscalculiaassociation.uk

At https://www.familyandchildcaretrust.org

This organisation offers free support to anyone who has been sexually abused by someone in the Church, or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales.

For further information, visit their website at https://www.firstlight.org.uk/our-services/safe-spaces/

A national anti-drug advisory service

Call their helpline, on 0300 123 6600

Text 82111

Visit their website, at https://www.talktofrank.com/

Email via their contact page, at https://www.talktofrank.com/contact

An advocacy centre and proud partner of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). Their mission is to assist anyone who has been victimised by sexual assault or abuse. Their website contains a compilation of information concerning the different instances of sexual violence and is replete with resources to assist survivors and their families. To find out more, follow the link: https://helpingsurvivors.org/

A website with packed with information and stories about the menopause, including advice on talking to doctors. Check it out at: https://henpicked.net/

This website provides a comprehensive list of support for both female and male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as well as those who have survived rape and sexual assault as a result of domestic abuse. You can find their comprehensive list of helpline services at https://sexualabusesupport.campaign.gov.uk/#support

This X2 award-winning FREE app was designed by me, Dr Mine Conkbayir.

I designed this app during the first lockdown, to help parents, foster carers, childminders, Early Years professionals and teachers to access quick and effective ways to help children and young people to better manage their emotions.

The tools in this Toolbox are provided by Early Years professionals, mindfulness experts, parents and foster carers – each of whom feature in this app. Give it a go!

The app is available on Android phones and has its own website: https://keepyourcooltoolbox.com/

For people with disability, including learning disability, at https://www.mencap.org.uk

Created by a psychologist and mental health specialist, this website is full of practical techniques to help ease the impact of the perimenopause and menopause. Check it out at: https://menopause-ology.com

The Menopause Charity is designed for individuals experiencing menopause, to help them better understand the changes that are happening to them and know what to do next. Find out more at: https://www.themenopausecharity.org/

Helps gender-diverse young people and their families, at https://mermaidsuk.org.uk

Call their helpline, on 0300 123 3393

Visit their website for information concerning PND, at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6c63BhAiEiwAF0EH1BU0rW0JcwVfr9_RoMb_S2GIHaQbvWZ8qxAcEz3TMJvOL8pGcth6hhoCopwQAvD_BwE

Mind’s online information on body dysmorphia also has some useful resources that you might wish to explore. Visit their dedicated page at

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd/useful-contacts/

Call their helpline on 0808 801 0331

Email support@napac.org.uk

Provides information and support specifically for parents of autistic children, at https://www.autism.org.uk/

At https://nnpcf.org.uk

This website contains some helpful information and lifestyle changes which might alleviate the symptoms of the perimenopause and the menopause. Find out more at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/things-you-can-do/

Prevention of young suicide.

Visit their webchat page at https://www.papyrus-uk.org/papyrus-HOPELINE247/

Call 0800 068 41 41

Text 07860 039967

Email pat@papyrus-uk.org

For help with pathological demand avoidance, at https://www.pdasociety.org.uk

Visit their website to choose from a range of useful resources: https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/

The national charity providing support to prisoners, people with convictions, and their families

Call their prisoners’ families helpline, free of charge, on 0808 808 2003

https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/

An online community for anyone with a loved one in prison

Visit their website, at https://prisonchatuk.com/

Rape Crisis England and Wales is a feminist charity working to end sexual violence and abuse. They are also the membership organisation for Rape Crisis centres across England and Wales.

You can contact their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, free of charge, and speak to one of their specialists – at any time of the day or night, on

0808 500 2222

Visit their website to start a free online chat, at https://rapecrisis.org.uk/

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organisation. Their website is packed full of diverse resources.

Check it out at: https://rainn.org/about-rainn

A charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic violence

Call their helpline on 0808 2000 247

Visit their webchat page at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Chat-to-us-online/

Rock My Menopause offers diverse resources for managing and thriving during the perimenopause. Check it out at: https://rockmymenopause.com/resources/

This organisation offers support to anyone who has been sexually abused by someone in the Church, or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales – no matter how long ago. You do not have to have told the police or the church authorities and you do not have to still be involved with the church.

For further information, visit their website at https://safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk/

You can call them on 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times)

Email them at safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk

A support group for adults over 18 who have a brother or sister living with mental health issues

Email info@siblinglink.co.uk

Visit their website, at https://www.siblinglink.co.uk/

Call 0808 115 1505 – 8pm to midnight Monday to Friday, 4pm to midnight Saturday and Sunday

Email contact@sossilenceofsuicide.org

Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability and autistic people (STOMP) and supporting treatment and appropriate medication in paediatrics (STAMP) – a national NHS England work programme to stop the inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic medications. The website is full of accessible information and resources for families and carers, as well as all professionals, neurodivergent and disabled individuals. Find out more at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/stomp-stamp/

Survivors of Incest Anonymous (SIA) – offers a mutual-help, 12-Step programme, Survivors of Incest Anonymous. They offer virtual and in-person meetings, dependent on location, as this is a U.S-based resource.

Find out more at https://siawso.org/

Their website contains a lengthy list of links to men’s suicide prevention charities which play key roles in breaking down the barriers that prevent men from seeking help for all aspects of their lives. Visit https://letstalkaboutsuicide.co.uk/mens-mental-health-charities/

This government document outlines the legal framework for identifying and supporting children with special educational needs (SEND) in England, at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

(The most recent version of the SEND Code of Practice was reviewed in October 2023)

Thriving in College with ADHD: Essential Tools and Strategies for Success – this article was recommended by a volunteer educator who is passionate about raising awareness of the studying challenges as an ADH‘D’er. Having written in and requested we include it, I had to oblige! So, here you go:

https://abamastersprograms.org/thriving-in-college-with-adhd/

LGBTQIA+ support and campaigns, at https://www.stonewall.org.uk

Call the Tommy’s Midwives’ Helpline, which is a freephone line open 9-5, Monday to Friday, staffed by their specialist team of midwives, for anyone who needs advice, reassurance or support on any pregnancy issue – including mental health, on  0800 0147 800

You can also book your call with their Black and Black Mixed-Heritage Helpline, on https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/about-tommys-pregnancy-information/video-call-service

Visit their website concerning PND, at https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/mental-health-wellbeing/postnatal-depression-pnd#:~:text=If%20you’re%20feeling%20like,Stephanie%2C%20mum%20of%202

UK Narcotics Anonymous (UKNA) is a community of people who have overcome their drug problem, to support each other to achieve and maintain a drug-free life.

It costs nothing to be a UKNA member; you are a member of UKNA when you say you are – and there are no waiting lists for UKNA. If anyone wants to attend a meeting, they just need to show up.

Visit their website at https://ukna.org/

Call their helpline between 10.00am – midnight, on 0300 999 1212

An independent charity in England and Wales that provides support to people affected by crime and trauma

Call their helpline on 08 08 16 89 111

Visit their webchat page at https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help/support-near-you/live-chat/

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