People can contact Beatonline or by phone. They’ll listen to you, help you to understand the illness, and support you to take positive steps towards recovery. They also support family and friends, equipping them with essential skills and advice, so they can help their loved ones recover whilst also looking after their own mental health.
The helpline details vary based on which country you’re calling from:
Wales – 08088010433
England – 08088010677
Scotland – 08088010432
Northern Ireland – 0808 801 0434
Helplines are open 3pm-8pm, Monday to Friday.
There’s also email support, which also varies by which country you’re contacting:
Email support for Wales:
Waleshelp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Email support for England:
help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Email support for Scotland:
Scotlandhelp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Email support for Northern Ireland:
NIhelp@beateatingdisorders.org.uk
And there’s also web chat if you need a quicker reply.
Switchboard provide an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity.
Every phone call, email, or instant message is answered by a volunteer from the LGBTQIA+ community
Here are some of the things people might contact Switchboard about:
- Information about support groups for someone who is struggling with their gender identity
- Support for a man who has been a victim of homophobic abuse, but has previously had a bad experience going to the police.
- Contact details for an LGBT-friendly therapist.
- Support for a lesbian teenager thrown out of her home by her parents, and who needs somewhere to stay.
- Information on how to get to local gay pubs for someone with mobility issues.
- Times and places for a local bisexual social group.
- Listening to some of the concerns a mother has about her child who is trans.
Phone line is open 10:00 – 22:00 daily.
This is a helpline you can call if you’re concerned about a child or young person. If you’re a parent, a teacher or a professional who’s looking for advice, guidance or information, this is the helpline to contact! You can call Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm or you can email 11am-4pm seven days a week – but if you email outside of those hours, it won’t be received.
A support line set up by musicians for musicians (by the biggest and longest running musicians’ charity) – Music Minds Matter are there 24/7 for the whole of the UK music community. You can get emotional support & guidance – you may also be eligible for a counselling referral.
You can call, or WhatsApp 24/7.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is for anyone over the age of 18 affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts.
They have helpful information about a range of topics, as well as lifestyle articles and videos to encourage men to live life to the fullest and be able to get the support they need. They avoid mental health jargon and start with the belief that everyone at some point, will hit a crisis – we can all do with specialist support when things go wrong. Their helpline is open 7 days a week from 5pm til midnight, where you can talk through any issue and they’ll listen and offer information anonymously and confidentially.
The website also offers a web chat, or you can message through WhatsApp too.
MIND are possibly the biggest mental health charity out there. Their website is bursting with information and advice for a huge range of mental health issues, whether you’re looking for yourself, or for how to support someone else. You can contact MIND’s infoline for information about types of mental health problem, where to get help, medication, and advocacy.
Helplines available Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, excluding bank holidays.
There are also specific helplines for Information, Welfare Benefits, and Legal support.
The YoungMinds helpline is specifically for parents.
The helpline is open Monday to Friday. You can call:
- from 9.30am – 4pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Friday
- from 9.30am – 6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
There’s also an online chat option too.
YoungMinds is a charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. They campaign, research, and influence policy and practise. Their site is full of information and advice around different issues, and how to provide support to young people.
Meic have advice tailored to your age range, from young children, to young adults up to 25 in Wales. They can help find out what’s going on in your local area, or help you deal with a tricky situation. They offer information, advice and support with no judgement. MEIC is confidential, anonymous, free, and just for you. You can contact them in English or Welsh, whichever is best for you.
They’re open 8am – midnight 7 days a week.
There’s also online chat & worth noting that the WhatsApp number is different to the text number – WhatsApp on 0808 802 3456.
SupportLine offer confidential emotional support to children, young adults and adults by telephone, email and post. They’ll work with you to develop healthy, positive coping strategies to help with recovery and moving forward. You can talk to them about anything that’s troubling you. They have loads of experience of working with victims of abuse. If you’ve been a victim of any sort of abuse, it’s definitely worth contacting SupportLine.
Helpline opening hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 6pm-8pm