Alternative Support

Umbrellas

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 that 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 support people experiencing mental distress and madness. If there are resources in your local area that should be on the list, please let us know.

We are always interested in feedback – both positive and negative – 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: [email protected] with ‘alternative sources of support’ as the heading, or write to: Asylum Magazine, PCCS Books Wyastone Business Park, Wyastone Leys Monmouth, NP25 3SR

 

Resources

Coming off psychiatric medication

Autonomous Management of Medication in Mental Health – original is in French, so you may need to use google translate.

Coming Off Psychiatric Medication

Coming off Psych Drugs: a meeting of the minds – Daniel Mackler Documentary

Coming of Psychiatric Drugs: a harm reduction approach – Will Hall video

Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs and Withdrawal – by the Icarus Project and Freedom Center.

International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal 

Medicating Me: Personal Impressions of Psychiatric Medication

Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal – a webinar series

Surviving Antidepressants  – provides volunteer peer support for antidepressant withdrawal

The Withdrawal Project – Inner Compass withdrawal resources


Coping with hearing voices and unusual beliefs

Hearing Voices Network – includes list of hearing voices groups in England, Wales and Scotland Tel: 0114 2718210

Intervoice – the international community for hearing voices, includes ‘the practical guide to coping with voices’:

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.

Rufus May’s Website


Spirituality

Crazywise – Link to film and resource pages.

Emerging Proud – aiming to expand the public perception of ‘normal’ all over the world.  

Spiritual Crisis Network – Psychospiritual resources and links to research, books, articles, websites, videos, email support, and places to stay for those going through or recovering from spiritual crisis.


Living with self harm

Free downloads of the self-help books ‘The Hurt Yourself Less Workbook’ and ‘Cutting the Risk: Self-Harm, Self Care & Risk Reduction:

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.

Self Injury Support

Support for women and girls.  Resources and training for all.


Coping with distress

Samaritans – provides confidential emotional support for people experiencing distress, despair and suicidal feelings: Tel: 08457 90 90 90 email: [email protected]

Spiritual Crisis Network – provides information and email support for people experiencing spiritual crisis:

Lift depression – the human givens approach – includes practical self help ways of overcoming depression.

Human Givens Institute

Inner Compass Initiative – works to support individuals to engage in curious, critical, independent self-education and inner exploration, and collectively, to help develop more interconnected, empowered and resilient grassroots communities.

Just Pull Yourself Together – lists various categories of websites on topics related to mental health. 

Paranoia Network.  Run by Peter Bullimore, Kate Crawford and Tori Reeve, the organisation aims to raise
awareness of how disabling paranoia can be and to breakdown social taboos.


Trauma and abuse

Beck Road Alliance.  Exists to support survivors of organised childhood sexual abuse on Beck Road, Hackney, and ALL survivors EVERYWHERE, to share their testimonies of surviving childhood sexual abuse.

First aid for emotional trauma.

Rape Crisis Centres – provide support to people who have experienced sexual violence. Telephone: 0808 802 99 99 (open 12n-2.30pm /7pm-9.30 every day)

Shatter Boys UK. A peer support groups for adult male survivors of child sexual abuse.


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.

Navigating crisis.

Helpful responses to self-injury

Safely Held Spaces. Helping people experiencing mental and emotional distress, and those who support them, to make informed and empowered choices about the kinds of support they want.


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.


See also Asylum list of mental health discussion and campaigning groups.


Events and workshops

Compassionate Mental Health – organises experiential events designed to inform, inspire and empower people living and working with mental distress


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. Tel: 01392 433358

Bristol Men’s Crisis House. Supports men experiencing mental health problems where hospital admission might be the only other alternative available.

Bristol Sanctuary A place which feels safe, comfortable and welcoming where people who are experiencing severe emotional distress can go for help out of normal working hours. Tel: 0117 9542952 

Cherry Orchards, Bristol.  A therapeutic community seeking new ways to live a healthy social life in our troubled world.

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.

Suicide Crisis Centre, Cheltenham.  Crisis services offer intensive support to people at high risk of suicide, and we can continue to support you over the longer term on a less intensive basis. Open to people living in Gloucestershire.  Tel. 07975 974455.

The Trauma Centre.  Offers support to anyone living in Gloucestershire who has experienced recent or historic trauma. Tel. 07975 974455.

The Wellbeing House, Bath.  Provides a retreat for those experiencing mental health distress, who live in Bath and North East Somerset. Tel. 01225 366135.


England: South East

Community Housing and Therapy, London. A registered charity that runs therapeutic communities and believes that all people, regardless of financial circumstances, should have access to psychotherapy and not just medication. Tel: 020 7381 5888

Dialogue First.  A non-crisis community mental health service, run by NELFT NHS Foundation Trust which accepts referrals from primary care anywhere in the UK.  All staff have undertaken training in Open Dialogue. 

Drayton Park Women’s Crisis House, London. Provides 12 women in mental health crisis a residential stay in a domestic setting, as an alternative to acute admission. Tel: 020 7607 2777

Hastings Sanctuary – support for people experiencing mental health crises, run by Turning Point.

Maytree, London. A short term retreat for people who are suicidal.  Stays are free of charge.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. Tel: 020 77942652

Recovery Partners.  A mental health recovery project working across East Sussex. A non-profit organisation that is 100% user-led and run. Offers services to individuals and groups.

Rivers Crisis House, Camden. An acute community facility, providing practical and emotional mental health support. The service is for urgent care for up to two weeks.

Soteria Brighton   Soteria Brighton was formed in 2011 with the aim of establishing a Soteria House and related services in Brighton for people experiencing ‘psychosis’ (including what is sometimes referred to as ‘schizophrenia’). It does not yet run any services, but hopes to in the future.


England: Midlands

Safe Haven Corby. Providing a supportive environment for individuals over the age of 18 years (living or residing in Northamptonshire) who have short term or enduring mental health problems or deem themselves in ‘crisis’.                 Tel: 01536 461414 


England: North West

James’ Place.  A non clinical centre for men experiencing suicidal crisis in Liverpool.

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. Tel: 01768 486868

The Sanctuary, Manchester. Provides support to adults who are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts or are in crisis. The Sanctuary offers a space to talk and assistance with coping after the initial crisis.  Open to residents of Manchester, Trafford, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Glossop, Wigan and Leigh.  There are also services in Bolton ( 0300 303 0581) and Grimsby (01472 722 007).

Willow House, Coppull, Lancashire.  Richmond Fellowshire service, providing a relaxing and tranquil environment to support people during a time of mental health crisis.Offers short term placements for up to seven days.


England: North East

Cellar Trust Haven. Offers a safe, specialise d and supportive place in the local community for those in mental distress to visit as an alternative to the A and E Department.  Based in Shipley – for people in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.

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. Tel: 01845 522580

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. Tel (helpline): 0808 800 1212 – open 6-10.30pm every evening.

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. Tel: 01274 731166

Soteria, Bradford.  This crisis house is not a hospital and is not led by doctors or professionals but aims to offer an alternative to hospitalisation within a compassionate community. Tel: 0794 862 1976


Wales

Coed Arian Community Crisis House. Offers an alternative to hospital in-patient admission, for people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Hearing Voices Network Cymru. Includes information and a list of hearing voices groups in Wales.


Scotland

Edinburgh Crisis Centre. Open 24 hours a day 365 days of the year and provides community based, emotional and practical support at times of crisis.

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. Tel: 01382 223023

Lothlorien Therapeutic Community, South West Scotland. Based on the therapeutic community model, which includes principles of collective responsibility and empowerment.

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.


Alternative places of support outside the UK

Bethel House

Established in 1984 in Urakawa-cho, Hokkaido, Japan. This is a service user lead community group.

Organization for adults with autism in South Korea.. Twitter – @estas_kr

Initiative for a diverse movement in mental health in Greece