Below you can find links to various websites, apps and other resources which help support your understanding of your thoughts and behaviours, as well aid your wellbeing.
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Abuse is always wrong, and it can be very difficult to talk about but you’re never alone. If you’re worried about abuse, find it what it is and who can help you. There are different types of abuse:
Physical, being hurt by someone for no reason.
Mental or emotional, being treated badly, such as consistently being ignored or criticized.
Verbal, saying, shouting, or writing horrible things.
Neglect, not being looked after and kept healthy.
Child sexual abuse, being touched where you shouldn’t be or forced to take part in sexual activity.
Take the first step – you must tell someone. Start with your family, but if the abuser is known to them you might want to speak to someone else you trust, like a teacher or GP.
If you are in immediate danger call 999.
If you feel you can’t talk to people you already know, here are some services that can help.
If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small. They are open 24/7, call them on 0800 11 11 or Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service. They also host online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/abuse/
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition where you have a lot of energy that you struggle to expel. This might make it difficult for you to concentrate and to control your behaviour. In addition, you may do or say things impulsively, without thinking.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/adhd-and-mental-health
Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, usually in response to something wrong or bad. Other words people use for anger are mad, frustrated, annoyed or furious.
Anger can be unhelpful at times, it might make you yell or scream at those around you, even people you like or love. Sometimes when we feel angry, we can become aggressive towards others. We all feel angry sometimes, often there’s a good reason. Uncontrolled anger can be harmful, but you can learn to manage it.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/anger
Anxiety is a normal, human feeling that everyone has. Other words people use for anxiety are worry, fear or panic. When we face stressful situations, it can set off our brain’s in-built alarm system which tells us something isn’t right and that we need to deal with it. We call this the Fight, Flight, Freeze response, which is our body’s way of protecting us from harm. Our brain wants the difficult situation to go away, so it makes us feel more alert, stops us thinking about other things, and even pumps more blood to our legs to help us run away.
Most of us worry sometimes – about things like friendships or money – and feel anxious when we’re under stress, like at exam time. But afterwards we usually calm down and feel better. But when you’re not in a stressful situation, and you still feel worried or panicky, that’s when anxiety can get in the way of what is important.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/anxiety/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvM_TtQi9DU
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/anxiety-stress-panic/anxiety/
Autism is not a mental health problem. It is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how you see the world and how you interact with other people. People with a diagnosis of autism might struggle interacting with others in social situations and understanding emotions, find it difficult to be around loud noises or bright lights and sometimes they prefer to have a routine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwRrVw-CRo
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/autism-and-mental-health
Bereavement is the experience of losing someone important to us. It's characterised by grief, which is the process and the range of emotions we go through when we experience a loss. This could be the loss of a family member, a friend, a pet or the loss or change of a relationship. Grief is a process rather than an event; it often takes time and space to come to terms with losing someone. It can be very difficult to adjust following the death of someone you love, and this may affect how you feel physically, socially and emotionally.
We all grieve differently. You might feel angry, sad, or depressed, or even guilty or relieved. There might be times when you are expecting it, such as anniversaries or ‘firsts’ without that person, or these feelings might catch you by surprise sometimes. Some people need extra support to help them through the grieving process whereas others feel most comfortable doing this alone or with family and friends. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, it is important to find the way that works best for you.
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/feelings-emotions/when-someone-dies/
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/grief-and-loss/
https://www.winstonswish.org/supporting-you/grief-support-young-people/
You can chat with them anonymously if you wish and share whatever you are feeling. You can live chat between 8am-8pm, weekdays. You can email them on ask@winstonwish.org or call them for free on 08088 020 021 between 8am-8pm, weekdays.
Bobby Colleran Trust provides offers advice and counselling for grieving children and young people aged 5 to 19 years living or attending schools in the Liverpool, Huyton, Knowsley, and Sefton areas of Merseyside. Visit their Bereavement Support page, email them at thebobbycollerantrustbobbysbase@outlook.com or call 07961 418796.
Body image is how we think and feel about ourselves physically, and how we believe others see us.
When we talk about body image, there are lots of ways we can think about our body and the way we look. You might find that there are times when you like your body, or parts of your body, and times when you struggle with how you look.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/body-image/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/you-your-body/my-body/how-you-look/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs5Qb2dKyvU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1KdiI4UN9g&t=29s
Provides support for young people, parents and professionals. Their website www.bebodypositive.org.uk offers advice, resources and online training modules to help improve eating behaviours and relationships with food. Build positive body image and identify concerns around body image and disordered eating.
Bullying is when someone or a group of people try to intentionally hurt you physically (on the outside) or emotionally (on the inside/your feelings).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkuJwbHCg4E&t=11s
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/bullying/
You can phone Bully Busters Merseyside with a bullying issue, and we can give you some helpful tips so you can try and stop the bullying from happening.
If you would like, we can contact the organisation where the bullying is happening and let them know what is going on so they can put a stop to it.
It is a free to call and will not show up on your phone bill, mobile phones do charge but if you have your number handy, we can call you straight back. You could use a public pay phone and you wouldn't need any money, but if you do go out to use a phone, please tell an adult where you are going!
Please don’t suffer in silence, we are here to help call 0800 169 6928 we are open Monday - Friday 3.00pm - 6.00pm if you would like a chat or you can email BBusters@localsolutions.org.uk
The Diana Award Advice Messenger provides free* , 24/7 text support across the UK. If you are a young person under 25 who needs support, you can text DA to 85258. Trained volunteers will give you the space to share to how you’re feeling via text and help you think through the next step towards feeling better.
*Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.
We all feel different emotions throughout our lives. Sometimes we might feel happy, or sad. Usually, these bad feelings go away eventually by themselves, but sometimes you feel sad, down and hopeless for a long time. It can then become hard to think about or do other things in your life. This is known as depression.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VRRx7Mtep8
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/mental-health-conditions/depression/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/feelings-emotions/depression/
Drugs are substances which can cause big changes in your body when you take them. Medicines are types of drugs which can help you feel better if you’re unwell, but there are also illegal drugs that can have negative effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Alcohol is also a substance, which you drink, that causes bodily changes.
People drink or take drugs for lots of reasons, this might be to have fun, curiosity, to fit in with friends or to help manage difficult feelings. It’s not unusual for teenagers to try alcohol or drugs, but sometimes this can cause problems, particularly if this is happening a lot.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/drugs-and-alcohol/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/home-families/family-relationships/parents-alcohol/
We Are With You is for you if you’re worried about drug or alcohol use, or someone else’s that you know, if you are under 18’s living in Sefton.
Come and talk to us if you’re worried about your drug or alcohol use. We can help you stop or cut down on what you’re using and help you with other problems you may be having. You can come and talk to us in a place that you’re comfortable with, like your local coffee shop or youth club. We also visit schools, community centres, and can even come to your home if you’d prefer. You don’t have to pay for any of our services and we won’t tell anyone about anything you tell us without your permission.
Call them on 0151 318 2804, email info@wearewithyou.org.uk or visit their website www.wearewithyou.org.uk/
Frank provides honest information about drugs and alcohol. Live chat service also available (2pm - 6pm, 7 days a week). Find information on accessibility, confidentiality and cost. Call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or email frank@talktofrank.com
Eating disorders are characterised by an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behaviour. An eating disorder can affect anyone, at any age.
People who suffer from an eating disorder may use food to help them cope with stress or difficult situations. People may often do this without realising it. Similarly, people may also use food to stay in control of their life and their emotions. This may stop them from making realistic decisions about what they eat. In addition, how much they should eat.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/eating-problems
Kooth’s guide to understanding eating difficulties
Beat, offers information and support for anybody affected by eating disorders. There is One-to-one web chat available. They also run a range of online support groups, which are all fully moderated and anonymous, including a chat group for under 25s. Call 0808 801 0677 or email help@beateatingdisorders.org.uk. They are open 365 days a year - weekdays (9am - 8pm); weekends (4pm - 8pm).
Pressure to do well in exams can be overwhelming and affect your mental health.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/exam-stress/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/school-college-and-work/school-college/exam-stress/
Kooth’s Guide to coping with exam stress
Year 11 Assembly by Sefton Mental Health Support Team (22/04/2024)
Family difficulties can mean a range of different things and can affect people in different ways. Sometimes relationships between family members can be difficult for lots of reasons. It could be that you, your parents or siblings aren’t getting along, you may have lost contact with family members, experienced bereavement in the family or are experiencing lots of shouting and violence at home. These difficulties can have a big impact on how we feel and on the wellbeing of everyone in the family.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/family/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/home-families/family-relationships/family-relationships/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/home-families/family-relationships/parents-alcohol/
Kooth’s Guide to when your parent has a mental health condition
Having any particular sexual orientation does not mean you have a mental health problem. But the experiences you have because of your sexuality can impact your mental health. Sometimes, people are bullied, treated differently or badly because of their sexuality.
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/sexuality-and-mental-health/
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/your-feelings/sexual-identity/sexual-orientation/
The Star Centre address is 98b Linacre Lane, Bootle L20 6ES. We facilitate our LGBTQ drop in and support group. One to one and group therapeutic sessions are delivered throughout the week and on Saturdays. For more information about the Star Centre give us a call on 0151 474 4744.