GETTING HELP
Do you think yourself or your friend/family member needs help for a mental/emotional difficulty?

There are many people you can contact to gain support as a sufferer or carer. Don't be afraid to ask for help and to speak out for others. If you are under 18 the first point of call ideally is to speak to an adult (e.g. a parent/guardian, family friend or teacher), they will be able to help you get the help you need. A key source of help, and usually the first port of call, is your GP and it is confidential what you tell them except when it is a life and death situation when they may tell your next of kin (in all cases where you are under 18). Your GP can put you intouch with other professionals who can help e.g. counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists or social workers and also offer support. If you are scared of speaking to someone you can take someone with you and it can be helpful to write down in advance what you want to say to make it easier.

My 10 tips for getting help are:

1. Speak to a friend you can trust to get some support
2. If you are at school or college/university talk to the counsellor/guidance teacher
3. If you are able to talk to your parents or other family members
4. Phone a helpline (see sources of help page)
5. Contact your local advocacy office to get help in accessing services and support in dealing with health/caring professionals
6. Keep a diary detailing your mood, thoughts and feelings so that you are able to tell your GP how you have been (if it helps use a 1 to 10 rating scale to rate your mood)
7. If you have problems with eating it is worth keeping a food diary and noting down what you eat each day, if you are a self-harmer keep a record of how often you self-harm.
8. Write down everything you want to say before going to speak to your GP so that you do not forget to say anything, if you feel you can't talk just give the piece of paper to them to read.
9. Take a friend with you for moral support if you find it helpful.
10. Finally just relax and tell the doctor exactly how you feel and how you have been.

Once you have taken the step to getting help it will be a lot easier because you won't be dealing with it on your own. It is better to speak out than suffer alone because people can help and you are not alone in this, there are so many people out there who are there to help and who want to help but you need to take the step in asking for that help. It is nothing to be embarrassed about asking for help, although this might not be any consolation there are millions of people across the globe who are currently experiencing emotional/psychological/mental problems so it is a very common problem and you deserve to get the right care and treatment just like if you had a physical illness.

I will put up a page with information on organisations that can provide help and assist you in gaining access to help. If you have any difficulty in finding someone who can help you please email me at catdog21uk@yahoo.com and I will try my best to find you a source of help. I am currently compiling a database of organisations and health professionals in the UK who offer support for people with mental health disorders in particular personality disorders and once complete that I hope will be an invaluable resource for all of you reading this. If you know of an organisation you have used that have been a great help then email me and let me know.