What is mental health?

In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.

Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse.

Are you or someone you know at risk?

A mental health emergency should be treated as seriously as a physical one. You will not be wasting anyone's time. 

Birmingham and Solihull Urgent Mental Health Helpline (line managed by MIND). 

If urgent mental health help is needed, you can ring:

0121 262 3555

This line is available 24 hours, 7 days a week and can be used whether you are known to our services or not. 

MIND also has lots of information on ways to help yourself cope during a crisis. 

There are many free listening services that offer confidential support from trained volunteers. You can talk to them about anything that's troubling you, no matter how difficult:

• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• Text "SHOUT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text "YM" if you're under 19
• If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

Further advice and guidance:

• NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/depression-anxiety-mental-health/

• NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/cypmhs-information-for-parents-and-carers/

• NHS Every Mind Matters: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/childrens-mental-health/

• For children and young people, visit Young Minds for more advice and guidance: https://youngminds.org.uk/

• There is a School Nurse virtual drop-in clinic who can provide confidential and friendly advice to school-age children. The service runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30PM - 5:30PM - click here to join.

• You can get confidential mental health advice and support from the School Health Service. Send a text message to 07480635485.