Primary Care Mental Health Support Services Rhondda Team Taff Ely Team Trealaw Resource Centre MaritimeResource Centre Brynteg Terrace 2 Woodland Terrace Trealaw Pontypridd CF40 2PD CF37 1EA Tel: 01443 443443 (5460) Tel: 01443 443443 (5400) Cynon Team Merthyr Team Ysbyty Cwm Cynon Keir Hardie Health Park New Road Aberdare Road Mountain Ash Merthyr Tydfil CF45 4DG CF48 1BZ Tel: 01443 715188 Tel: 01685 351194 In Partnership with ValleysSteps https://www.twitter.com/ValleysSteps Contents: P.3-5 Common Symptoms & how to recognize these in yourself and others P.6 What we offer in the PCMHSS P.7-8 Book Prescription & Tier 0 / Information P.8-9 Self Help Workbooks P.10 Self Help Websites P.10-24 Self Help Apps P.24-30 Community Resources P.31 Medication & Additional Needs 2 Common Symptoms / how to recognize these in yourself and others We all experience periods of Stress, feeling low in mood, anxious or angry from time to time. Sometimes this is in line with a difficult situation, money worries, relationship issues or problems in work. A degree of Stress is even useful, it’s what gets us going. Anxiety when we are attending an interview for example is normal as is feeling low when we lose a loved one or when a relationship breaks down. We would all benefit from learning ways of boosting our wellbeing and from developing skills to manage stress, low mood and anxiety. That way when life does throw something at us, we have the tools we need to deal with it. When should we be concerned then? Generally speaking if we are feeling stressed, low and anxious and there is no obvious reason behind it. If it starts to interfere with our lives, relationships and how we cope at work or if the things we might usually do to help or to wind down stop working, then we might need to find other ways of coping, develop other skills or seek further help. Below are the most common signs of stress. Do you notice any in yourself? Worry Having Panic attacks Brooding Feeling on edge Anger Poor concentration Poor sleep/ tiredness Being unbale to switch off Feeling worthless Waiting for the worst to happen Feeling hopeless Tearful 3 Feeling irritable Drinking too much If we are feeling anxious we may feel on edge, worry a lot or be waiting for the worst to happen. If we are feeling low in mood then we may ruminate or brood over the past and feel tired and hopeless. If you notice any of these then you are in the right place How do I assess my mental health? There are questionnaires that can give an idea as to whether someone if feeling anxious or depressed and the level of difficulty this is causing. The following link is to an NHS site where you can take a questionnaire to find out a bit more about the level of your anxiety or depression. https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/low-mood- stress-anxiety.aspx For individuals experiencing a severe level of difficulty or if there are risks to self or others please see the crisis support page. The self help guides on the following link give information on recognizing and managing symptoms of the following: https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/ • Alcohol and You • Anxiety • Bereavement • Controlling Anger • Depression and Low Mood • Domestic Violence • Eating Disorders • Food for Thought • Health Anxiety • Hearing Voices and Disturbing Beliefs • Obsessions and Compulsions • Panic • Post Traumatic Stress 4 • Postnatal Depression • Self Harm • Social Anxiety • Sleeping Problems • Stress • Prisoner Anxiety • Prisoner Depression and Low Mood • Prisoner Post Traumatic Stress • Depression and low mood: A guide for partners The booklets have been written by clinical psychologists with contributions from service users and healthcare staff and are available to download in several formats. You can listen to the guides, as well as download MP3 audio copies by clicking the relevant leaflet in the bookcase. 5 What we offer in the PCMHSS The aim of Primary Care Mental Health Support Services as defined within Part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 is to strengthen the role that primary care plays in delivering effective mental health care and treatment, by ensuring that there will be local primary mental health support services. These will be delivered by Local Health Boards and local authorities in partnership. It is expected that these services will operate either within, or alongside, existing GP practices. Part 1 of the Measure requires that the following elements be delivered as part of local primary mental health support services: • Goal focussed mental health assessments for individuals who have first been seen by a GP. (Individuals may be referred into the primary care service by secondary mental health services); • Treatment, by way of short-term psychological interventions, delivered individually or in group settings. Such treatment may include counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focussed therapy, stress management and education. • Provision of information and advice to individuals and their carers about treatment and care, as well as ‘signposting’ them to other sources of support including third sector organisations. • Support and advice to GPs and other primary care workers to enable them to safely manage and care for people with mental health problems. • Supporting the onward referral and co-ordination of next steps with secondary mental health services, where this is felt to be appropriate for an individual. These services are ‘age blind’ and so aimed at individuals of all ages who are experiencing mild to moderate, or stable severe and enduring mental health problems. 6 Book Prescription Scheme Book Prescription Wales is a scheme that aims to help people with mild to moderate emotional problems to make use of high quality self-help books that have been specially selected by psychologists and counsellors working in Wales. This highly successful scheme involves a GP or other health professional prescribing a therapy book which is available to borrow from any branch library across Wales. For a list of books available within the scheme please click on the link below: http://gov.wales/docs/dhss/publications/130815booklistency.pdf Tier 0 Courses / Information Valleys Steps are working in partnership with the Primary Care Mental Health Support Service. They teach people ways to manage and reduce Stress, Anxiety levels and Low mood, freeing them up to focus on achieving the things that really matter. Valleys Steps provide open access, free of charge Stress Control and Mindfulness courses across Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil. Find out more about their approach and the courses available in your area by clicking the link below: http://www.valleyssteps.org/ Community Coordinators Interlink: Lucy Foster is the Rhondda GP Wellbeing Community Coordinator who can help with a range of issues and link with many services in the Rhondda that can help including: Housing, benefits and financial support Befriending, counselling and other support groups Social Activities Health and Wellbeing activities and courses Employment, training and volunteering Education and Learning 7 Arts, gardening and creative activities Contact: 07340 708385 Email: [email protected] There are also Community Coordinators who can support people 50 years and over by: Promoting independence and wellbeing; Raising awareness and uptake of voluntary and community activities; Connecting people with local services. Merthyr Tydfil Elaine 07580 866547 Rhondda Meriel 07580 865938 Cynon Nia 07580 869946 Taff Ely Karen 07580 869970 Self Help Workbooks Northumberland Tyne and Wear has produced self help booklets that can be accessed by clicking the link below: https://web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/ The booklets have been written by clinical psychologists with contributions from service users and healthcare staff and are available to download in several formats. You can listen to the guides, as well as download MP3 audio copies by clicking the relevant leaflet in the bookcase. Translated versions and sign language videos of the guides are also available. The following is a list of workbooks available. • Alcohol and You • Anxiety • Bereavement • Controlling Anger • Depression and Low Mood • Domestic Violence • Eating Disorders • Food for Thought • Health Anxiety • Hearing Voices and Disturbing Beliefs • Obsessions and Compulsions 8 • Panic • Post Traumatic Stress • Postnatal Depression • Self Harm • Social Anxiety • Sleeping Problems • Stress • Prisoner Anxiety • Prisoner Depression and Low Mood • Prisoner Post Traumatic Stress • Depression and low mood: A guide for partners The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) based in Western Australia provide the following Workbooks which can be accessed by clicking on the link provided below: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm • Assert Yourself: Improve your Assertiveness • Back from the Bluez: Coping with Depression • Building Body Acceptance: Overcoming Body Dysmorphia • Building self Compassion: From Self-Criticism to Self-Kindness • Facing your Feelings: Overcoming Distress Intolerance • Helping Health Anxiety: Overcoming health Anxiety • Improving Self-Esteem: Overcoming Low Self-Esteem • Keeping your Balance- Coping with Bipolar Disorder • Overcoming Disordered Eating – Part A • Overcoming Disordered Eating – Part B • Panic Stations: Coping with Panic Attacks • Perfectionism in Perspective: Overcoming Perfectionism • Put off Procrastination • Shy no Longer: Coping with Social Anxiety • What? Me Worry? Mastering your Worries 9 Self Help Websites Online safety Always make sure to keep yourself safe whilst online. For more information about online safety please visit the CEOPs 'Think You Know' guide to online safety. Additionally you may want to visit Mind's online safety page that contains helpful advice as well as their 'How To' Stay Safe Online Booklet. anxaid.com SELF HELP FOR OVERCOMING ANXIETY WITHOUT STRUGGLE http://www.anxaid.com/ http://www.hafal.org/ Self Help Apps Self Harm / Suicide (These apps are not a substitute for proper medical care / your local crisis team) 10 Calm Harm (Free to use) Calm Harm provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self- harm.