Receiving help, knowing where to start and understanding the language used around mental health and emotional wellbeing can be confusing.
Below are some helpful definitions
| Mental Health assessment | A trained professional may want to ask you questions; how you feel and what thoughts you have had recently etc. |
| Crisis Team | An NHS service, they assess people who feel that they are really struggling to keep safe, feel out of control and are showing severe distress. |
| Samaritans | A free advice line to call for support when feeling very low 116 123 |
| CAMHS (often pronounced ‘Cams‘) | Child Adolescent Mental Health Services; the designated service to support young people (under 18) cope with mental health problems in addition to some other specialist services e.g. ADHD support. Locally, there are services based in Kendal, Barrow, Lancaster and Carlisle. |
| Anti-depressants | A type of drug a GP (General practitioner doctor) may suggest you take to improve mood, a short term solution. |
| Counselling | A type of support involving a trained therapist who you can talk 1:1 with. There are lots of different types of counselling techniques e.g. person-centred, psychodynamic etc. |
| Psychiatrist | A type of medical doctor who will assess mood and prescribe medication, if need be. They also monitor how the drug is working for the patient. |
| Psychologist | Not able to prescribe medication, they would be able to offer talking therapy or support to help with behaviours/trauma. |