C.A.L.L. A Mental Health Helpline

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and here at Meic we’ll be discussing different aspects of mental health and young people. This article is a guest blog by the C.A.L.L. Helpline looking at the mental health issues affect the young people that contact them, and how they go about helping them.

C.A.L.L. is a mental health helpline for Wales. They are open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. People of any age can talk about their worries and concerns and get emotional support. They signpost to local agencies that can help as well as give out self-help leaflets.

What do young people contact you about?

Young people have issues that are specific to the stage they are in their lives. Feelings of depression, stress, anxiety as well as more serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia, eating disorders and bi-polar.

For many of the young people that contact us it is the first time they have experienced mental health problems. They can feel scared, confused and, for some, embarrassed. Mental health problems can be made worse by social media. Young people think that their lives should reflect what they see on there.

Peer pressure to dress or behave in a certain way, and needing to fit in with friends, can worsen any underlying mental health problems or feelings of insecurity. Because of this you might start having difficulties at school, your grades might drop, you might turn to drugs or alcohol or isolate yourself from your family or friends.

What can you do?

Talk to someone you can trust about your problems and keep on talking until you feel more able to cope. Choose someone you trust to keep your conversations to themselves. Sharing your problems is important.

Contacting a helpline lets you talk about your feelings with someone who understands, who can help, and someone you don’t have to face everyday. There is help and support available, even if you don’t know about them now. C.A.L.L. can help signpost you to those services and make sure you get the help, treatment and support needed.

You can contact C.A.L.L. on Freephone 0800 132 737 or by texting HELP to 81066. Their website has a list of services that you can search and a self-assessment section to help you monitor your symptoms. If you need substance misuse help visit dan247.

This week we are running a special Mental Health campaign on Meic to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2018. This is just one of a few articles published on the subject this week. Take a look at our articles section for more.

Call Meic

If you need to talk to someone about a mental health issue, Meic can point you in the right direction to get the help you need. If there’s anything else worrying you (it doesn’t have to be a mental health issue) then call Meic to talk to a friendly advisor.

Meic is an information and advocacy helpline for children and young people aged 0-25 in Wales. We are open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. You can contact us free on the phone (080880 23456), text message (84001) or online chat.