Aldergate Medical PracticeDepression, Anxiety & Stress
Mental Health Line
Provides help in a crisis and offers ongoing support for you at difficult hours.
Telephone: 0808 800 2234
19:00 – 02:00 Weekdays
14:00 – 02:00 Weekends
PANDAS
Provides support for any individual suffering from or helping look after anyone with a perinatal mental illness.
Telephone: 0808 196 1776
Website: www.pandasfoundation.org.uk
Adult Mental Health Services
Provided by Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, multi-disciplinary teams provide both community and inpatient care. Many of these services are provided in collaboration with partner agencies, both statutory and non-statutory.
Telephone: 0300 555 5001
Website: www.staffordshireconnects.info
Wellbeing Matters
As this is a worrying time, they are here to support you with any anxieties or difficulties you may be experiencing. They are offering telephone and video call appointments, which can be more frequent and convenient for you while at home.
Telephone: 01827 263838
Website: www.staffordshireconnects.info
Kooth
Free anonymous online chat for young people to discuss your mental health issues.
Website: kooth.com
Rethink
Rethink provide expert, accredited advice and information to everyone affected by mental health problems.
Telephone: 0300 5000 927
Website: www.rethink.org
Email: info@rethink.org
Living Life to the Full
A wide range of leaflets to help you with worries and many difficulties you may be experiencing.
Website: llttf.com
Fear of Flying
Aldergate Medical Practice does not prescribe sedatives for fear of flying. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and is adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for this can be found below:
– 1) Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for you and those around you.
– 2) Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however when you do sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep. This can cause you to be at increased risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or even the lung. Blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is greater than four hours.
– 3) Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number have paradoxical agitation and in aggression. They can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
– 4) According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (BNF) Benzodiazepines are contraindicated (not allowed) in phobia. Your doctor is taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not going on a flight.
– 5) Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in a number of countries. They may be confiscated or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
– 6) Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing you may fail this having taken diazepam.
We appreciate that fear of flying is very real and very frightening. A much better approach is to tackle this properly with a Fear of Flying course run by the airlines and we have listed a number of these below.
Easy Jet
Telephone: 0203 813 1644
British Airways
Telephone: 01252 793250
South Staffordshire Network for Mental Health
A charity supporting people with experience of mental illness and people at risk of mental ill health.
Telephone: 01543 301139
Website: ssnmentalhealth.co.uk
ADHD and you
ADHD isn’t just a childhood condition – it affects young people and adults as well.
ADHD can affect all aspects of life, including home, school or workplace and relationships; that’s why getting the condition diagnosed and treated is so important.
Website: www.adhdandyou.co.uk
Samaritans
Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal. Call Samaritans free, 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Telephone: 116 123
Website: www.samaritans.org
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Mind
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Telephone: 0300 123 3393
Website: www.mind.org.uk