Important: Mental Health Line
Provides help in a crisis and offers ongoing support for you at difficult hours.
Phone
0808 800 2234
7pm to 2am weekdays
2pm to 2am weekends
Living Life to the Full
A wide range of leaflets to help you with worries and many difficulties you may be experiencing.
Website
www.llttf.comPANDAS
Provides support for any individual suffering from or helping look after anyone with a perinatal mental illness.
Phone
0808 196 1776
Website
www.pandasfoundation.org.ukAdult 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.
Phone
0300 555 5001
Website
www.staffordshireconnects.info
Email
access.staffordshire@mpft.nhs.ukTalking therapies
Talking Therapies Here to support you with anxieties or difficulties you may be experiencing. They are offering phone, video call and face to face appointments.
Phone
01827 263838 or 0300 303 0923
CRISIS number
0808 1963002 or attend A&E directly
Website
www.samaritans.orgSouth Staffordshire Network for Mental Health
A charity supporting people with experience of mental illness and people at risk of mental ill health.
Phone
01543 301139
Website
www.ssnmentalhealth.co.uk
Email
sunetwork@ssnmentalhealth.co.ukADHD 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.ukNHS Mental health
Find information and support for your mental health.
Website
NHS: Mental healthKooth
Free anonymous online chat for young people to discuss their mental health issues.
Website
KoothSamaritans
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.
Phone
116 123
Website
Samaritans
Email
jo@samaritans.orgRethink Mental Illness
Rethink Mental Illness provide expert, accredited advice and information to everyone affected by mental health problems.
Phone
0121 522 7007
Website
Rethink Mental Illness
Email
info@rethink.orgMind
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
Phone
0300 123 3393
Website
Mind
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
Phone
0203 813 1644
Website
www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com
British Airways
Phone
01252 793250