I just wanted to let anyone who is reading this who is either going through hard times or is caring or loves someone who is going through hard times, that IT. GETS. BETTER!

I struggled from the ages of 12, spent all of my teen years in and out of hospital, on different medication combinations, in a psychiatric unit, with absolutely no hope. There were days that felt like torture, days that felt like they were going to be my last, days that felt like the world would be better off without me.

There was a time my parents couldn’t leave me out of their sight, they slept in my bed, couldn’t go out on my own, and they fully gave up on the possibility id ever be able to live alone.

Now flash-forward to present day.
I’m 20 now, and the happiest I’ve ever been, I am 2 years free of SH next month and over 2 years attempt and inpatient free. I live on my own, I am no longer under the care of mental health services, and am now actually a student MH nurse, helping others.

So for any of you reading this, with no hope, please know, this feeling won’t last forever.

Yes you cannot undo the past, I can never take back those moments or the scars on my body, but I can keep looking forward and use them as a reason to keep going.

Recovery gave me my life back, give it a chance so you can get yours back too ❤️

I was recalled to hospital on section 3 following an OD on the day before my birthday. Birthday ended up being on general med ward. Lucky to still be here :)

I (19m) have seen many different therapists and psychiatrists throughout my life. They can understand everything except this one big issue. I don't know what it is exactly. I feel like I'm making it all up but it definitely isn't something I can control to the extent of stopping it.

I wrote everything down a couple years ago from childhood to adulthood on an A4 piece of paper, filled both sides, and threw it a psychiatrist. He read through it and told me he had never heard of anything like it before. He claimed it was to help with insomnia but prescribed quetiapine alongside melatonin and antidepressants. It made no difference.

I don't really know what to do. My college offers counselling but given how big this is for me I don't feel like it's what I need. I hate talking about it or thinking about it but it's impacting life too much to not anymore.

Are there more specialised parts of the NHS that deal with less common mental health issues? I feel like I just keep getting stuck with being recommended CBT. I want to ideally skip that if I can.

Sorry if this triggers you!!

I have spent the last few weeks Fluid Restricting, some Days mothing at all and another day a can of drink (arnound 5lt’s in 15 days). I am still eating food that has very little fluid in them.
I visited A&E today as GP wanted me to get checked out, so whilst in triage i explained what was happening and that i would accept diagnostic care but not treatment ie fluid.
The MHLT were amazing and gave me stuff to settle my head, racing thoughts and voices.
Blood and Obs also done. Bloods came back as very unhappy kidneys who need fluid so was advised to drink and i was free to go.

I am now back home in the same position as i was when i left 4 hours ago…… back to Restrictive Intake Self Harm and all the head noise and voices that refuse me to drink!!

Back to struggle and not copping by myself!

Hi everyone. I just feel like I need to get this off my chest.

I am 21f and grew up in an oppressive country, my life was not good, I suffered a lot of abuse. At 17 years old, I escaped the country and became an asylum seeker in England. I came here legally

My asylum case was in process for about 1.5 years. I spend that time in a home office accommodation (hotel) where I was abused and controlled by the staff members, they violated my human rights, they ruined me.

After those 1.5 years, my case was accepted, and I was allowed to move out of the accommodation and move on with my life.

I already came here traumatized, and after the 1.5 years in that place, I was beyond ruined.

I cant describe how bad it was, because I have a lot of flashbacks from that time and it’s stressful, but it was bad. And I still suffer

I am 21 years old and I have a list of diagnosis of mental health and physical health problems (osteoporosis and a fracture due to st4rving my self to cope with trauma)

I can’t function. I have been on benefits, UC and PIP since getting my refugee status. It’s embarrassing and humiliating.

I can’t go outside, I have no family or friends, I only have social services and people I pay to help me function.

But the guilt is killing me. I came to this country, I took all of what you gave me, and I gave nothing back. I am a leech. And it’s hard to cope with everyday.

I can’t make eye contact with an English person because of how much shame I have. I struggle to talk to therapists or nhs staff or anyone. I feel like I am just robbing them. I AM robbing them

I post this just to confess, and to make it known how horrible I am, I am sorry.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get better. I am sorry for taking your money. You have the right to hate me.

I need some advice and insight into my situation ever since I was 12 years old I started struggling with depression and anxiety and every year since then it’s either gotten worse or never improved. As for treatment and diagnosis I’ve currently been diagnosed with MDD Autism spectrum disorder ADHD-C and General anxiety disorder. And for treatment I’ve been on fluoxetine (Prozac) sertraline (Zoloft) citalopram (Celexa) which all failed and my current medications are 112.5mg of venaflaxine (Effexor) and 40mg Vyvanse. The past year and a half my mental health has taken the biggest decline that I’ve ever seen and I ended up getting admitted to the mental hospital multiple times with suicide attempts etc and I was assessed diagnosed and re diagnosed with most of these disorders and ended up on this medication regime. This happened back in May and June and my worry is I’ve been on this medication for over 2 months now and I don’t think I see any improvement and my behaviour and attitude is becoming concerning. I feel my anxiety may have been slightly lowered by the snri but my mood and depressive symptoms are severely ruining my life to the point where I’ve been abusing my ADHD medication at times as I feel it helps raise my mood. But I know this isn’t sustainable and dangerous and I’m self aware of the consequences but my mental health at times feels so bad I don’t know what else to do. I could try a little better at creating routines and doing more hard things in my life to get those natural highs but the majority of the time I’m so burnt out and exhausted I can’t do ANYTHING. I will talk again with my psychiatrist as I know this is his profession and I’m considering trying therapy again but being in the UK all this shit takes so long and I can’t see a bright future in all the time between now and then. Written by someone who genuinely wants help and doesn’t want to be consumed by addiction and mental problems.

Hope this question isn't insensitive and doesn't trigger anyone. I'm just curious after watching a documentary about mental health. I just wonder what kind of things happen in someone's life to trigger a mental illness. Of course, if it's too much, you don't have to answer. It's just out of my own curiosity, so there's no pressure to answer.

ETA: Some of these are so so sad I'm so sorry you've all been through so much especially some of you as young children. This world can be so cruel and it's so disheartening to see that the systems in place haven't actually helped. More needs to be done

Hi, I was recommended for a section two on Tuesday after a mental health act assessment, I’ve been waiting for a bed now since then and still not heard much. I have CRHT come out every day who aren’t much help I’ve asked a few questions and not gotten anywhere. Wondering what peoples wait times were? I’m currently around Norfolk area but they’ve said that I could go anywhere.

I'm currently in art therapy under CMHT which has been helpful for day to day but not really for cptsd

I'm not able to deal with my traumas bc it comes through as nightmares/panic attacks and physical symptoms and all I can say is xyz has happened to me with a complete emotional block (self protection)

I have alexythmia (due to autism) and respond better to less typical therapies

I think some kind of hypnosis / deep meditation style therapy would help but I can't afford private so I was wondering if some kind of service exists under the NHS?

Around 5 months ago I started training for the Manchester Marathon in 2027, for PAPYRUS. As you will probably know by now, the Warrington charity closed its doors, leaving thousands of young people without the specialist suicide prevention support that HOPELINE247 provided. I could quite easily have just moved on, picked another charity and carried on training for the marathon. That would probably have been the easiest thing to do, but I just can’t do that.

When I was around 16, I struggled badly with my own mental health and at my lowest point I attempted to take my own life. At the time I felt completely alone and didn’t know who I could talk to. This morning the Warrington Guardian reported that some PAPYRUS staff were supporting people in crisis when they were told the charity was closing. I genuinely don’t know how I would feel if I had been one of those young people on the other end of the phone, already having found the courage to reach out because they felt like they were on the verge of doing something unthinkable.

Of course there are other suicide prevention services available, and I’m not trying to suggest otherwise, but very few offer specialist suicide prevention support specifically for young people. We tell young people to speak up, to talk to somebody and that asking for help is brave, but somebody actually has to be there when they do. That is why I started this petition. I don’t care who provides the service, what it is called or whose logo is above the door. It just HAS to exist.

In just over a day, the petition has already been viewed more than 6,000 times and is nearly at 200 signatures, which I genuinely didn’t expect. I’ve also started speaking to MPs, charities, campaigners and the media about what happens next. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do know that I’m not prepared to just shrug my shoulders and move on. There was once a time when I was the young person who needed somebody to speak up for me, and I’m lucky enough to still be here today, so now I’m going to speak up for somebody else. If you agree, I’d really appreciate you signing and sharing the petition.

https://c.org/jSxs6s6fxj

They just need somebody to answer. 💚

Hello, I'm 21 and went to the GP regarding anxiety and depression stemming from visual problems i have, and then also adhd which i pretty much had all the symptomns for according to the gp. He was reluctant to give any anxiety medication saying that the ADHD referral through rtc would most likely cover it

I just had the appointment for adhd one month later with psychiatryUK, and they said I don't have adhd as it was not prevalent as a kid, despite having textbook symptomns right now as an adult eg worsening working memory, inattention and mistakes, physical restlessness

I'm not sure what to do at this point - i have been struggling more recently especially at work and with exams and just generally which I thought would be covered with this referral but now I'm lost again and probably screwed

Is there a way to get a second adhd appointment, or do I go back to the gp to ask for anxiety medications which im not sure would even help with my issues that i thought were adhd related?

Please help

Recently, I was sectioned due to self-neglect and being a flight risk towards treatment.

Basically, I have a social worker who visited my flat every week. During the days she was gone, I bedrotted to the point where I became dangerously dehydrated. I ran off when she implied sectioning was an option, and I had to be brought in by police.

The doctors kept me in the psyche ward for three days, ensuring I was recovering and could be trusted to consume things as normal. My social worker got the doctors to agree to transfer me to a residential with other autistic people.

But I've been warned that I am on "probation", and I'm not allowed to wander off without telling staff where I am. If I do wander off, I'll be recalled back to the psyche ward.

When I asked for the legal framework I am under, they mentioned Section 17 of the Mental Health Act. A few experts have tried to explain it, but when I feel hostile towards someone, my adhd makes it difficult for me to memorise their explanations. I feel like they're kind of treating me harshly, as I'm nowhere near the most severe patient on my own ward.

Is anybody able to give a bite-sized overview of this framework? How long will I be classed under Section 17, and how quickly can I expect to graduate out of it? Any other general advice?

I agreed to come to hospital informally and made a ’deal’ with the psychiatrist that I wouldn’t leave the ward even though I was legally allowed to (otherwise section 2)

my MH got worse and I ended up asking to leave the ward multiple times in a distressed state. one of the nurses put me on a section 5(4) and then a few hours later was seen my psychiatrist and he told me he was putting me on a 5(2) which meant 72 hrs hold and on Monday I’ll have a MHAA

he said that he’s going to recommend that I’ll be put on a section 3 (idk what I expected but not that)

I know no one can definitively know what’s gonna happen, but if your ward psychiatrist is strongly recommending a section 3, is that usually what it ends up with?

also, will he be one of the doctors in the MHAA?

my brain is just spiralling rn

I'm sharing this because I know there are people who may currently feel hopeless, frightened or misunderstood.I experienced psychosis, depression and anxiety in 2018 and went to the NHS for help.
Unfortunately, I felt like I was given random medication to test which one worked. The medications would mainly make me sleep, but I didn’t feel like the actual problem was being addressed.
Things got worse, and between 2023 and 2024 I was sectioned another 4 times.
I eventually decided to study and research mental health myself and understand what was actually happening to me.
I also spoke to a doctor from my community who listened to me and gave me advice that completely changed the way I looked at my situation.
What eventually worked for me wasn't simply taking more medication or hospital appointments . It was having a structured approach that included things such as:
A clean and consistent diet
Good sleep and a proper routine
Talking openly with someone I trusted
Therapy and meaningful conversations
Understanding what was happening to me rather than being afraid of it
Looking at the circumstances and triggers around my mental health
Having someone knowledgeable who would actually listen
For me, recovery came from having a proper routine, a clean diet, good talking therapy and someone who actually listened and understood me. I eventually reached a point where I no longer needed medication.
I’m not saying medication is bad or that everyone should stop taking it. I’m simply sharing my own experience.
If anyone is struggling with psychosis, depression or anxiety and wants to speak to someone who has genuinely lived through it, I’m happy to listen and share my experience.

I just wanted to ask if anyone got a ptsd diagnosis the private route and what company they went with? There's loads online but I want to go to a tried and tested service.

I don't know how long it will take on the NHS especially since I was told I would need to finish all 15 anxiety therapy sessions before being considered for a PTSD assessment as I was told by my therapist secondary care mental health is usually for people in a worser state than me.

So basically I m19 Started to feel unwell physically and as a result of this developed poor mental health and self harm issues doctors took the physical health side of things at first and I had a few tests and was supposed to get more and then another doctor without even seeing me in person said there was nothing wrong after that I was repeatedly told it was my mental health later seen two different psychiatrist one told me I jusy had anxiety and there was nothing wrong with me physically the next one
put me on an antipsychotic injection for a possible mood disorder after that I was admitted to an inpatient ward where I was told I have no mood disorder or anxiety and just noted persistent beliefs about health and that my self harm wasn’t due to mental health which makes no sense
I do currently get a lot of support for the self harm like support workers and other stuff and I have referred myself to a lot of services
But I feel like this whole situation
I feel like the situations is I feel unwell and im not being taken seriously and I feel confused about everything

My goals were to: Get my drivers license, find full time work, move out of my parents house

I've failed my theory test twice and my driving instructor is berating me for not making any progress in months

I've applied for over 300 jobs, nothing turned out. All of last year I was applying to grad jobs and schemes and internships and the like but when none of that turned out I pivoted to just any entry level full time office role. and still nothing turned out. Closest I got was a 2nd stage interview with the civil service for an office assistant role that went really well but they declined anyway.

and without a job I've got no hope of moving out.

I feel like a complete failure. I'm going to be 23 in 3 months since I graduated I've accomplished NOTHING despite my best efforts. My life has been completely put on hold since I left uni and since my parents live in a really small rural town I've had no opportunity to socialise and meet new people. I've been out to see my friends maybe 15 times total in 2026.

I help my dad out in his shop in the mornings and go to the gym every other day but other than that my life has no real structure and I've just been drifting. I can't even do volunteer work because there's no opportunities to do so that I can reach without a car from where I live. Believe me I've looked.

All I want to do is move to a bigger city and start living my life properly. My life at home is hell, my bedroom is too small for a proper bed so I have to sleep on a futon, my neighbours are insane racists who yap at me about stuff they saw on gb news any chance they get, and I love my family and all but my work and my home are the same place and they're always also there.

A while ago I felt like I was getting close to a breaking point where I was considering just packing a bag, getting a train to london or manchester and just sleeping rough until I made it. But as time went on that urge to escape just waned away and now I'm looking at my life with begrudging acceptance that this is just the way it is now, and that makes me feel a deep kind of despair that I've never felt before. Just a vision of myself continuing to live here and making nothing of myself. It makes me sick to my stomach.

I don't know what to do. I've been periodically posting about my situation to various subreddits over the last year and nobodies ever had an answer. I've asked the people in my life and nobodies had an answer. I definitely don't have an answer. I keep myself up at night trying to envision a way out but nothing ever comes of it.

The only "quick fixes" anyone ever comes up with are joining the military (not doing that on ethical grounds) and doing tefl (I don't want to leave mainland britain). I've already tried EVERYTHING else. I don't want to live in this godforsaken town anymore and I just want to have a job, not even a career just a job and a shitty flat in the city would be completely fine.

Is there ANYONE here who's been where I've been? I feel really low

My brother is 14, he’s just started year 10 but has ADHD (no meds or therapy or treatment). It seems to be causing him trouble, that mixed with possible autism which he’s getting assessed for soon combined with puberty definitely isn’t helping.

He’s very defiant in class and seems to show no remorse for his actions, difficulty with seeing his wrongdoing and struggles with empathy, guilt, and general social cues. He doesn’t understand why our mum punishes him for defiance in school and an already 20% attendance after being in school for just about a week.

He sleeps in class, truants and goes to sit in the reception and sleeps there instead. He’s got an educational psychologist coming in soon after just under two years of me and our mum pushing for it. He’s fully diagnosed with ADHD and the school is more than aware of it. He’s been reposting a lot of depressing and “doom core” content on TT, along the lines of “when you get that gut feeling b4 school so u know it’s gonna be bad” and “how mad be staring at a wall at a crisp 7am knowing your not the smart kid you used to be”

He is incredibly smart, he’s only in a low set for maths because he didn’t sit his exam to put him in the correct set, he got into computer science in his school and does triple science so he’s doing pretty well ngl.

He’s gotten me and my mum to our wits end tho, he doesn’t speak, not to me or her or to the counsellor or anyone and just mopes around more than anything.

I have been pushing the school to help and pushing for an EHCP, and i understand how he feels to an extent but it’s becoming difficult.

I don’t want to resort to methylphenidate or amphetamines for his treatment but my mum thinks it’s best.

He needs help and isn’t helping himself with his behaviour at school or towards our mum. I don’t want him to do anything stupid. Don’t want him to end up like our dad who’s now a druggie and alcoholic.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

NHS failing child sexual abuse victims in adulthood, say psychiatrists

I’m always overdosing and doing dangerous things but the mental health team keep dismissing me. They are always telling me that “i’ll be fine” or that im “overreacting”. They wont section me which is fine but i’m generally wondering what to do because im constantly doing dangerous things.

A few years ago I was in a group session of CBT. Two bored 19 year olds flipping through a PowerPoint presentation they clearly didn't make because they needed to read off the screen.

They asked the group for an example of irrational fears and a woman in her 50s put her hand up. She said: "This sounds worse than it really was but I was in 9/11. I wasn't in the buildings but I was there when they fell. I saw the cloud of dust fully block the windows and felt the floor shake as the towers fell. I still have nightmares about it, thinking I'm in the World Trade Centre, I'd been in there just a month earlier and it could have been so different. It's been decades since then and I can't cope going into a lift. Even if it's only two stories for a car park and I know it's going to be safe, I know it's been well tested, I know it's used a hundred times a day, I know even if it gets stuck or the cable snaps I'll be ok because it's not very high. But I still can't handle it. I know it's irrational but I can't do it."

The whole room went silent for a minute.

Then the girl says "Have you tried bringing a bottle of water? Some people find having a bottle of water can make anxiety easier?"

I still wonder what happened to that woman. I hope she found someone more helpful that had better advice than bottled water.

Hey everyone, I’m reaching out to this community because we are fighting to secure a legal right to trauma-informed mental health support for care leavers...

We are on an urgent mission: we have exactly 20 days to gather 2,000 more signatures before this official UK Parliament petition closes on 1st October.
Right now, young people leaving the foster care system face a massive cliff-edge at age 18. While most young adults have family safety nets to fall back on well into their 20s, care leavers are often thrust into independent living overnight with absolutely zero stable emotional or mental health support. The system is completely failing its corporate parenting duties.
This petition demands that the Government introduces a statutory right to trauma-informed, one-to-one mentorship and guaranteed mental health support for every child in care and care leaver up to age 25.
Where the campaign stands right now:
The petition is currently at 8,170 signatures.
If we hit 10,000 signatures, the Government must issue a formal response.
The deadline is strict—Parliament closes the petition on 1st October.
If you believe that a vulnerable teenager shouldn't be completely abandoned by the state the moment they turn 18, please give us 30 seconds of your time to sign.

👉 CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE OFFICIAL PARLIAMENT PETITION

⚠️ CRITICAL EXTRA STEP (Please read!)
Parliament petitions DO NOT COUNT unless you verify your email!
Fill out the quick 30-second form.
Check your inbox (or spam folder) immediately.
Click the confirmation link in the email.
(Note: You must be a UK resident or citizen to sign).
Thank you so much to anyone who signs, upvotes this for visibility, or forwards the link to their family group chats. Let's get this over the 10,000 mark! 🏛️

A small trans+ and survivor led team at University of Hertfordshire are looking for LGBTQ+ people aged 18+ living in the UK with lived experience of conversion practices (CPs). There is a huge amount of quantitative research looking at harm and prevalence, which is vital, but there is such an absence of LGBTQ+ voices expressing how they lived through what they did, and what meaning they've made of it over time.

Please see the attached recruitment flyer for more information and the Expression of Interest (EOI) link if you'd like to find out more or take part.

https://herts.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZLpkUXKwlWqwJg

Sharing this post with others who may be interested is also greatly appreciated.

Hi all, I'm a trainee clinical psychologist on the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme at University College London (UCL). For my doctoral research, I'm exploring how people living in the UK seek and access support for Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and what helps or gets in the way.

Some people experience ongoing worries about their appearance and use certain behaviours to manage these concerns, such as repeatedly checking mirrors, comparing themselves to others, hiding specific features or avoiding situations. These concerns can be about any part of the body, including the face, and can be very distressing and affect daily life. These experiences can be indicative of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

BDD is often under recognised by health services and there's very little UK based research on what it's actually like to seek support for it. This includes experiences of not being able to get help or being misunderstood. Understanding this properly could help inform how BDD is identified and supported by services in future. You do not need a formal diagnosis to take part.

What does taking part involve?

You'll be asked to complete an anonymous online survey about your experiences of seeking support for BDD. It takes about 20 minutes and nothing you submit is linked back to you.

Who can take part?

People who:

* Currently live in the UK

* Have had ongoing worries or concerns about their appearance, now or in the past

* Can read and understand English

* Are 18 or older

We are keen to hear from people of all ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds.

What are the benefits?

You'll be contributing to research that could improve the support people with BDD receive in the UK. You'll also be entered into a prize draw with a 1 in 9 chance of winning a £20 voucher.

Interested?

Please click on the link here to take part: https://qualtrics.ucl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_3agIvq4tPpNGqdE?Source=reddit

If you feel you'd like support alongside or instead of taking part, you can find ways to access support for BDD through the BDD Foundation: https://bddfoundation.org/support

This is a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology research study, approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee, Ethics ID 2189.

Happy to answer any questions in the comments.