Christmas is coming and it is often a time for celebrating and having fun. However, Christmas can also bring up a lot of negative feelings. December can be a difficult time for people due to things like past trauma and family problems. Also, a lot of places you would usually go to for support are closed for the holidays and you may not know where to turn to. This can all be especially hard this year where we are all isolated and under extra pressure and stress. However, there are still some services open over Christmas where you can go to get support with your wellbeing. It’s important to know that you don’t have to go through things alone.
For coping with an eating disorder over Christmas:
Beat:
Beat has an eating disorder youthline that is open 4pm-9pm between 24th December – 1st January.
You can contact the youthline on 0808 801 0711.
For coping with bereavement (death of a loved one) over Christmas:
Cruse Bereavement Care:
You can call Cruse on 0808 808 1677 between 10am-2pm over Christmas.
However, some day’s they are open for longer! For more information on opening times, visit cruse.org.uk/telephone-support/christmas.
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS):
If you are struggling with the loss of someone who has committed suicide, you can call SOBS on 0808 808 1677 between 9am-9pm from Monday-Sunday.
For advice and support on domestic abuse:
National Domestic Abuse Hotline:
You can call the hotline on 0808 2000 247 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For LGBTQ+ specific support:
Switchboard:
Switchboard is a service that can provide LGBTQ+ specific support in several ways.
You can call someone on 0300 330 0630 between 10am-10pm, seven days a week.
They also have a live chat you can access at switchboard.lgbt/help.
Alternatively, you can email someone using the email address chris@switchboard.lgbt.
For your general mental health and wellbeing:
Mind:
You can call Mind on 0300 123 3393.
Mind’s helpline is open 9am-6pm everyday (apart from bank holidays – Christmas day, Boxing day, and New year’s day!)
Mind also have an online mental health forum called Side by Side which is like a social media site where people can share their mental health experiences.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM):
CALM has a helpline where you can talk to someone between 5pm-midnight 365 days of the year. You can call them on 0800 58 58 58.
You can also talk to someone on CALM’s webchat between 5pm-midnight at www.thecalmzone.net.
Samaritans:
You can talk to someone from Samaritans for free on 116 123 – this helpline is open 24 hours, seven days a week.
You can also send an email to Samaritans using the email address jo@samaritans.org.
And remember, if you or someone you know is in immediate danger, you can call 999.
Everyone here at asphaleia hopes you have the happiest Christmas period possible, and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year!