If you need more support
Support
If anything in this book has surfaced something that feels larger than personal reflection can hold, the organisations below offer support from people who understand. You do not need to be in crisis to reach out. These services exist for the full range of human difficulty, from acute emergency to the quieter kind of struggling that does not announce itself clearly.
Crisis and mental health
Samaritans
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You do not need to be suicidal to call. Phone: 116 123 (UK, free, 24 hours)
CALM — Campaign Against Living Miserably
Particularly focused on men, though open to everyone. Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (UK, 5pm to midnight daily). Webchat at thecalmzone.net
NHS Urgent Mental Health Support
Phone: 111, option 2 (UK, 24 hours)
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Phone or text: 988 (US, 24 hours)
Outside the UK or US
Search for your national crisis line, or contact your GP or primary care physician as a first point of contact.
Eating disorders
Beat Eating Disorders
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (UK, helpline hours). beateatingdisorders.org.uk
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
US helpline and support. allianceforeatingdisorders.com
Addiction and recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
aa.org (international) or alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk (UK). Meeting finder, literature, and support available online and in person.
Narcotics Anonymous
na.org. Meeting finder and support available online and in person.
FRANK
Confidential drugs information and support. Phone: 0300 123 6600 (UK, 24 hours). talktofrank.com
Memory and cognitive health
Alzheimer's Society
Phone: 0333 150 3456 (UK). alzheimers.org.uk
Alzheimer's Association
Phone: 800 272 3900 (US, 24 hours). alz.org
Noticed changes in memory or cognitive function?
A conversation with your GP or primary care physician is the right starting point. Early attention produces the best outcomes.
Accessibility
British Dyslexia Association
Support and resources for readers who found this book difficult to navigate in standard format. bdadyslexia.org.uk
All telephone numbers and web addresses were checked at the time of publication. If you find that any have changed, please let us know via the contact page.