I'm in a crisis

Our Helpline is for people of all ages, offering support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey. However, we do not operate a crisis service and we are not medically trained. If you do require emergency support, please contact one of the services below.

Crisis support

If you, or a loved one, are currently receiving support from a mental health team or eating disorder service, you/they may have a personalised care plan which should include details of your/their local community mental health team and/or what to do in a crisis.
You/they can also contact 111. They will be able to tell you which service you may need, or you may be able to speak to a nurse, mental health nurse or another healthcare professional. Note that those with hearing loss can use the NHS 111 British Sign Language (BSL) service).

Mental health crisis support

SHOUT

Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

Their website can be found here: https://giveusashout.org/ or you can contact them directly by texting the word ‘Shout’ to 85258

Samaritans

Samaritans are a listening service dedicated to reducing feelings of isolation and disconnection that can lead to suicide. They are open 24 hours a day.

Their website can be found here: https://www.samaritans.org/scotland/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ or you can contact them directly on 113 126

Calm Against Living Miserably

A helpline and chat service supporting those with thoughts of suicide. They are open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year.

Their website can be found here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/ or you can contact them directly on 0800 58 58 58

Medical support

111/999

111 is for anyone who may need medical help and advice but who are not in a life-threatening situation.

999 is for life-threatening emergencies. If you cannot call 999, you should attend your local A&E department.

If you are unsure which to contact, this website can help.

General Practitioners can support with a range of physical and mental health challenges. We have a resource which explains all you need to know about visiting your doctor. If you are unsure of which GP surgery you are registered with, the NHS has a tool where you can insert your postcode to find GP surgeries within your area.

For England the tool can be found via: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-gp.

For Scotland the tool can be found via: https://www.nhsinform.scot/scotlands-service-directory/gp-practices.

For Wales the tool can be found via: https://app.nhs.wales/gpsearch.

For Northern Ireland the tool can be found via: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/gp-practices.