You may be concerned about your own mental health or the mental health of a relation, colleague or friend, because of signs or symptoms you have noticed. These may be:

• Feelings, such as deep or ongoing sadness, anxiety, euphoria or anger
• Behaviours, such as losing interest in usual activities, lack of personal care, obsessive behaviours or excessive use of drink or drugs
• Unusual thoughts, such as delusions that the mind is being controlled by an outside force, or thoughts of suicide
• Physical signs and symptoms, such as sweating, racing heartbeat or uncontrolled rapid breathing  

There is more detailed information about specific conditions in the Conditions section of this website.

If you are concerned about your own mental health you may wish to talk to someone such as a friend, a partner, a faith leader or someone else you trust to help you decide what to do.

Seeking help and treatment

If you or the person you are concerned about is already in touch with an organisation or professional you may wish to contact them for help. This may be a support worker, social worker, a community mental health nurse or a care programme co-ordinator. If there is no other service involved the next step would be to contact the GP for help and as a way of getting information and referrals to relevant services. If there is no GP involved see How to register with a GP. You can also access information about self-help groups and techniques or search for self help groups in the Directory of Services.

If you feel the situation needs immediate attention or you need help outside usual working hours, please see the information on What to Do in a Crisis.