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Community Nurses

What to do in a crisis

In an emergency (a life or death situation e.g., harm to yourself or others), dial 999 to explain the problem and get help from the Ambulance, Fire, or Police Services.

During surgery hours – contact your GP on the usual number and request an emergency appointment. In an emergency or out of hours, if you have harmed yourself or someone else, or are worried that you might, you can go to:

Royal London Hosptial
Accident and Emergency Unit, Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1FR

Mental health crisis line - 0207 771 5807 / 0800 073 0003 

For out-of-hours support or if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the Mental Health Crisis Line which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can then speak to a mental health professional who can guide you to a safe decision regarding your next steps. This can include assistance with getting in touch with the right people to help you and may include referring you directly to a team where you can be seen face to face.

The crisis line is open to any resident of Tower Hamlets who is experiencing a crisis or is a carer for those in crisis.

Helplines

You might not want to talk to a family member or close friend about things that are so very difficult and/or personal. If this is the case and you are struggling, you could try one of the following helplines:

Samaritans – Free phone: 116 123
(24 hour crisis line for people contemplating harming themselves)

MIND Safe Connections Community Hub – 0300 561 0115 or if you don’t feel like speaking, you can email safeconnections@mithn.org.uk
9.30am – 4.30pm, Monday – Friday, (Supporting people experiencing suicidal thoughts to access the right service at the right time)

Saneline – 0300 304 7000
6pm – 11pm every day, (Practical information, crisis care, and emotional support)

No Panic – 0844 967 4848
10am – 10pm every day, (For people experiencing panic or anxiety problems)

Hestia– 0808 196 1482
The line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
(If you are experiencing domestic or sexual violence, call for free and confidential support)

Aanchal – 0845 451 2547
(24 hour crisis line for Asian women experiencing domestic abuse; able to support in languages including English, Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Tamil, and Eastern European languages)

NHS and other services

If you need to you can contact your GP on the usual number during surgery hours. Outside of surgery hours, you can call NHS Direct 111, and the team will direct you to the most appropriate care.

You may have talked with your therapist and agreed on an action plan to manage these difficult times. If you haven’t done this yet, and you are finding it difficult to cope with your feelings of depression or anxiety, your therapist will be happy to talk things through with you.

If you feel in crisis on a day when you are not due to see your therapist, you could always call the office on 020 8475 8080 and we will ask them to contact you although this may not be immediate. If you feel you cannot wait to talk to your therapist you should instead call the number provided above.

When you feel quite desperate or hopeless, it may be because you are stuck in a rut of repeated thoughts and/or actions. Just doing something small to change this pattern can help.

If you find yourself stuck in a loop of thinking, make a deal with yourself to do something you’ve enjoyed in the past, something like taking a short walk to get some fresh air, or listening to a favourite piece of music, just for 10 minutes or so, just to see if you feel any better.

For some people, talking with friends and/or family can help in a crisis. If you have a close family member or a friend you get on well with, they might be the best person to turn to if you’re finding yourself unable to cope.