The following section contains advice to help support individuals finding their way in the current health care system. This section is divided in useful sites and links to be able to contact the right professional or organizations and links to documents that might be useful in your search for help. If the following section doesn’t provide you with the information you seek or you seem to be having difficulties navigating, please contact admin@ispsuk.org.
The following professionals or organisations can be helpful to you:
- If you haven’t already consulted your GP, it would be worth talking to them about the problem and what options for help are available through the NHS.
- You can find information about how to locate an accredited individual, group or family therapist on the websites of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, the British Psychoanalytic Council, the Black, African and Asian Therapy Network, the British Psychological Society, The Institute of Group Analysis or the Register of CBT therapists. In looking for a therapist, it would be worth thinking about what kind of therapy you or your friend or relative might need, and about whether the therapist has experience of working with people with similar problems. It would be worth meeting with the therapist you are considering, to see if you feel you could work with them.
- Though not only concerned with mental health, Carers UK may be a good sources of advice and support (website and discussion forum)
- If you are an ISPS member you may want to post your query on the ISPS UK e-mail list, as members of the list may wish to respond as individuals.
The following resources could be of use to your search:
- Understanding Voices is a comprehensive website which brings together information about different approaches to voice-hearing and ways of supporting those who are struggling with the the voices they hear.
- The British Psychological Society report Understanding psychosis and schizophrenia provides lots of information about psychosis and is downloadable free of charge here. At the end of this document there is an extensive section on useful books and websites. There is an equivalent document Understanding bipolar disorder also available here.
- The Hearing Voices Network provides information on peer support for people who hear voices, including a directory of hearing voices peer support groups in England.
- It might be beneficial to you to have a look at our useful links section.