Experiencing a mental health crisis?
Find support and advice on our help in a mental health crisis page.
Waiting Well
We want to provide you with help and support as soon as we can. Unfortunately, it can sometimes take a while for an appointment with a mental health professional.
There are things you can do to help while waiting for mental health services. We have listed some ideas below and in our Waiting Well leaflet. Try any of these and find what helps. Don’t worry if one thing doesn’t work for you; try something else.
- Keep your GP updated, they are still responsible for your care. They may be aware of other available services. Contact them if you need help, or are feeling unwell.
- Let your mental health service provider (or your GP) know if you are getting worse.
- If you’ve been prescribed medication, it may take time to work – sometimes over 4 weeks – ask about this. Don’t come off it without talking about it first with the person who prescribed it.
Mental health problems can affect the way you think, feel and behave. If you have problems with your mental health, you might feel sad, worried, confused, angry, frightened, hopeless or isolated. Having a friend of family member to support you can make all the difference. It could be the difference between missing out on the things you care about; to getting the support you need to get better. It’s hard sometimes to explain how you feel, so start small: text, phone, leave a note, try doing something together: go for a walk or picnic, go shopping, have a coffee, talk side to side rather than face to face: it might be easier be open and honest as long as you feel safe
You can’t always remember things that happen every day, and recording things like feelings, thoughts, moods, worries, events, and behaviours can help you to understand them. This is something that you can take to your appointment to show your mental health professional. Think about what you want to ask at your appointment, and make a note of the things that are most important to you.
Understanding all that you can about mental health issues and available services can help you to better understand things. It can help you to know what questions you want to ask. There are many excellent websites as well as informative books and videos. Be cautious though and look only at reputable sites and avoid chatrooms. Try:
- NHS: visit the NHS website for health advice
- Medication: To find out about medication visit the Choice and Medication website
- Moodzone: an anonymous online peer support community
- Big White Wall: for on-line peer support
- NICE guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence give you the standards that services should be trying to reach
- Biographies of people who have been through problems, such as:
- ‘Coming back to me’ by Marcus Trescothick
- ‘Absolutely Foxed’ by Graeme Fowler
- ‘Reasons to stay alive’ by Matt Haig
- Reading well books on prescription help you self-manage conditions such as depression and anxiety. Your local library can find these for you
We live in a digital age and applications (apps) have been developed for smartphones and other digital devices which can help you manage and take care of your mental wellbeing. These apps can be downloaded and used as a way of helping you think about the best ways to keep well. Visit the NHS Apps library to download apps which might be helpful, they are all NHS approved so you can be sure they are safe and secure.
Looking after your mind and body can help a lot. Think about:
- Sleep: Get enough sleep if you can. Practice good sleep 'hygiene' by making your bedroom a calm haven that helps you to sleep well. Don’t drink caffeine or do exercise just before going to bed. Keep electronic devices like TVs, games, phones out of the bedroom. Advice is available in an NHS self help booklet - look for the leaflet called 'sleeping problems' - and on the NHS website.
- Eating well: don’t skip breakfast! Take a look at the eat well guide for general advice on food and diet.
- Relaxation: try yoga, relaxation tapes, mindfulness etc. Watch the YouTube video by another Derbyshire NHS trust, DCHS, for an example of a relaxation exercise. There are also NHS audio guides.
- Exercise: Keep active, as this can help your mood. Go for a walk, go swimming, cycling, dancing or something else that makes you feel good. Find out more on the NHS Live Well website.
- Vitamins: Taking a general vitamin supplement might help to improve your wellbeing. Beware of taking anything like St John’s Wort, which can have poor reactions with prescribed medications. Ask a pharmacist or health professional for advice.
- Avoid non-prescribed drugs and alcohol: these don’t help, and can cause other problems.
- Read a mood-boosting book: ask your librarian for advice or look at the Reading Well 'books on prescription' list.
Suggestions from Trust service users and carers include:
- ‘How to be a Woman’ by Caitlin Moran
- ‘Making History’ by Stephen Fry
- ‘The Eyre Affair’ by Jasper Fforde
- ‘Losing it’ by Helen Lederer
- ‘The Buddha of Suburbia’ by Hanif Kureishi
- ‘The Extra Ordinary life of Frank Derrick Age 81’ by J B Morrison
- ‘Mort’ by Terry Pratchett
- ‘Rules for dating a Romantic Hero’ Quick Reads by Harriet Evans
- ‘Stressed Unstressed Classic Poems to ease the mind’ Anthology
Please note - these are only personal suggestions, and everyone's taste is different.
Small changes can make a difference to how you feel. You can find out more in our Recovery and Wellbeing section and in our Keeping Well section.
Remember the five ways to wellbeing:
- Connect: with the people around you
- Be active: regular physical activity is linked with lower rates of depression and anxiety for people of all ages
- Keep learning: Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course
- Take notice: Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual
- Give: Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time.
There may be services that can help and give you some support. Check out all sorts of support services. Many organisations have information about mental health in general and about groups.
- To find out ways of improving your wellbeing take a look at our Recovery and Wellbeing Centre
- Infolink resource directory can off advice on community support
- The Derbyshire Directory also allows you to search voluntary and community groups in Derbyshire where you might find activities or groups that you are interested in.
- Think about any contacts you have with Faith support services. Talk to your local faith leader to see if there is any help they can offer.
- Peer support services are often quite close, and have people who are in the same position as you who will understand, to find out about peer support services near you try the Derbyshire Peer Recovery and Support Service in Derbyshire, Telephone: 01773 734989 or Life Links in Derby City, Telephone: 0800 032202
- Community activities are a great way to keep involved and active. Try volunteering in a charity shop, or join in a community activity such as a choir or walking group
- Self-help booklets are free to print and can be used to help with issues you are troubled by, such as sleep, alcohol, anger, obsessions, stress, and depression and a low mood a guide for partners
- You might also like to read the Mental Health and Wellbeing Guide produced by Derbyshire County Council, which can help you discover more about support and services in your area and gives useful tips on how to stay well
- Find employement related advice on our Waiting well employment related services page
- Visit our Mental health and wellbeing support for social isolation and loss of meaningful activity page.
Getting ready for your appointment
Often attending appointments makes us nervous. But it's a good chance to ask any questions that are on your mind. It may be helpful to write down any questions you have before your appointment. It is easy to forget when you feel nervous.
You may find it helpful to take a family member, friend, language interpreter or someone from the Advocacy Service with you. Choose someone who knows what's important to you. They can also help by taking notes for you if helpful.
Everyone is unique and what's important to you might be different to someone else. Here are some questions you could think about or note down thoughts for before your appointment;
- How have you been feeling?
- What are your concerns?
- What might help you feel better?
- Do you have any questions about your medication?
- Is there anything else you want to talk about?
Planning to keep well
My Recovery Plan is a booklet designed and co-produced by service users, clinical staff and carers for Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to provide a pocket-sized Wellness Recovery Plan. This plan takes you through identifying the daily activities that keep you well. It also allows you to recognise your triggers and early signs when things start to go wrong and steers you towards actions you can take to keep safe. If you need any support to work through this with someone you can discuss this with your worker. You can share this with your care team if you wish.
Information and resources
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has information on mental illness and mental health problems where you can find information for patients, carers, family and friends relating to mental illnesses and mental health problems. The information is written by psychiatrists in collaboration with patients and carers.
Many people experience periods of loneliness, social isolation or a loss of purpose following changes in their mental or physical health. Staying connected to others and taking part in meaningful activities can play an important role in recovery and wellbeing. We have made a page called mental health and wellbeing support for social isolation and loss of meaningful activity that provides information about local support, community activities and services that may help you build connections, improve your wellbeing and regain confidence in everyday life.
How we keep people safe
Please view the patient safety page to learn more about how we keep people safe in our care.
If someone is in crisis, there are lots of support services available in Derby and Derbyshire - learn more on our help in a crisis page.
Read about what to do if you are worried about another person's safety.
How to give feedback
We want to hear from patients and service users about their experiences. Learn more on our patient experience page.
