Feeling stressed? Let’s talk about it

In this fast paced world we all find things stressful and difficult from time to time but talking about it can really make a difference.

This World Mental Health Day (10 October 2018), the NHS in North West London is focusing on how NHS talking therapy services help people who may be feeling stressed, worried, fearful or generally low.

Talking to a therapist or undergoing self-help courses can help people learn new ways to help themselves and feel better able to cope with their problems.

A recent user of talking therapies support referred themselves after experiencing stress at work and university. They were finding it hard to meet deadlines, experiencing sleeplessness, tension headaches and generally felt that they had no one to talk to. After attending weekly telephone based sessions for six weeks they said:

 “I was very sceptical in the beginning however after starting my talking sessions I soon figured out that they would really help me in the future. I built a great rapport with my therapist and found that each week it got easier to reach my goals.”

“I now have the tools to help me manage stress and anxiety in any given situation. I am very grateful for the support from talking therapies but also really proud that I have made this change. You can too.”

Talking therapy services are easy to access through direct self-referral or GP referral and they are available across all eight North West London boroughs. To find out more, contact the relevant service for your borough:

People registered with a GP in Brent, Ealing, Harrow and Westminster can also use Health Help Now, a free digital patient app to monitor how they are feeling. The mood tool feature asks basic questions about your mood and how you feel and will signpost you to relevant services based on your responses. The app can be downloaded here: App Store or Google Play.

So far this year, almost 28,000 people in North West London have accessed talking therapies to help them deal with stress, anxiety or depression.

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Notes to editors

World Mental Health Day (10 October 2018) is hosted by the World Health Organisation. This year the focus is on young people and mental health in a changing world. More information can be found here.

The North West London health and care partnership is made up of over 30 NHS and local authority organisations. Between us, we plan, buy and provide health and care services for more than two million local residents across eight boroughs, spending around £4 billion per year. There are 400 GP practices, ten hospitals and four mental health and community health trusts across the eight boroughs. Find out more here.

For further information, please contact Ayesha Baker, Communications Manager: ayesha.baker@nhs.net.