Can I bring someone along to appointments with me? Expand Ideally you would meet with your therapist on your own. Your therapist might allow you to bring a friend or family member in for the first meeting, but it is best to discuss this with your therapist beforehand. Unfortunately we do not have creche facilities. It is best not to bring your child, as he or she could be a distraction and there may be things that it would not be appropriate to discuss with your child there.
How long will it be before I get to see someone/receive an appointment? Expand There is some variation in the length people have to wait to be seen because demand sometimes varies between the different parts of our service. We aim to be as fair as possible, seeing people in the order that they were referred. If you have specific requirements (e.g. seeing a female therapist, evening appointments, being seen at a particular place) this could mean that you might have to wait a bit longer.
Is CBT right for me? Expand There are many different psychological and talking therapies and it's important to choose the right approach for you. The following checklist may help you to decide if CBT will suit you: You want to understand what maintains your problem You want to manage your problem more effectively You are willing to give different ways of thinking a try You want to be an active partner in your treatment You want a short term, time-limited therapy For more information on what to expect from CBT, you can download this leaflet from the Department of Health about what to expect from CBT. You can also read this leaflet about what other types of therapy you may be offered. Depending on your problems, it may be that another service is more helpful in providing you with the support and help that you need. We'll discuss these options with you and, when appropriate and with your permission, can refer you on to a more suitable service. Sometimes, you may need to tackle certain other problems before we can best help you. We are the single point of access for St Josephs Counselling and Making Space Computerised CBT.
What if I am already receiving counselling or therapy elsewhere? Expand If you are already receiving counselling or therapy elsewhere, you must complete that therapy first, before being referred to Talking Matters Warrington.
What if I'm not registered with a GP in Warrington? Expand Other services cover nearby areas - if your GP is in one of these areas, please contact the relevant service for further details: Halton - 0151 292 6952 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan - 01942 772 115 St Helens and Burtonwood - 0151 511 5688
Which Warrington GP practices do you cover? Expand CCA -Culcheth CCA - Chapelford CCA - Appleton Cockhedge Medical Centre Dallam Lane Medical Centre Eric Moore Partnership Manchester Road - The Surgery Greenbank Surgery Brookfield Medical Centre Guardian Medical Centre Latchford Medical Centre Fairfield Surgery Padgate Medical Centre Penketh Health Centre Stockton Heath Medical Centre Fearnhead Cross & Longford Street Medical Centre Stretton Medical Centre Holes Lane Surgery Birchwood Medical Centre Helsby Street Surgery Westbrook Medical Centre Springfield Medical Centre Causeway & Hood Manor Medical Centre Lakeside & The Quays Medical Centre Park View / Sankey Medical Centre Four Seasons Medical Centre Culcheth Medical Centre Folly Lane Medical Centre
Who can access the service? Expand Anyone who is 16 years old and over, not currently involved in any other psychological treatment, and who are registered with a GP in the Warrington area.
Step 4 - more information Expand Step 4 provides specialist treatments within NICE guidelines. In comparison to other steps, Step 4 treats a small minority of people. This is usually because the treatments in steps 2 and 3 haven't helped them enough, or because they are at risk of self-neglect or harm, functional impairment or are dealing with more complex conditions, which possibly include other social factors or chronic, multiple diagnoses. Step 4 is usually made up of a range of highly qualified therapists such as experienced Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and EMDR therapists. The needs of people receiving Step 4 services are likely to be more complex, so it is probable that people will be receiving a combination of medication and other treatments. Although some treatments may be similar to those in Steps 2 and 3, the treatment is likely to be more intense or for a longer duration.
1980 - 1989 Expand Pre 1982 MHM originated from the National Schizophrenia Fellowship. The National Schizophrenia Fellowship had a number of regional offices, including ours which was based in Collingwood Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. A regional development director, one development worker and an administrator were employed in the management of this regional office. The main focus of our work involved supporting carers and service users through 20 self-help groups. These self-help groups met monthly and covered the region from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Stockton-on-Tees. We also had a membership of over 600 people living in the North East. The Regional Development Director took guidance and direction from a voluntary management committee made of primarily carers with a number of professionals working in the mental health field. It also had an advisory committee made up of members, people attending our self-help groups and people using mental health services. 1984 The National Schizophrenia Fellowship decided to close a number of its regional offices, including their Newcastle office. The management committee of the Newcastle regional office worked with the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, the Charity Commission and Companies House to establish the Northern Schizophrenia Fellowship (NSF) separately, and on 27th January 1984, we became incorporated both as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The founding members of NSF were George Lowe (Chairman), Dr. Ian Pagan Frazer, George Herbert, Margaret Bell and Arthur Banister. The first Director of NSF was Alex Gosling. The first services NSF ran were a registered care home in Whitley Bay (Percy Road), a day service in Wallsend (Rosehill Day Centre), a drop in “safe space” one evening per week in central Newcastle (The New Way Out Club) and supported a local management group in Hetton le Hole with their supported housing. The NSF offices also offered a safe space drop-in facility 5 days per week. We continued to run and support over 20 self-help groups with a combined membership of over 600 service users and carers. NSF also supported the set-up, development and management of Key Enterprises (North Tyneside), Waddington Street Day Services (Durham) and Blyth Star Enterprises (Northumberland). 1987 NSF secured funding from Allied Dunbar Charitable Trust: Section 64 monies and local fundraising initiatives, which was used to recruit a second development post. Additional funding was also received from local grant making charitable trusts and pharmaceutical companies which helped our services grow. 1988 Sir Roy Griffiths published the ‘Care in the Community – Agenda for action’ report. 1989 The UK government published their response to Sir Roy Griffiths’ report in their White Paper ‘Caring for People – Community Care in the next decade and beyond’. This identified 6 key objectives and these objectives because enshrined in new legislation, enacted in the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. In August, Ian Grant was recruited as Director of NSF. A gun incident in Monkseaton, North Tyneside involving someone with a mental illness attracted major media coverage which further spotlighted the national lack of health and social care, priority, focus and services for those individuals with severe and enduring mental illness, and NSF continued to campaign for improved services. In December 1989, our second Registered Care Home opened in the West End of Newcastle. This service was a collaboration between the Newcastle Health Authority, West End Newcastle Social Services and ourselves.
1990 - 1999 Expand From 1990 to 1993 our charity had exponential growth in its housing services across the North East of England, and our staff team grew accordingly to include Directors of Housing, Development and Community Support Services, as well the appointment of more finance and administration staff. 1991 NSF published a report called ‘Slipping through the Net’, which highlighted major gaps in the provision of services for those suffering from mental health illnesses. The report had profound effects on the support and delivery of services for people with mental health illnesses. 1992 In December 1992, following the killing of Jonathon Zito by a schizophrenia patient named Christopher Clunis, SANE (Schizophrenia A National Emergency), MIND and the National Schizophrenia Fellowship successfully campaigned for government funding to be released and prioritised for health and social care services for people with mental health needs. 1993 We were successful in piloting our first employment service, The Gateway Project, delivered from our offices in Gateshead and secured through the European Social Fund. This service pioneered the recognition of the link between employment issues and peoples’ mental wellbeing which has since become a national priority. In 1993 we also relocated to West Sunniside, Sunderland. 1994 In June through an evidenced-based wider need for services and following consultation with its members, the Management Executive made the decision to change the name of the charity to Mental Health Matters (MHM). At the same time the charity amended its governing document (Articles and Memorandum of Association) to reflect those of a national charity. The name 'Mental Health Matters' reflected the decision to widen our support remit to all types of mental health conditions across the country, beyond the North-East. In this year, our Pathways Advice and Information service opened in Gateshead offering drop in advice and support on subject such as medication, benefits, local services as well as mental health needs to people living in Gateshead. This service is still going strong today! 1995 The Management Executive reviewed the effectiveness of the self-help group model currently operating, and it was decided that self-help groups would no longer continue, instead focusing our efforts on other types of mental health support. MHM opened our first Helpline service, based in Middlesbrough. The helpline was originally commissioned to supplement one of our supported housing units, offering tenants emotional support 24/7. It was quickly identified that this innovative service could benefit many more people with mental health needs, and it began to be adopted more widely. We also opened our first dispersed housing service in Sunderland. In the latter part of 1995 MHM opened up its Business Centre in Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. We were successful in attracting (in total) £10 million of European Social Fund (ESF) monies into the North East of England creating a range of employment initiatives (ACCEPT & Sunniside projects) that enabled the charity to share, learn and embed good practice from other European countries. 1998 Our Northern Causeway service opened. This service offered outreach support to people in Belford, Wooler and Berwick providing social support within the local communities. MHM also opened the Reflections Resource Centre in Darlington offering meaningful occupation, employment and learning opportunities to residents living in Darlington. 1999 Our first service outside the North-East, Barrow Woods Forest Farm, opened in Bristol.
2000 - 2009 Expand 2000 Through support monies provided from Pfizer Pharmaceutical we created a development post in Wakefield which raised MHM's profile and created new opportunities to develop services, including the 'Back in Touch' employment support service. We moved our Central Office to Gateshead, and our charity continued to expand. Our Gateshead Out of Hours opened in this year, offering drop in services in Heworth, Blaydon and Gateshead city centre. We also opened new services further afield, in London (the Hillingdon Employment Service) and a support service in Birmingham which focused on helping people to gain skills in gardening, catering and administration to help them find employment. 2003 As MHM grew, our central office required a yet larger base and we moved to our current location in Sunderland. We opened The Sanctuary Project in Gateshead, a service providing therapy and support to refugees living in the North East. (In the year 2004, MHM were awarded a 4 star status by the Home Office for this work). 2006 In 2006 the Department of Health piloted a new scheme to increase the public’s access to high-quality psychological therapies on the NHS, known as IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies). MHM played a key role in the service’s pilot in Newham, and following the pilot’s success the scheme was rolled out nationally. 2008 In partnership with South Staffordshire & Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust (SSSFT), we opened our first non-pilot IAPT service in Liverpool. 2009 Furthering our partnership with SSSFT, we opened a second IAPT service in Sefton. We also independently launched IAPT services in Derbyshire and Teesside.
2010 - 2019 Expand 2010We opened our Talking Therapies service in Warrington, in partnership with Cheshire & Wirral NHS Partnership Trust.2011Helen Mackay was appointed as CEO, having worked for MHM since 1987!2012MHM opened the first 'Payment by Results' (PBR) service in Darlington, and the first 'Any Qualified Provider' (AQP) service in Teesside.2015We opened our Talking Therapies service in Northumberland, in partnership with Sunderland Counselling Services and Efficacy. This was also a successful year for our Social Care services in the North-East, with a number of contracts being extended and won across Sunderland and South Tyneside. This covered a wide variety of services from Advocacy, Housing, Advice and Guidance and Mental Health User Voice. In 2015 Julie Haley was appointed as the new Head of Social Care.2016In this year we were very proud to secure National Helpline accreditation, while also extending our Helpline offering to Coventry and Kent. After a successful partnership bid with Midlands NHS Trust, Making Space and The Wise Group, we were part of the launch of a community based service in Staffordshire.MHM also secured a Positive Practice in Mental Health award in recognition for our evidence-based successful partnership working.20172017 was an exciting year for MHM, with our social care services expanding even more. We retained contracts in Stockton and Hartlepool and we were successful in moving into new areas across the Midlands and Leicestershire delivering community-based support. This year we also secured our York Haven service, commissioned by and in partnership with Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust, which continues to go from strength to strength supporting those most at need in York. Funding from the Department of Work and Pensions was released to support IAPT services nationally to deliver employment support. MHM were successful in securing some of this funding and expanding into Hertfordshire to work alongside the IAPT team there to deliver an integrated service.Our Helpline also expanded, delivering our first specialist service for veterans in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust, Walking with the Wounded, Lincolnshire NHS Partnership Foundation Trust and North Essex NHS. In addition, our helpline began supporting crisis and recovery teams in Gloucestershire and across the midlands. 2018 2018 started at an amazing pace in Social Care, as we expanded our provision of Employment Advisors within the Coventry and Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire IAPT services. These services were commissioned as part of a joint drive by the Departments of Work & Pensions and Health to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to provide fully integrated therapy and support for people accessing IAPT services. We also secured funding to deliver the 'Make Your Move' employment support scheme across Northumberland, Newcastle, South Tyneside, AND Sunderland! In June, MHM re-branded, with fresh logos and marketing materials. The aim of this re-brand was to ensure that people are able to recognise our services at a glance wherever they are, and make it clear what we do and what our values are. This rebrand made the three key strands of the support we provide clear – services in the community, talking therapies and wrap-around helpline support – while visually linking them all back to MHM. We also launched a new supported housing service in Middlesbrough, which opened on the 1st June. This service was run by MHM back in the 1990s, and was also the first base of our helpline service, so we were very excited to be delivering services there once again! In October, after several months of consultation and workshops, we launched our new and improved website on World Mental Health Day. Throughout the year the helpline continued to grow, securing several contracts to help Crisis Teams and other NHS teams provide emotional support to their clients out-of-hours. Our Primary Care team also began a new Waiting List Initiative, utilising our fantastic team of trained staff to help other IAPT services reduce their waiting times and get people the help they need in a timely manner. We were honoured to receive a special ‘Third Sector Partnership Working’ award from Positive Practice in Mental Health (PPiMH) this year. The award recognised our achievements working in partnership with the NHS to deliver effective mental health support services. 2019 2019 began with a flurry of activity for the Social Care team, to launch three new Crisis Cafes in Devon located in Torquay, Exeter and Barnstaple. Meanwhile, the Talking Matters Warrington ‘Employment Advisor Wave 2 Trailblazer’ project went live on the 1st of March, working as part of the main IAPT service providing employment advice and support to TMW clients. Shortly after this, in April, we became the prime providers of the Talking Matters Warrington IAPT service, sub-contracting to Making Space and St Joseph’s Family Centre. In October, our Support Matters service was recognised with the Positive Practice in Mental Health (PPiMH) Specialist Mental Health Rehabilitation (NHS England) award.
Data Protection Expand MHM are committed to ensuring that any personal data we receive or collect is: Used fairly and lawfully; Safeguarded; and Processed in accordance with applicable data protection law. We recognise that under current data protection law individuals have certain rights with respect to their personal data and we are fully committed to ensuring these rights are upheld. In summary these rights include: Right to access: the right to access all the data we hold about you. To find out more about how to request access to your data please see below. Right to rectification: the right to have your personal data corrected or completed if you believe it is incorrect/incomplete. To find out more about how to request for your data to be corrected/completed please see below. Right to erasure / right to be forgotten: the right to request that we erase all data we hold about you (as long as there is no other requirement to keep the information). Right to data portability:the right to request that we copy or transfer the data we hold about you from us to another service provider. Right to restrict use of personal data: the right to request that we suspend our use of your personal information in certain circumstances. Right to complain: the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you consider we have not used your personal information in accordance with data protection law. Right to withdraw your consent: where we have relied upon consent to process your data you have the right to withdraw it. How do I make a request to access or correct my personal data? You can request your records by completing our online form here Email us at [email protected] Talk to a member of staff Write to the Data Protection Officer, Mental Health Matters, Waterside House, Sunderland Enterprise Park, Sunderland, SR5 2TZ Telephone us on 0191 516 3500 What information does MHM need to process my request? We aim to make it as easy as possible for you to access or correct your data. However, in order to ensure we do it properly and securely, there is some information we will need from you. If you make the request over the phone or in writing, you will need to provide valid proof of your identity. This helps us to ensure you are who you say you are and we are releasing the data to the right person. You can do this by going along to the service you're accessing or by sending us a copy of your ID (e.g. passport or driving license). You will also need to ensure you provide us with a description of the data you would like to access/correct. Who can make a request? You can make the request yourself or someone can make the request on your behalf, as long as you give your permission for them to do so. Do I have to pay a fee? No, unless there are exceptional circumstances, your request will be processed for free. How long will it take? Once we have all the information we need we will process the request as quickly as possible. At a maximum this will be within one calendar month. What if I want you to release my data to someone else? That’s no problem, you just need to tell us who and provide us with their contact details. National data opt-out policy Under the national data opt-out policy, if you are a client of one of MHM’s Talking Matters services you also have the right to choose if you do not want your confidential patient information to be used for purposes beyond your individual care and treatment, i.e. for research and planning. Details of how to make that choice are available on page 12 of the MHM Talking Therapies Services Privacy Notice for Clients If you have any questions about the way your personal data is being handled by us, please contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected] or call us on 0191 516 3500. If you would like to make a complaint about the way your personal data has been used by us, please click here. To request a full copy of the MHM Data Protection Policy or the MHM Privacy Policy please email [email protected] or contact us on 0191 516 3500. Full copies of our Client Privacy Notices are available to download here: MHM Services Privacy Notice for ClientsMHM Talking Therapies Services Privacy Notice for Clients
Gareth Merga Expand Gareth joined MHM in December 2018 and is the Service Manager for Talking Matters Warrington. Gareth began his career in mental health as a Primary Care Graduate Mental Health Worker, studying at the University of Manchester and working in Salford. He became involved in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) initiative in 2008, training as a High Intensity Therapist as part of Wave 1 of IAPT training. Gareth completed his PGDip in CBT at the University of Birmingham whilst working as a High Intensity Therapist with Rethink in Stoke-on-Trent. He took on a managerial role at the Big Life Group in 2010, where he managed the Halton and St Helens IAPT service prior to the service in Halton being taken over by North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, where he continued to manage the Halton IAPT service until joining TMW. Outside of work Gareth plays bass guitar with Red Hot Rage Machine, and tries to take part in triathlons when he’s not having a laugh with his wife and children.
Jasmine Whitbread Expand Jasmine joined MHM as the Chair of the Board of Trustees in April 2025. She brings relevant board-level experience from the charity and private sectors. In her executive career, she was at the helm of Save the Children for ten years after six years with Oxfam, and prior to that she held management roles with technology-oriented companies. She now contributes to a number of companies as a non-executive director, as well as playing advisory and mentoring roles. "My career has been driven by a desire to contribute to positive social change across a range of issues, and it seems to me that, in today's world, mental health has become the issue. Through my personal and professional networks, I have seen the life-saving difference that mental health support services can make. So it’' a privilege for me to join the team focused on delivering the vital purpose and inspiring vision of MHM."
Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Expand Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses are for everyone who works with, lives with, or supports young people aged 8-18. This course will teach participants the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support that they need. MHFA will not teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening. To learn more read our; Youth Mental Health First Aid Course Overview or contact [email protected].
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Adult Expand Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. MHFA will not teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening. You will learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe. To learn more read our: Mental Health First Aid (Adult) Course Overview or contact [email protected]
2020- Expand 2020 2020 was a year like no other and presented us with a unique set of challenges. The year started off at pace with the launch of new crisis Havens services to provide support across Kent from four locations: Medway, Maidstone, Canterbury and Thanet. In March, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated national lockdown significantly changed the way in which we delivered support. The commitment of our staff to support those who continued to need our help was critical in enabling us to deliver services and many of our services moved to virtual delivery almost overnight. Our fantastic Learning & Development team re-designed our training programme to ensure mental health education remained a priority. In addition, they developed and launched a webinar series. The series offered short sessions that addressed topical wellbeing challenges being faced by employers and employees alike, including working remotely and dealing with uncertainty.
LGBTQ+ mental health Expand Mental health problems can affect any of us, but they are more common among people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT). This may be linked to LGBT people's experience of discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, bullying, social isolation, or rejection because of their sexuality (NHS, 2021). Switchboard LGBT + Helpline is a place for calm words when you need them most.They are there to help you with whatever you want to talk about. Nothing is off limits, and they understand how anxious you might feel before you pick up the phone.Call - 0300 330 0630 (10 am till 10 pm every day). MindOut is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Queer Mental Health Service. They work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ communities and to make mental health a community concern.
Perinatal mental health Expand Perinatal mental health (PMH) problems are those which occur during pregnancy or in the first two years following the birth of a child. Perinatal mental illness affects up to 20% of new and expectant mums and covers a wide range of conditions (NHS, 2021). The most common mental health conditions experienced are depression and anxiety disorders. Symptoms: Pregnant women or new parents can experience: Depression - Persistent sad, feeling down or ‘empty’ mood, feeling hopeless PTSD GAD – excessive and uncontrollable worries potentially around the safety or health of their children OCD - including fear of harm to their unborn/children Health anxiety - a fear that they are ill or may become ill Support available This leaflet provides you with some basic information about taking care of your mental health during pregnancy and post-delivery. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust have produced a range of self-help guides, including one on post-natal depression that is available to download here. Anxiety and depression in pregnancy, post-birth or if you have a child under 2 can be treated via psychological therapies. Visit our service lookup here to see if we deliver a talking therapy service in your local area. If you are pregnant or have a child under 2 years old you will be prioritised at your local MHM therapy service. Alternatively, you can visit the NHS website here and enter your postcode to find your local service. Most local areas also have specialist Peri-natal Mental Health Services if you are pregnant or have a child under 1 years old and you are suffering with moderate to severe mental health difficulties. You can be referred to your local team by a healthcare professional such as your midwife, health visitor, GP or a mental health professional.
Eating disorders Expand Eating disorders include bulimia, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) and anorexia. The signs and symptoms vary depending on the disorder being experienced and the signs of an eating disorder are not always obvious to friends and loved ones. Eating disorders can have serious effects on an individual’s physical health, therefore it is important to seek support via your GP as soon as possible. Support available MHM does not provide support specifically for eating disorders. If you are struggling with an eating disorder seek support from your GP as soon as you can, they can review your overall health and they may refer you to an eating disorder specialist or team of specialists. The eating disorder team may identify that your eating difficulties are related to another mental health conditions for example depression or PTSD and they may refer you to your local psychological service once your physical health is stable. Beat is the UK’s eating disorder charity and provides a wide range of information resources and a national support helpline. The website also provides information about how to support someone who has an eating disorder.
Hoarding disorder Expand A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. The items can be of little or no monetary value (NHS, 2021). Many people struggling with hoarding do not seek help. This may be due to humiliation and shame or because they simply do not recognise the hoarding as an issue. Hoarding can significantly impact a person’s quality of life by making it hard for them to function in their home including move around and maintaining hygiene and cleanliness. Hoarding can be a condition in itself, or a symptom of a mental illness including severe depression, OCD or schizophrenia. Symptoms: Keeping/collecting items that have little or no monetary value, such as junk mail and carrier bags, or items they intend to reuse or repair Having difficulty in making decisions Struggling to manage everyday tasks, such as washing, cooking, cleaning and paying bills Becoming extremely attached to items, refusing to let anyone touch or borrow them Having poor relationships with family or friends Support available: It can be difficult to get someone with a hoarding disorder to seek help. Mind have information on their website about Hoarding Disorder. People struggling with hoarding may benefit from psychological therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This will often be combined with practical activities and tasks focused on tackling the problem.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) Expand Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, commonly referred to as obsessions (OCD UK, 2021). These obsessions are distressing for the individual, and they feel a need to act out compulsions to reduce the distress. These compulsions can bring short-term relief from the anxiety. However, this is temporary, and the compulsions become repetitive every time the fear is triggered. There are a lot of unhelpful misconceptions about OCD. OCD is debilitating for many people and significantly impacts a sufferer’s quality of life. These misconceptions are damaging and can prevent people from seeking support. Symptoms: Examples of common obsessions include: Worries about contamination Worrying about harm coming to yourself or other people Relationships - constantly thinking about your relationship or your sexuality Worries that imagining bad events will increase the possibility they will happen Violent thoughts - thoughts of being violent to a loved one or other people Sexually disturbing images or thoughts Thoughts that go against religious beliefs Compulsions: can take many forms and can include constant reassurance-seeking, checking things repeatedly, avoiding people or places, skin picking, or mental compulsions including counting. Support available OCDUK has a wide range of information about the disorder and the treatment options available, as well as advice for those struggling with the condition and their family members. ReThink has a downloadable factsheet about obsessive compulsive disorder. Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust have produced a range of self-help guides, available to download here. OCD can be treated via psychological therapies. Visit our service lookup here to see if we deliver a talking therapy service in your local area. Alternatively, you can visit the NHS website here and enter your postcode to find your local service.