Help & Resources
How to get help for your mental health in Sussex
The NHS has specialist clinics for diagnosing and treating adult ADHD, ASD (Autism) & Tourette’s.
You can use this information below to ensure your referral is sent to the correct place. We also recommend contacting the clinic directly to check that your referral has been to received and to check your progress on the waiting list.
Post-diagnosis groups
Post diagnostic support to those diagnosed with Autism or ADHD is currently being re-structured to allow for provision of support which blends face to face and remote (video) delivery. Please ask in your assessment appointment for more detail or contact the clinic for general diagnostic assessments and post-diagnostic support groups:
Tel: 0300 304 0096
Email: ESNDS@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk
Feeling unable to cope, worried you may hurt yourself or somebody else and/or experiencing suicidal feelings?
Support | Accessibility |
|---|---|
For immediate help: If your life - or someone else's life - is in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to A&E. | |
For same or next day help: You can get help with your mental health in different ways depending on what you prefer. All services are free. | |
Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option (also known as the Sussex Mental Healthline (available 24/7). | To request an interpreter, please ask someone to call on your behalf and say which language is needed. |
Call the Samaritans on 116 123 (available 24/7). | |
Visit a Staying Well service (out-of-hours mental health crisis support service for people aged 18+ available in Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings and Worthing). | If you need an interpreter, these services can call for interpretation help while you are with them. |
Text the word SUSSEX to 85258 (24/7 mental health text-messaging support service) | If you are using Google Translate, please tell the mental health professional that you don’t speak English and they will work with you and support you to feel calmer. |
Download the Stay Alive app - a suicide prevention resource full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. |
Feeling stressed, anxious, low or experiencing panic attacks?
The following are services that you can either contact directly (details below) or be referred by a GP.
Services are free, confidential, and provide a wide range of support, including courses, online programmes, and one-to-one sessions. They aim to help you understand your symptoms and take practical steps to improve your mental health.
NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
If you live in Sussex, are over 18 and are struggling with common mental health problems such as feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), you can refer yourself to your local NHS Talking Therapies service.
NHS Talking Therapies West Sussex
NHS Talking Therapies East Sussex
NHS Talking Therapies is unable to provide urgent mental health help or support to people experiencing more severe difficulties with their mental health. Instead, please see a GP who can refer you to the appropriate service.
Mental health support at your GP surgery
If you have a diagnosed mental illness or are having difficulties with your mental health and would like coping strategies to help, you can get support with your mental health from the Emotional Wellbeing Service, or similar service, at most GP surgeries. These services can provide you with information, advice, guidance and support.
Contact your GP surgery to find out what mental health support is available.
Experiencing a significant change in your mental health?
You should call NHS 111 or visit NHS 111 online for advice if you – or the person you are concerned about – experience a significant change in your mental health and are not already receiving care from mental health services.
This might include:
- Hearing or seeing things that are not experienced by other people, for example hearing voices
- Having strong beliefs that are not shared by others, for example believing there is a conspiracy against you
- Having excessive energy or movements, sleeping very little
- Behaving in a bizarre and out of character way
- Changes in behaviour like wanting to avoid people, lack of basic self-care.
Whilst these can be normal experiences, they can also be signs of something more serious.
Worried about money, housing or another issue that is affecting your mental health?
There are lots of ways you can get practical help with issues that may be affecting your mental health.
Services are free, confidential and provide a wide range of support, including courses, online programmes and one-to-one sessions. They aim to help you understand your symptoms and take practical steps to improve your mental health.
Support | If you live in East Sussex | If you live in West Sussex |
|---|---|---|
Money worries and cost of living support | ||
Help with housing | ||
Support for people affected by domestic abuse | ||
Drug and alcohol recovery support |
Social Prescribing service at your GP surgery
Social Prescribers can connect you to support, services and activities to help address the challenges and issues you may be struggling with. Ask your GP or GP surgery if they have a Social Prescribing service. Waiting times differ between GP surgeries.
Where to find advice and information about local mental health support
Not sure what support you need or would like? There are several community-based groups that can support you with your mental health, whether you have a diagnosed mental illness or need short-term help or advice about your mental health. Find out what’s available in your area.
Support | How to contact |
|---|---|
UOK: Mental Health & Wellbeing Support in Brighton, Hove, and East Sussex | Call 0808 196 1768 (9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays) Arrange a call back by uok.org.uk/talk-to-us or visit uok.org.uk |
If you live in East Sussex | eastsussex.gov.uk/social-care/ health-advice/mental-health/east-sussex-mental-health-directory |
If you live in West Sussex | Pathfinder is an alliance of mental health support providers, covering seven areas in West Sussex - Littlehampton, Horsham, Worthing, Crawley, Chichester, Midhurst and Adur. |
If you are a carer for someone with a mental health difficulty | UK-Wide carerssupport.org.uk/mental-health East Sussex health-advice/mental-health/east-sussex-mental-health-directory/carers |