Support for Younger People

Exam Stress

Sometimes the pressure of exams can cause a lot of stress. Lots of people struggle to cope with this, but there are lots of things to do to help.

Tips to help with stress:

Remember to eat and sleep
Set yourself realistic goals
Revise with friends
Believe in yourself
Small chunks at a time
Plan ahead
Talk to someone

People you can talk to:

YoungMinds
The Mix
NHS 111 option 2
Samaritans
Hopeline UK
SHOUT
Relate
Blue Smile
MIND
Parents
Teachers
Friends

Videos

Apps

Things to do:

Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as fear or worry, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example you may feel worried or anxious about sitting an exam, or having a medical test or job interview.

Main symptoms of:

Panic disorder
Phobias
PTSD
Social Anxiety

Signs:

Lack of confidence to try new things
Unable to face everyday challenges
Find it hard to concentrate
Problems with sleeping or eating
Angry outbursts
Negative thoughts
Avoiding everyday activities

Teenagers are more likely to suffer with social anxiety more than any other age group, avoiding social gatherings or making excuses to get out of them.

Find help at:

YoungMinds
Samaritans
Anxiety UK
No Panic
SHOUT
Calm
SANE
Anna Freud

Local Help:

Centre 33
Kooth
Blue Smile
H.A.Y. Peterborough
Young People’s Counselling Service
Frog life and Green Pathways
Cogswheel Trust

Eating Disorders

And eating disorder (ED) is a mental health condition where you use the control of food to cope with feelings and other situations. Teenagers between 13-17 are most commonly affected.

The most common eating disorders are:

Anorexia Nervosa – Trying to control weight by not eating enough, exercising too much, or doing both.
Bulimia – Losing control over how much you eat by then taking drastic action to not put on weight.
Binge eating disorder – eating large portions of food until you feel uncomfortably full.
OSFED – Otherwise Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
ARFID – Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Symptoms:

Spending lots of time worrying about weight and body shape.
Avoiding socialising when food is involved.
Eating very little food.
Making yourself sick or taking laxatives after eating food.
Exercising too much.
Strict habits or routines around food.
Changes in mood.

Physical signs:

Feeling cold, dizzy or tired.
Pains, tingling or numbness in arms and/or legs.
Heart racing, fainting or feeling faint.
Problems with digestion (bloating, diarrhoea, constipation).
Weight being very high or very low for someone of your age and height.
Not getting your period or delayed signs of puberty.

Where to find help:

Self-Harm

Self-harm is when someone intentionally damages or injures their body.

Why do people self-harm?

Expressing or coping with emotional distress.
Trying to feel in control.
As a way of punishing themselves.
Relieving of unbearable tension.
A cry for help.
A response to intrusive thoughts.

Ways to avoid self-harming:

Talk to someone.
Work out if feeling a certain way leads to self-harm.
Try waiting before you consider self-harming.
Distract yourself – Go for a walk, listen to music, snap a rubber band instead, do something you like.
Write about your feelings.
Try calming breathing exercises.

How to ask for help:

Talk to someone you trust.
Find a time and place where you feel comfortable.
Try to talk honestly and openly.
Let them ask questions but don’t feel pressured to answer.
Decide if you want to show them injuries or scars.

Help and Support:

Sexual and Domestic Abuse

Domestic violence or abuse includes physical. emotional or sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.

Signs of abuse

Emotional Abuse

Do they:

Belittle you / put you down?
Blame you for the abuse or arguments?
Deny or downplay abuse?
Isolate you from family or friends?
Stop you going to school/college/work?
Make unreasonable demands for your attention?
Accuse you of flirting or cheating?
Tell you what to wear, do or think?
Control your money?
Monitor your social media?

Threats

Do they:

Threaten to hurt or kill you?
Destroy you belongings?
Invade your personal space?
Threaten to kill themselves?
Read your emails, texts, or letters?
Harass or follow you?

Sexual Abuse

Do they:

Touch you when or where you don’t want to be touched?
Make unwanted sexual demands?
Hurt you during sex?
Pressure you to have unsafe sex (e.g. not use a condom?)?
Pressure you to have sex?

If anyone has sex with you when you don't want to, that is rape.

Physical Abuse

Do they:

Slap, hit or punch you?
Push, shove, bite or kick you?
Burn you?
Choke you or hold you down?
Throw things?

Advice for leaving an abusive relationship

You’re not alone, this is not your fault.

Before leaving, get advice from support services, e.g:

Women – Women’s Aid and Refuge
Men – Men’s Advice Line
LGBTQIA+ – Galop

Be careful who you tell, it’s important your abuser doesn’t know you plan to leave.

Help and Support:

LGBTQIA+

Mentsl health challenges can affect anyone, but they are more common in LQBTQIA+ people. This may be linked to experiences of discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, bullying, social isolation, or rejection.

Please don’t suffer in silence. It’s never too late to get support or help.