Mental Health
Support & Resources
Clear, plain-English guidance, trusted NHS pathways, and direct links to support services — nationally, locally in Shropshire and North Wales, and online.
You do not need a diagnosis to seek help. You do not need to be in crisis to deserve support.
🚨 Need urgent help right now?
Getting Support
NHS pathways, waiting lists, private therapy, digital support
Local Services
North Wales, Shropshire, national organisations
Specific Experiences
Veterans, men, LGBTQ+, carers, perinatal, and more
All Conditions
Depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders & more
What is mental health?
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel, and act — and how we handle stress, make decisions, and relate to others. Just as physical health exists on a spectrum, mental health is not simply the absence of illness. It is possible to have poor mental health without a diagnosis, and to have a diagnosis and still thrive.
Mental health affects everyone
- 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year
- 75% of mental health problems emerge before age 24
- Mental health difficulties are the leading cause of disability worldwide
- Most people with mental health problems are never violent — the opposite association is a harmful myth
You deserve support if…
- You are struggling, even without a diagnosis
- You have a diagnosis and need more or different support
- You are supporting someone else
- Things feel hard to explain or name
- You have been dismissed or disbelieved before
- You are a professional wanting better understanding
How can NAAVoices help today?
No judgement. No pressure. No assumptions. Choose what best reflects where you are right now.
Mental health conditions & experiences
Trusted NHS information and specialist support for each condition. All links open in a new tab.
🎷 Depression and Low Mood
Persistent sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest, changes in sleep, appetite, and energy. Ranges from mild to severe. Very common and very treatable.
💡 Anxiety and Panic Disorders
Excessive, persistent worry including GAD, panic disorder, social anxiety, health anxiety, and phobias. Physical symptoms include racing heart, breathlessness, and dizziness.
🔄 OCD — Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions). Serious and debilitating — not a quirk about tidiness. Highly treatable with the right therapy (ERP).
🛡️ PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety after trauma. C-PTSD develops after prolonged trauma including domestic abuse or childhood neglect — includes difficulties with emotion regulation and identity. Particularly relevant for DA survivors.
⚖️ Bipolar and Mood Disorders
Extreme mood swings including mania/hypomania and depressive lows. Frequently misdiagnosed — particularly in women and neurodivergent people. Proper diagnosis leads to appropriate treatment including mood stabilisers.
🧠 Psychosis and Schizophrenia
Hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking. Early intervention significantly improves long-term outcomes. Both are treatable with the right support.
🌿 Eating Disorders
A group of serious conditions including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. Highest mortality rate of any mental health condition. Early treatment is critical.
⚠️ Self-Harm
Deliberately hurting oneself to cope with overwhelming emotional pain. Not attention-seeking — a sign someone is struggling and needs support. Often co-occurs with depression, anxiety, trauma, or eating disorders.
💡 Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings
Feeling like you want to end your life, or that others would be better off without you. These feelings are more common than many realise — and having them does not mean you will act on them. Please reach out.
⚡ ADHD and Mental Health
ADHD significantly increases risk of anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. Many adults diagnosed late — particularly women. See also the Neurodiversity Hub for assessment guidance and ADHD self-screening.
🥸 Autism and Mental Health
Autistic people experience significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression — often as a consequence of masking and years of living in a world not designed for their neurological profile. See the Neurodiversity Hub.
👶 Perinatal Mental Health
Mental health during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Affects approximately 1 in 5 women and also fathers and partners. Includes postnatal depression, anxiety, birth trauma, and postpartum psychosis.
🌎 Personality Disorders
Patterns of experiencing the world that cause significant distress. Includes BPD (EUPD). Note: BPD is frequently misdiagnosed — and overdiagnosed in women who may actually have autism, ADHD, or C-PTSD.
💕 Bereavement and Grief
Grief is a natural response to loss of a person, a relationship, a way of life, or a future you expected. There is no right way or timeline. Traumatic bereavement and grief after suicide loss require specialist support.
💧 Addiction and Substance Misuse
Alcohol, drugs, gambling, and other addictive behaviours. Frequently co-exists with trauma, depression, or anxiety. A trauma-informed approach makes a significant difference. Recovery is possible.
🌈 Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders
Disconnection from thoughts, feelings, identity, or surroundings. Ranges from brief episodes to complex DID. Strongly linked to childhood trauma and prolonged abuse. Often poorly understood by services.
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Mental Health
LGBTQ+ people face significantly higher rates of mental health difficulties due to minority stress, stigma, and discrimination — not their identity. Specialist, affirming services are available.
From NAAVoices — Not Broken
Not Broken: Finding the Stars
Written by Amy Royle — registered nurse, neurodiversity advocate, and founder of NAAVoices.com — this is a powerful, deeply personal account documenting institutional failures following a domestic abuse disclosure, and the journey from survival to voice.
Speaking to anyone who has felt dismissed, disbelieved, or invisible by systems that were supposed to protect them. Raw, honest, and ultimately a testament to resilience.
Related NAAVoices hubs
Mental health, domestic abuse, and neurodiversity are deeply connected. These hubs cover the intersections in depth.
Domestic Abuse Hub
PTSD, C-PTSD, coercive control, and the mental health impact of DA. Legal rights, safety planning, helplines, and recovery.
DA Hub → DA & trauma →From the Founder
Personal writing from Amy Royle — survival, recovery, PTSD, ADHD, and the journey that built NAAVoices. Written in Amy's own voice.
From the Founder
Personal writing on survival, recovery, PTSD, ADHD and neurodivergent experience, parenting through trauma, and the journey that built NAAVoices.