Self Help - Mental Health

This page is intended to give you details of organisations, web sites, and books that we find helpful, and use or recommend routinely

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
For an excellent web site which is full of information about depression and anxiety and is very informative for younger patients/adults with depression and anxiety, the web address is: www.studentdepression.co.uk/site/

The University of Leeds web site has a section for mental health problems, it also includes some recommendations for self-help books, this can be accessed at: www.leeds.ac.uk/ahead4health

Our own web site has information on mental health problems and this can be accessed through the Health Advice pages: http://www.leedsstudentmedicalpractice.co.uk/healthadvice/help.htm

SELF TREATMENT OF LOW MOOD AND DEPRESSION
There is a book called "Mind over Mood" Guilford Press  ISBN 0-89862-1283. This book is a self help course of CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy).This is thinking therapy for low mood and depression. It can be used as a treatment in its own right but can also be used alongside prescribed medication if needed. The University library does have a couple of copies, or it can be purchased online or from various bookshops without difficulty

A similar course of CBT can be accessed online through an Australian web site called "the mood gym". This is currently a free service, however you have to have an e-mail address and register using a username (you don't have to use your real name for the username). The web address is: www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/ or www.livinglifetothefull.co.uk

COUNSELLING
Counselling for University of Leeds students is also available through the student counselling service. This is run and funded by the University for its students. The counsellors are fully trained (they are not students). They also offer a selection of self-help groups lists of other counselling agencies. Telephone 0113 343 4107, or for information about their services see their web site: www.leeds.ac.uk/studentcounselling/

Leeds Metropolitan University students whose courses are delivered here in Leeds, whether they are part time or full time, home or international, of any age, race or belief, are welcome to use the Counselling Service. Details on the web site: http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/counselling/

The Market Place offers specialist services for the variety of issues affecting young people today. If they don't have the specific information you need then they will help you find it. They also offer free counselling and one-to-one sessions by appointment. These services are free and confidential and all you need to do is come in during the hours listed. In addition they offer the following sexual health services: free condoms and free pregnancy testing and chlamydia testing. Web site: www.kududesign.co.uk/marketplace/indexy.html

BEREAVEMENT
CRUSE is a national organisation with offices across the UK. Their aim is to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. The organisation provides counselling and support. Leeds branch 0113 234 4150. Web site: www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk/index.html

SELF HELP BOOKS
This is a list of self help and information books which we have found useful and which have been recommended by patients. A note from us: most books are available at substantially lower prices from web book dealers such as Amazon (for example normal retail £6.99, Amazon retail £3.99)

Anxiety & Stress
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Susan Jeffers 1997 Rider & Co (£6.99)
Overcoming Shyness and Social Anxiety. Gillian Butler 1997 Robinson
Overcoming anxiety: a five areas approach. Williams 2003 (£19.99)
Managing stress. Markham 2003 (£9.99)

Depression
Mind Over Mood: Change the way you feel by changing the way you think. Christine Padesky & Denis Greenburger 1995 Guildford Press (£18.95)
Overcoming Depression and low mood, 2nd edition 2006, Dr Chris Williams, (Hodder Arnold H & S)

Assertiveness
Manage your mind. Butler et al 2002 (£16.99)

Self Esteem
Overcoming low self esteem. Melanie Fennell 1999 Robinson Therapy

Eating disorders
Getting better bite by bite: Survival Kit for Sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorders. Ulrike Schmidt 1993 Psychology Press Ltd (£12.95)

Source: LSMP

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Last revision: January 2012