Help for Young People Age 11–16
How are you feeling? If something is on your mind or you need support to find ways to feel better, you’re not alone.
How are you feeling?
Whatever you’re struggling with or worried about, there are loads of places to go for help, support or a listening ear. You’re not alone. Click below for information.
Life can be tough at times. We all feel low at points in our lives but sometimes, it can feel like we are unable to cope.
If you are feeling sad as you have lost someone you care about, it’s natural to feel sad, depressed, worried or angry. Everyone reacts in their own way. If you’re finding it hard to cope, we can help you find support.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Young Minds |information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Epic Friends| online advice and tools for children and young people
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
We all feel angry sometimes, often when there’s a good reason. Uncontrolled anger can be harmful, but you can learn to manage it.
If you often feel angry there are things you can do to help yourself. Other people can help too.
- Talk about how you are feeling. Parents, carers, close friends or other family members, such as grandparents, may be good listeners.
- At school, find a teacher, mentor, counsellor or school nurse who you trust. In the community, social workers, youth workers and leaders will also be able to listen.
- You can also see your GP. They may be able to suggest some treatment or recommend a counsellor.
Young Minds has some helpful tips and support on how to deal with anger, or you can look at the links below:
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
You might be questioning and exploring your gender, transitioning between genders, or thinking about transitioning. For some, this can be a confusing or difficult time. It may be distressing being viewed as a gender that doesn’t feel right, or being referred to with pronouns (‘he’ or ‘she’), that don’t feel right.
You may also struggle with your body image or how you feel in your own skin if your body does not match your gender. But it doesn’t always have to be this way and with the right help and support, things can start to feel better.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Young Minds |information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Epic Friends| online advice and tools for children and young people
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- Metro | Counselling and peer support for young people (up to 25). Call 020 8305 5000.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
Most of us worry sometimes – about things like friendships or money – and feel anxious when we’re under stress, like at exam time. But afterwards we usually calm down and feel better.
Some anxiety can be helpful as it can keep you safe from danger. But sometimes anxiety can make you feel like things are worse than they actually are and can feel overwhelming.
Almost everyone gets anxious sometimes, but if your anxiety is stopping you from being able to live your life or do things you normally enjoy then it’s important to get support.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too. Check out some of the below links for support on dealing with anxiety:
Advice:
- Young Minds|information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape | free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Epic Friends| online advice and tools for children and young people
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
Self-esteem is how we think, see and feel about ourselves. It isn’t just about how we physically look but also how confident we feel.
Sometimes, we might find it hard to believe in ourselves and feel good enough. That’s okay – it’s normal to struggle with our self-esteem and this can change at different times in our lives.
Young Minds has some helpful tips about how to feel better about yourself.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Headscape | free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Epic Friends| online advice and tools for children and young people
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
Sometimes, we might feel different from other people or that they don’t understand how are we feeling. This can be really tough and isolating, but it’s important to know that there are things you can do to feel valid, seen and heard. You are important, and your feelings matter.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Young Minds |information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
It’s never ok for someone to make you feel unsafe, scared or frightened, or for someone to hurt your body or your feelings.
Abuse is anything another person does that’s meant to hurt you. But it’s not always easy to know what abuse is or what to do about it.
Abuse isn’t always done by a stranger and could be someone you know, which can make it feel hard to speak out about. Abuse is always wrong. If you tell someone, they can help to make it stop.
There are different types of abuse:
- Physical – being hurt by someone for no reason
- Mental or emotional – being treated badly, such as always being ignored or criticised
- Verbal – saying, shouting or writing horrible things
- Neglect – not being looked after and kept healthy
- Sexual abuse – being touched or kissed where you shouldn’t be or forced to take part in sexual activity.
Find out more about each of these different types of abuse.
It’s ok to talk to someone you trust, like a family member, teacher, school nurse or another adult at school, someone from your place of worship or your GP.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Young Minds |information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus | confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
We all have problems with sleeping, waking, or having bad dreams sometimes.
You may find yourself waking up in the night, or having difficulty getting to sleep in the first place.
You may be anxious or worried – about being alone, the dark, or . You might feel you want someone there with you as you drop off to sleep or if you wake in the night.
Worries or anxieties can also be about:
- friendships or bullying
- school work
- family relationships
- divorce or separation
- changes in routine such as a new school or moving house
Chat to your GP if your sleep problems continue for a long time, things you try at home are not helping, or if you are worried about an emotional or physical problem. You can also chat to a trusted adult such as a family member, teacher or someone at your place of worship.
There’s lots of support available online and over the phone too:
Advice:
- Young Minds |information and helplines for supporting young people, including Young Minds Crisis Messenger: If you are a young person experiencing a mental health crisis you can text ‘YM’ to 85258 for free 24/7 support.
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
You might take drugs or drink alcohol to fit in with a group, to see what it’s like or to deal with a stressful situation in your life. It’s something we do as part of growing up, but drinking and taking drugs when you’re young may be doing more damage than you think.
Even when you’re 18 and technically an adult, your bodies are still developing and can’t process alcohol as well as someone older.
Visit Live Well Greenwich to find out how drugs and alcohol can affect your mental health and what to do if you need support.
You can also check out the services below:
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- Under 18: Visit the Royal Borough of Greenwich Young Persons Substance Misuse Service or call them on: 0208 921 6907
- Over 18: Visit VIA or call them on: 0300 303 4552
Pressure to do well in exams can be overwhelming and affect your mental health. It is normal to feel a worried about exams, especially if you’re under pressure from school or family. Exam stress can cause you to feel anxious or depressed, and this might affect your sleeping or eating habits.
But, there’s lots of advice, support and top tips available to help you through a stressful period.
Young Minds has some really helpful advice about coping with exam stress, and there’s lots of other support online and over the phone, too:
- Headscape| free online Mental Health Tool from Oxleas NHS for children and young people in Greenwich
- Good Thinking| advice and tools aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Londoners
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
Money problems can affect us in lots of ways. You or your family might be struggling with:
- being able to buy food or pay for basic things
- arguments at home about money
- not having the same things as your friends
- threatening letters or threats of people coming round
- not knowing if you can stay in your home
- finding work, or being affected by COVID-19
Whatever’s happening, there are ways to get help and get through it. There is lots of support available both online and over the phone.
Childline has some good advice if you’re worried about money.
Talk to someone:
- Childline| call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans| confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus| confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix| counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
Your first relationships are a big deal. Getting close to someone, having sex, or falling in love for the first time can all be amazing. But relationships can be difficult and stressful sometimes too.
Our relationships should make us feel good about ourselves – especially when sex is involved.
You don’t have to have sex just because you’re in a relationship, or because someone else wants to. You should wait until you feel ready.
Your relationship should not leave you feeling scared, intimidated or controlled. These, as well as violent behaviour, can be signs of an unhealthy relationship.
Disrespect Nobody also has advice on relationship issues such as:
- Healthy communication
- Managing arguments
- Feeling safe
- Dealing with a break up
For relationship help and advice from other young people, visit the Love Life forum at Rise Above.
Greenwich Sexual Health is the sexual health website for Greenwich, and can answer all your questions about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s), pregnancy, contraception and more. Visit Greenwich Sexual Health or visit one of their walk-in clinics for free and confidential advice.
You can also try the services below:
- Young Greenwich| Royal Greenwich’s youth support service, for young people between 8 and 19 (up to 25 for people with SEND).
- Kooth| Your online mental wellbeing community. Free, safe and anonymous support.
- Metro | Counselling and peer support for young people (up to 25). Call 020 8305 5000.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
You're not alone.
If you’re a young person who needs help or a parent looking for support for your child, there is support out there. Click below for links to services who can help
I need urgent help...
If you feel overwhelmed and like you can’t cope with day to day life, are having thoughts of suicide, are harming yourself or have thought about self-harm, it’s important to tell someone. These thoughts and feelings can be complex, frightening and confusing, but you do not have to struggle alone.
If you cannot wait to see a doctor and feel unable to cope or keep yourself safe, contact one of the organisations below to get support right away.
- Oxleas crisis line | 0800 330 8590 | (24 hour service)
- Samaritans | 116 123 | 24 hour helpline
- Call 111
I need to talk...
Speak to someone
- Childline | call 0800 1111 to talk to a counsellor, who are there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about.
- Samaritans | confidential counselling and support for people struggling to cope | Call 116 123
- Papyrus | confidential support and advice for young people struggling with thoughts of suicide | Call 0800 068 41 41
- The Mix | counselling and advice about a range of issues online, by telephone and by email | Call 0800 808 4994
Peer support
- Bipolar UK | advice and peer support for young people
- Big White Wall | peer support for over 16’s. Including self-help programmes and creative outlets.
- MeeToo |an app that offers a safe and anonymous space to talk about difficult things. Download here: Google Play Store. App Store.
I'm an adult concerned about a child...
- Local children’s centres can offer professional advice and support to families with children up to five years old via telephone.
- Greenwich Health Visiting, Duty Line | 020 8836 8621
- Young Minds free Helpline for parents |0808 802 5544
- Welcare | 0207 820 7910 Practical and emotional services to help families (with children up to the age of 13) to cope with a wide range of difficulties.
- Greenwich Parent Pages Local information and services for children age 0-19.
- Our Family Information Service can offer advice and signposting on a range of issues that may be affecting you and your family, including for children up to the age of 19, or 25 for people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, please contact:
- Oxleas on 0203 260 5211 Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
- Please contact the crisis line on 020 3228 5980 Monday to Friday 5pm-11pm and Saturday to Sunday (and Bank Holidays) 9am to 11pm.
- For all other times please contact the Oxleas Urgent Advice line on 0800 330 8590