🧠 Anxiety Disorders
Types: Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder
Anxiety disorders involve persistent, excessive worry that interferes with daily activities. Symptoms include restlessness, rapid heartbeat, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Try a controlled breathing exercise: breathe in steadily for around 3 seconds, hold for 2, then breathe out for 3 — repeat for a few minutes until you feel calmer.
- Don't avoid the things that make you anxious — avoidance tends to make anxiety stronger over time. Face situations gradually.
- Talk to someone you trust about how you're feeling, or contact a helpline like Samaritans (116 123).
- Try the NHS Mind Plan — five quick questions and you get a personalised plan with practical steps.
- If anxiety is affecting your daily life, you can self-refer to NHS talking therapies in England without seeing a GP first.
Read more on NHS
💙 Depression & Low Mood
Depression is characterised by persistent sadness, loss of interest, changes in appetite or sleep, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Low mood often makes us stop doing things we usually enjoy. Try listing those activities and tackling some each day, starting with the easiest ones.
- Get moving — research suggests regular exercise can be as effective as antidepressants for some people with mild depression.
- Try to eat well and keep up with the basics: sleep, light, time outside, and connection with people you trust.
- Notice when your thoughts drift to dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, and gently bring your attention back to what's actually in front of you right now.
- If your low mood lasts several weeks or stops you doing daily things, talk to a GP or self-refer to NHS talking therapies.
Read more on NHS
⚡ Chronic Stress & Burnout
Prolonged stress leading to physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. The WHO classifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon rather than a medical condition.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Break what you have to do into smaller, more manageable chunks — and give yourself credit when you finish each one.
- Try a short daily gratitude practice: each day, list three things you're thankful for, however small.
- Talk to trusted friends, family or colleagues — feeling heard takes the edge off pressure. You can also call Samaritans (116 123) or text Shout on 85258.
- Cover the basics: regular meals, light movement, good sleep, and proper breaks (including taking your annual leave) help your body manage stress hormones.
- Set healthy boundaries at work — clarify what's expected of you and switch off properly when the day ends.
Read more on NHS
😴 Sleep Disturbances & Insomnia
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early, leading to daytime fatigue and impaired functioning.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Keep a regular routine — go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day, including weekends.
- Build in a wind-down period before bed and avoid screens for at least an hour beforehand. Blue light from phones, tablets and TVs makes you more alert.
- Make your bedroom cool, dark and quiet — try blackout curtains, an eye mask, earplugs, or putting your phone out of the room.
- Avoid caffeine after early afternoon (it can take up to six hours to wear off), and don't rely on alcohol — it disrupts sleep quality.
- If you can't sleep within ~20–30 minutes, get up, do something quiet and relaxing in dim light, and only return to bed when you feel sleepy.
- If sleep problems last more than a few weeks, see a GP — CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended NHS treatment.
Read more on NHS
🍽️ Eating Disorders
Serious conditions including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder involving complex relationships with food, weight and body image. Eating disorders carry serious medical risks and benefit greatly from early professional support.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Try not to manage this alone — speak to a GP as a first step. They can refer you to specialist eating disorder services.
- If you're not ready to see a GP, contact Beat, the UK's eating disorder charity, on 0808 801 0677 (England) for confidential support.
- Try to eat regularly — three meals plus snacks each day helps interrupt cycles of restricting and bingeing.
- Notice and gently challenge food rules, and aim to focus on how your body feels and functions rather than what it looks like.
- Reach out to people you trust. Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, and even one person knowing what you're going through helps.
- If you're worried about someone else, the NHS recommends approaching them with care, listening without judgement, and encouraging them to see a GP.
Read more on NHS
🚭 Substance Misuse
Harmful or hazardous use of alcohol or drugs that interferes with health, relationships, or daily functioning.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Talking to a GP is a confidential, free first step — they can refer you to your local NHS drug and alcohol service.
- You can also self-refer directly to local drug and alcohol services through the government's service finder — you don't need a GP referral.
- Notice your triggers (places, people, times of day, feelings) and plan ahead for how to handle them.
- Free helplines: FRANK (0300 123 6600) for drugs, or Drinkaware (0300 123 1110) for alcohol.
- Mutual support groups like SMART Recovery, AA or NA can help — and most NHS services involve some form of peer support.
- Relapse is common, not failure. It's information for adjusting the plan with whoever's supporting you.
Read more on NHS
🎯 ADHD
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder involves persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity that interfere with functioning across more than one setting.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- If you think you might have ADHD, see a GP — they can refer you for an assessment with a specialist (this is the only route to an NHS diagnosis).
- Make lists and use reminders — write things down rather than relying on memory, and use phone alarms or calendar alerts.
- Break big tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks and work on one step at a time.
- Have a place for important things (keys, wallet, phone) and put them there every time.
- Get regular exercise — physical activity helps with focus, mood and sleep, all of which are usually harder with ADHD.
- Talk to your employer or tutor about reasonable adjustments — quieter spaces, written instructions, or flexible deadlines can make a real difference.
Read more on NHS
🤝 Loneliness & Social Isolation
A perceived lack of meaningful connection with others. Loneliness is a near-universal human experience and not a personal failing.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- Try to keep in touch with people you already know — a quick call, message or coffee can break the cycle when reaching out feels hard.
- Join a group based on something you enjoy — a class, hobby group, sports team, or local community activity. Shared activities tend to build connection more easily than trying to "make friends" directly.
- Volunteering is a strong route out of loneliness — it gets you out of the house, gives you purpose, and connects you with other people doing the same.
- Try to look after the basics: regular sleep, time outside, and gentle activity all help with how loneliness feels.
- If you'd value someone to talk to, the Samaritans (116 123) and Silver Line (0800 4 70 80 90, for older people) are free, confidential, and available 24/7.
- Loneliness is incredibly common — most people experience it at some point. It's not a personal failing or character flaw.
Read more on NHS
💔 Self-Harm & Suicidal Ideation
Thoughts of self-harm or suicide can feel overwhelming — please know that support is available, and these feelings, however intense, can change with the right help.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- If you're in crisis right now, call 111 (option 2 for mental health) or 999 in an emergency. Samaritans are free to call any time on 116 123.
- Tell someone you trust how you're feeling — a friend, family member, GP, teacher, or anyone who can stay with you while these feelings pass.
- Speak to a GP — they can refer you for talking therapy and help you put a personalised safety plan in place.
- Identify what makes things harder for you (situations, times of day, substances) and what helps, and try to lean toward what helps when you're struggling.
- Try to remove or reduce access to anything you might use to hurt yourself when things are hardest. Even small barriers help in difficult moments.
- These feelings, however overwhelming they feel, are not permanent — and reaching out for help genuinely makes a difference.
Read more on NHS
🔄 OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental acts (compulsions) intended to reduce distress.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- If OCD is interfering with daily life, see a GP — they can refer you for talking therapy. You can also self-refer to NHS talking therapies in England without seeing a GP first.
- The main NHS-recommended psychological treatment is CBT including a specific approach called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
- Try to resist seeking reassurance about your worries — it tends to feel relieving in the moment but reinforces the OCD cycle longer-term.
- Remember that intrusive thoughts are not the same as wishes, intentions or facts about who you are. Most people experience strange or unwanted thoughts.
- If you also feel low or anxious, the same NHS service can help — these often go together with OCD.
- OCD-UK and OCD Action have peer support groups and free helplines.
Read more on NHS
🌪️ PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop after exposure to traumatic events, causing intrusive memories, avoidance, negative shifts in mood, and hyperarousal.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- If symptoms have lasted more than four weeks or are causing real distress, see a GP — they can refer you to specialist talking therapy. You can also self-refer to NHS talking therapies in England.
- The two main NHS-recommended therapies are trauma-focused CBT and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).
- Stick to a routine where you can — regular meals, sleep, and gentle activity all help your nervous system settle.
- Try not to use alcohol or drugs to cope. They tend to make symptoms worse over time.
- Use grounding techniques during flashbacks: notice five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two you can smell, one you can taste.
- Stay connected to people you trust. Avoiding others usually keeps trauma symptoms going for longer.
Read more on NHS
🪞 Body Dysmorphia & Low Self-Esteem
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) involves intense preoccupation with perceived flaws in appearance that others typically can't see or consider minor.
NHS Self-Help Tips:
- See a GP if worries about your appearance are taking up a lot of your time or stopping you doing things — they can refer you for specialist talking therapy.
- The main NHS-recommended treatments are CBT (often with ERP) and, in some cases, SSRI medication.
- Try to cut down on appearance-checking behaviours: limit time in front of mirrors, scales, or your phone camera. The relief is short-lived; the worry comes back stronger.
- Curate your social media — unfollow accounts that leave you feeling worse about yourself, and add accounts showing a range of bodies and lives.
- When you notice harsh self-talk, try asking: "Would I say this to a friend?" Try out a kinder, more realistic version.
- BDD often gets better with the right support — it's a recognised condition, not vanity, and you're not alone in it.
Read more on NHS
🏠 Homesickness
Distress caused by separation from home — common among students, travellers, and people who've recently relocated.
Self-Help Tips:
- Stay connected to home — regular calls or video chats with people you miss help, but try not to spend so much time in touch that you don't engage with where you are now.
- Set up a routine quickly. Familiar daily structure (meals, sleep, study/work, breaks) reduces the "everything is unfamiliar" feeling.
- Bring meaningful objects with you — photos, a familiar mug, a favourite blanket — and create one small space that feels like yours.
- Push yourself gently to leave your room and join things — student societies, clubs, classes, or local groups. Most people feel awkward at first; it's worth pushing through.
- Allow yourself to feel sad about it. Homesickness is a normal adjustment response, not weakness or a sign you've made the wrong choice.
- If it's not easing after a couple of months or it's affecting eating, sleeping or daily life, speak to a GP or your university's student support service.
Read more on Mind
💰 Financial Stress
Worry about money, debt, and financial security has well-documented effects on both mental and physical health.
Self-Help Tips:
- Get free, independent money advice — Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline are all free and confidential.
- Open the letters and check the balances. Avoidance is understandable but tends to make money problems grow. Once you can see the picture, it's usually less frightening than imagined.
- Make a simple budget — even a rough list of money in vs money out reduces the cognitive load of constantly worrying.
- Talk to creditors early. They can usually offer payment plans, reduced payments, or breathing space if you contact them before missing payments.
- If you're entitled to benefits, check what you can claim — many people miss out on help they're owed. EntitledTo and Turn2us have free benefit calculators.
- Money worries and mental health feed each other. Look after the basics — sleep, food, time with people you trust — and speak to a GP if it's affecting you.
Read more on Mind