United Kingdom (UK) / MIND / NHS Resources

[Razzle]

Someone from the UK asked me for this a few days back. While these are listed as benzo support many do AD's and other psyche drugs also.

 

I am not sure why the USA does not have these support systems:

 

TRANX (Oldham), Rock Street Resource Centre, Oldham, England UK meets on Mondays from 11:00am - 1:00pm. Phone Barry Haslam on 01457 876355.

 

Bristol and District Tranquilliser Project, 88 Henleaze Road, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4JY. Telephone/Fax: 0117 962 2509 (Office) · 0117 962 8874 (Helpline) · Mon - Thurs 10AM - 4PM, (UK Time).

 

BAT - Battle Against Tranquillisers, PO Box 658, Bristol, BS99 1XP. Telephone (0117) 9663629/9653463. Mon-Sun 9am-8pm. Support for carers. Aims to help people who wish to withdraw from tranquillisers or sleeping pills. Provides individual counselling and local support groups. See also: Alternative BAT Site.

 

Council for Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction (CITA), JDI Centre, 3-11 Mersey View, Waterloo, Liverpool L22 6QA, England UK. Tel: 0151 474 9626, Fax: 0151 284 8324. Helpline: 0151 932 0102 (Mondays to Fridays 10am-1pm). Advice and support for people addicted to tranquillisers and sleeping tablets. Information, advice and leaflets available on anxiety, tranquillisers and anti-depressants. Training offered for professionals.

 

Back to Life Web Site, Pam Armstrong, CITA, Liverpool. Information about the long-term use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines. Set up as a subsidiary to CITA.

 

BRADFORD BENZODIAZEPINE WITHDRAWAL SERVICE. Contact Jon Royle (Services for Drug Users, 35 Salem Street, Bradford BD1 4QH; email: Jon.Royle@bradford.nhs.uk. Open to any adult residing in Bradford who requires help and support to reduce or cease their use of benzodiazepines. Website.

 

BENZACT Contact: Sue Bibby. Tel: 01670 504155 (Mondays to Fridays 9am-5pm). Campaigning organisation that can provide information on the adverse effects of benzodiazepines, including the effects of taking benzodiazepines during pregnancy and the misuse of benzos. Cannot provide counselling but will refer.

 

Breakaway (Cornwall). Self help support to adults over 18 who are dependent on Benzodiazepines and wish to withdraw from them as comfortably as possible with other people who want to do the same. Breakaway meets in Truro every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month 2:00-4:00pm/6:00-8:00pm. Contact Details: Rosemary (Group Co-ordinator), 6 Walsingham Place, Truro, Cornwall TR1 2RP. Tel. 01872 261037.

 

Tranquilliser Withdrawal Support (West Suffolk), Blomfield House Health Centre, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1HE. Helpline: 01284 702550 (24 Hour Answerphone). Contact: Jeanne Geatches. Email.

 

TRANX ACTION (BRIGHTON AREA), 22 Richmond Place, Brighton. BN2 2NA. Tel: 01273 626217. (Answerphone - Please leave your name and telephone number and they will call you back). Offer advice and information to people addicted to, and coming off, tranquillisers. Provide reduction plans and ongoing support by appointment. Can provide literature and free leaflets. Can take calls from around the UK.

 

MOLD BENZODIAZEPINE SERVICE. A service run by the North East Wales NHS trust for people who are having difficulties with tranquillisers and sleeping tablets. Offers advice and support. Tel: 01352 706 725 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).

 

NECA (North East Council for Addiction), Bridge View House, 15 - 23 City Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 2AF · Tel: 0191 222 1262 · Fax: 0191 263 9908 · Email: newcastlebvh@neca.co.uk. Professor Heather Ashton is a member of the NECA Executive Committee.

 

Tasha Foundation (Tranquillisers, Anxiety, Stress), Alexandra House, 241 High Street, Brenford, Middlesex, TW8 1NE, UNITED KINGDOM. Telephone 020-8560 6601. (Helpline: 6pm - midnight daily). Alternative Tasha website.

 

TRANX Australia. Tranquilliser Recovery & New Existence Inc, PO Box 186 Burwood, 3125, Rear, 1423 Toorak Road, Burwood 3125, Melbourne, Australia. Tel: 98897355 Fax: (03) 9889 1022V. email: tranx@alphalink.com.au.

 

Tranx Services Incorporated, New Zealand, PO Box 68-701, Newton, Auckland, NZ. Telephone (09) 356-7305. Fax (09) 356-7315.

 

PATIENTS' RIGHTS ADVOCACY, Waikato Incorporated, 65 Tawa Street, Hamilton, New Zealand. Telephone (International): + 64 - 7 - 8435 837. Contact: Anna de Jonge. Email: anna.dej@clear.net.nz.

 

TURN, Tranquilizer Users Recovery Network, 228 'B' South Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075, USA. Telephone (619) 793-9606.

 

APRIL Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link. Information on adverse effects and withdrawal. Details of web sites and support groups, and other resources.

 

Benzodiazepine Addiction, Adverse Reactions & Withdrawal Symptoms Page at APRIL.

 

MIND – THE MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY, Granta House, 15-19 Broadway, London E15 4BQ. Tel: 0208 522 1728 (Inside London); Tel: 08457 660 163 (Outside London). Email: contact@mind.org.uk. Mental health charity covering England and Wales. Works towards a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. Has a network of over 200 local associations. Also produces a range of publications: see the website for further details. (Mind publishes a booklet called "Making Sense of Treatments and Drugs: minor tranquillisers").

 

The Mental Health Foundation: UK Office, 20/21 Cornwall Terrace, London NW1 4QL. Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7535 7400. Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7535 7474. Email: mhf@mhf.org.uk · Map of the London office · Helping You Cope, A Guide to Tranquillisers and Sleeping Tablets, The Mental Health Foundation, 1994. See also: Medication for Mental Health Problems.

 

The Mental Health Foundation: Scotland Office, 5th Floor, Merchants House, 30 George Square, Glasgow G2 1EG. Tel: + 44 (0) 141 572 0125. Fax + 44 (0) 141 572 0246. Email: scotland@mhf.org.uk.

 

NO PANIC, 93 Brandsfarm Way, Randlay, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 2JQ. HELPLINE: 01952 590545 (7 days, 10am – 10pm). Supports people suffering from panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorders and other related anxiety disorders, including tranquilliser withdrawal, and supports their families and carers. Provides advice, counselling, listening, befriending and can make referrals. Runs local self-help groups and produces a range of leaflets, information, audio and video cassettes.

 

FIRST STEPS TO FREEDOM, 7 Avon Court, School lane, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2GX. Tel: 01926 851 608. Open: 10am – 10pm. 365 days a year. Help for anyone experiencing tranquilliser addiction. Also offers help to people suffering from general anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia and bulimia. Offers counselling, listening, advice, support and information.

 

UKPPG Medication Helpline, Helpline: 020 7919 2999 (Mondays to Fridays 11am-5pm). The UKPPG (UK Psychiatric Pharmacy Group) exists to ensure best treatment with medicines for people with mental-health needs. Offers confidential advice and information on prescription drugs for patients, carers and families. Has leaflets on common psychiatric medicines.

 

DrugScope (UK). Telephone: 0207 274 7031 (Monday - Friday).

 

National Drugs Helpline (UK). Telephone: 0800 776600

Edited June 18, 2011 by Altostrata
clarified topic purpose

[Punarbhava]

AD and Benzo Telephone Support and More

 

 

Benzo and AD Support Site

 

http://recovery-road.org/

 

Recovery Road Wellness Project is a charity registered in England and Wales which supports those affected by tranquilliser and antidepressant dependency, their families, and the professionals who care for them.

 

We offer our services through a free and confidential Helpline, our website, and by promoting awareness. Helpline calls and emails are taken by volunteers who have also experienced benzodiazepine and/or antidepressant withdrawal and are now well enough to dedicate some of their time to listening and reassuring those yet to recover, in need of support.

 

The following services are being offered:

 

 

Help-line (I believe this telephone support will not be operational until Sept 2011)

 

Buddy Support

 

Email Support

 

Empowerment Programs

 

Success Stories

 

Support for Family and Caregivers

 

 

* Please Note: They do not provide advice regarding tapering, nor do they provide any medical advice.

[poodlebell]

HI

 

found road to recovery a good site, used to have contact with CITA which is in the previous post but Pam who ran it died and I am not sure if it is still going.

 

poodlebell

[Barbarannamated]

I noticed several members in the United Kingdom exchanging information and thought a dedicated thread might be helpful. I will try to notify each member, but please feel free to help by leaving a post on Introductory threads.

Links to UK researchers/articles, pharmacists/chemists, any other resources appreciated.

 

UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/869.aspx?categoryid=73&subcategoryid=104

 

MIND

http://www.mind.org.uk/

 

NICE - NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH AND CLINICAL EXCELLENCE

http://www.nice.org.uk/

 

DAVID HEALY, MD

http://davidhealy.org/

 

JOANNA MONCRIEFF, MD

https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/research/personal?upi=JMMON33

 

DUNCAN DOUBLE, MD

http://www.mentalhealth.freeuk.com/homepage.htm

Edited June 10, 2012 by Altostrata
removed recursive link

[Barbarannamated]

FYI

Linking threads with UK resources.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2403-united-kingdom-uk-mind-nhs-resources/page__pid__23941#entry23941

[Barbarannamated]

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2394-antidepressants-are-another-addiction-for-doctors-as-well-as-the-patients/page__gopid__23970#entry23970

 

DR. ROBERT LEFEVER

 

http://www.doctor-robert.com/Flat 1, 58a Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, SW7 3DY (UK) +44(0)7540 281 820

 

Dr. Lefever has given up his medical license to counsel about addiction. (He considers psychiatric medication to be addictive.)

 

He will refer patients to private doctors nearby who will assist individualized tapering. He is not reimbursed by NHS and neither are the doctors to whom he refers patients.

[strawberry17]

This is a great idea, as requested here is a link to my blog, I was stuck on sertraline for many years, couldn't get off of it, I switched to liquid Prozac which worked for me, and I blog about my experiences with AD drugs and my long taper:

 

http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.co.uk/

 

I also have a Facebook page linked to my blog where I just share things of interest to anyone who might be interested:

 

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/ProzacWithdrawalBlogspot

 

I'm sorry I can never get that "link" thing to work, it always seems to post where I don't want it!

[Altostrata]

UK folks, I also suggest sharing info about NHS procedures and rules here.

 

- What did you have to do to get your liquid medication approved?

 

- What did you have to do to get your medication compounded?

 

- What did you have to do to change doctors?

[Altostrata]

Duncan Double and Joanna Moncrieff may believe withdrawal symptoms are all psychological or psychosomatic. I don't know where they are on tapering.

[bubbles]

I'm not in the UK, but I'll put in my two cents worth if that is appropriate...

 

Joanna Moncrieff's book was fascinating, and gave me a lot of courage. I will dig the book out and see if there is a reference to tapering. I have dozens of pages with sticky tags!

 

Here is a series of videos that I watched a while back:

Joanna Moncrieff, among others including Healy and Ashton, talk about psych meds. I no longer recall the details as it was a while ago, but I do recall watching them all and finding it very interesting.

 

Best wishes

B

[Altostrata]

Joanna Moncrieff is a hero, no doubt about it. Whether or not she would be helpful with the nuts and bolts of tapering -- looking forward to what you find, Bubbles!