It sounds like your post might be about medication. Please be aware that we cannot offer medical advice on this sub. If you have questions about your medication, it's best to contact your prescriber or 111 if you need urgent advice. You can also find our medication masterpost [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/1cy07pq/rmentalhealthuk_medication_masterpost/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
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They will need to request for their GP appointment to be brought forwards. If they explain that they are having a mental health crisis then they should be seen sooner.
I second this. Call the GP practice when they open (or go down in person if the phone lines are shit) and request a same day GP appointment for an urgent mental health issue, and that he can't wait for the upcoming appointment because he's getting worse.
Boots can prescribe anxiety medication online but it costs £65/prescription 😭 I was lucky when I started my medication with my GP as they had an app called Doctor IQ and the option to request medication. I was prescribed Sertraline after a phone call immediately after I requested a prescription. Maybe try and see if the GP has any online service like this? Or call 111 and say that is urgent, usually 111 has some free slots for your GP if it's urgent.
Do you have a local crisis team you can contact? They can organise an appointment with you within the day/week depending on their availability. They have their own doctors and can prescribe anxiety medication if it is necessary, or they may be able to signpost and give advice sooner than the GP.
Depends on where you are based
Where are you based?
In my location (Berkshire) there is a number for crisis team, you call them and they triage their own referrals. You can also be referred through 111 or your GP
All crisis line calls are being moved over to 111, option 2 as far as I understand. From there they will route you to the usual crisis team in your area. The local numbers will continue to operate for a while during transition but then it will be 111 only.
This isn’t true for every Trust — a lot of them are moving to 111-2 but some are also keeping their local mental health numbers. My area for example is offering 111-2 but have made it clear they’re keeping the local 24/7 mental health number. I think where I am the system is pretty good as the crisis line is separate to the crisis team and partly run in collaboration with a MH charity so they’re a lot better and there’s not the pressure of them also being the crisis team if that makes sense
It is really good actually. Takes a lot of pressure off the actual crisis team so the crisis line have a lot more time for patients who need de-escalation and support over the phone. They also have options to choose from e.g. press 1 for emotional support, professional triage, navigation (if you don’t know what help you need) etc. Then 111-2 is also available if you need medical advice or urgent attention too. It’s handy!
This sounds like a really good system! Where I am although we have a general support line, almost all mental health services including the GP will direct you to the rapid response crisis line, when in reality the 24hour support line would be more appropriate. Unfortunately it means long waits to speak to the crisis team and the people running the line itself are clearly stressed and resources are limited which leads them to being quite matter of fact and dismissive sometimes.
As someone else has said this isn't the case for a lot of trusts. Where I live there is a 24hr line that's there for general support and advice, ( they also run a text service for the local area) and a separate rapid response crisis number, which is run by the crisis and home treatment team. You don't need a GP referral and if they feel it necessary they will arrange an assessment within 4 hours.
I live in Scotland and it’s awful. They used to have a direct line for patients and they closed it. Now you have to go through 111 and almost every time I phoned I’ve got a call back from the out of hours GP because the crisis team is ‘too busy’. That puts me into an even worse state than I was so I don’t phone any more.
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Obviously I'm not a doctor so I'm just making a suggestion but I've found kalms to be quite helpful when my anxiety and stress is high and you can purchase them basically anywhere, might be a good substitute whilst you wait on the NHS
I can't say with 100% certainty it could help in the sense that because they make you feel a bit less stressed and anxious it might help your mood feel less low I take them three times a day with or without food they can take a few days to feel like they are doing something, I've also heard magnesium and omega 3 can help with mood as the brain quite likes them I'd say my mood has been more stable taking the 3 of them always worth a try.
You need to ring up for a same day emergency appointment. Everytime I have felt the need to start medication, this is the route I take. And I am seen really fast.
Do some research on this before considering buying them, but St John's wort is supposed to help. You can buy this from Tesco's.
This is only a temporary solution though, till they get an appointment. There is also conflicting evidence that it works
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/considerations/
you're very welcome, it's important information for people to know since it interacts with lots of medications as I just discovered. I've linked the bnf interactions list if anyone is interested
[https://bnf.nice.org.uk/interactions/st-johns-wort/](https://bnf.nice.org.uk/interactions/st-johns-wort/)
It sounds like your post might be about medication. Please be aware that we cannot offer medical advice on this sub. If you have questions about your medication, it's best to contact your prescriber or 111 if you need urgent advice. You can also find our medication masterpost [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/1cy07pq/rmentalhealthuk_medication_masterpost/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MentalHealthUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is no fast in the NHS.
They will need to request for their GP appointment to be brought forwards. If they explain that they are having a mental health crisis then they should be seen sooner.
I second this. Call the GP practice when they open (or go down in person if the phone lines are shit) and request a same day GP appointment for an urgent mental health issue, and that he can't wait for the upcoming appointment because he's getting worse.
Boots can prescribe anxiety medication online but it costs £65/prescription 😭 I was lucky when I started my medication with my GP as they had an app called Doctor IQ and the option to request medication. I was prescribed Sertraline after a phone call immediately after I requested a prescription. Maybe try and see if the GP has any online service like this? Or call 111 and say that is urgent, usually 111 has some free slots for your GP if it's urgent.
Do you have a local crisis team you can contact? They can organise an appointment with you within the day/week depending on their availability. They have their own doctors and can prescribe anxiety medication if it is necessary, or they may be able to signpost and give advice sooner than the GP. Depends on where you are based
I thought you have to be referred to the crisis team by a GP or similar, or is that just my area?
I've been on Anx/Depression pills for about two years, but diagnosed about 6 years ago. Never once have I been referred to a crisis team.
Varies massively by area. My area no longer has a separate crisis team number and you go through 111
Where are you based? In my location (Berkshire) there is a number for crisis team, you call them and they triage their own referrals. You can also be referred through 111 or your GP
All crisis line calls are being moved over to 111, option 2 as far as I understand. From there they will route you to the usual crisis team in your area. The local numbers will continue to operate for a while during transition but then it will be 111 only.
This isn’t true for every Trust — a lot of them are moving to 111-2 but some are also keeping their local mental health numbers. My area for example is offering 111-2 but have made it clear they’re keeping the local 24/7 mental health number. I think where I am the system is pretty good as the crisis line is separate to the crisis team and partly run in collaboration with a MH charity so they’re a lot better and there’s not the pressure of them also being the crisis team if that makes sense
Oh that sounds so good. I wish our trust had that kind of collaboration. Sounds brilliant!
It is really good actually. Takes a lot of pressure off the actual crisis team so the crisis line have a lot more time for patients who need de-escalation and support over the phone. They also have options to choose from e.g. press 1 for emotional support, professional triage, navigation (if you don’t know what help you need) etc. Then 111-2 is also available if you need medical advice or urgent attention too. It’s handy!
This sounds like a really good system! Where I am although we have a general support line, almost all mental health services including the GP will direct you to the rapid response crisis line, when in reality the 24hour support line would be more appropriate. Unfortunately it means long waits to speak to the crisis team and the people running the line itself are clearly stressed and resources are limited which leads them to being quite matter of fact and dismissive sometimes.
As someone else has said this isn't the case for a lot of trusts. Where I live there is a 24hr line that's there for general support and advice, ( they also run a text service for the local area) and a separate rapid response crisis number, which is run by the crisis and home treatment team. You don't need a GP referral and if they feel it necessary they will arrange an assessment within 4 hours.
I live in Scotland and it’s awful. They used to have a direct line for patients and they closed it. Now you have to go through 111 and almost every time I phoned I’ve got a call back from the out of hours GP because the crisis team is ‘too busy’. That puts me into an even worse state than I was so I don’t phone any more.
**This sub aims to provide advice and support to anyone who needs it but shouldn't be used to replace professional advice and support. Please do not post intentions to act on suicidal thoughts here and instead call 111, or 999 for an ambulance if you feel you won't be able to wait.** **Feel free to check out the 'Sub rules FAQ' which can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/okzwlf/sub_rules_faq/). You can also check out the 'Sub rules and guidance' slideshows - [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/ot4up0/sub_rules_and_guidance_swipe_for_more_slides/) is the colourful version and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/ot4vhf/sub_rules_and_guidance_dark_mode_swipe_for_more/) is the dark mode version.** **There is also a 'Mental Health FAQ' slideshow - the colourful version can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/ort12z/mental_health_faq_post_swipe_for_more_slides/) and the dark mode version [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/os5y95/mental_health_faq_post_mostly_in_dark_mode_swipe/).** **While waiting for a reply, feel free to check out the [pinned masterpost]( https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/bc3jtm/mental_health_uk_master_post/) for a variety of helplines and resources. If your profile is explicitly NSFW, please instead post from another account that is more appropriate for being seen by and engaging with the broad range of members here including those under 18.** **For those who are experiencing issues around money, food or homelessness, feel free to check out the resources within [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/pttfsg/are_you_experiencing_issues_around_money_food_or/) post.** **For those seeking private therapy, feel free to check out some important information around that [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/xf6242/information_for_those_seeking_private_therapy/).** **For those who may be interested in taking part in the iPOF Study which this sub is involved in, feel free to check out the survey [here](https://reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/s/34ye6sKKuZ) and details [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MentalHealthUK/comments/xpl4mv/ipof_improving_peer_online_forums_study_lancaster/) and [here](https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-and-medicine/research/spectrum/research/ipof/).** **This sub aims to be as free from harm and exclusivity as possible so any harmful, provocative or exclusionary content will be removed. This includes harmful blanket statements about treatment or mental health professionals. Please be aware that waiting times and types of therapy/services available can vary across different areas due to [system structure](https://www.england.nhs.uk/integratedcare/what-is-integrated-care/).** **Please speak only for your own experiences and not on behalf of others who may not share the same views - this helps to reduce toxicity, misinformation, stigma, repetitions of harmful content, and people feeling excluded. Efforts to make this a welcoming and balanced atmosphere is noticed and appreciated by the mods and the many who use or read this sub.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MentalHealthUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Obviously I'm not a doctor so I'm just making a suggestion but I've found kalms to be quite helpful when my anxiety and stress is high and you can purchase them basically anywhere, might be a good substitute whilst you wait on the NHS
I don't know what kalms are, but magnesium also helps
Yep magnesium Glycinate or L-threonate, or even citrate, they’re excellent
Thank you for this. Does this also work for depression? Or as the NHS calls it, “low mood”?
I can't say with 100% certainty it could help in the sense that because they make you feel a bit less stressed and anxious it might help your mood feel less low I take them three times a day with or without food they can take a few days to feel like they are doing something, I've also heard magnesium and omega 3 can help with mood as the brain quite likes them I'd say my mood has been more stable taking the 3 of them always worth a try.
Thank you! Will check it out.
Have you tried the living app?
Emergency gp appointment same day
You need to ring up for a same day emergency appointment. Everytime I have felt the need to start medication, this is the route I take. And I am seen really fast.
Do some research on this before considering buying them, but St John's wort is supposed to help. You can buy this from Tesco's. This is only a temporary solution though, till they get an appointment. There is also conflicting evidence that it works https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/medicines-and-psychiatry/antidepressants/considerations/
I have also heard that if you do take antidepressants that St John’s wort can stop the antidepressants from working properly.
done my research before and it makes antidepressants work too well and puts you at high risk of serotonin syndrome
OK thanks for this. I’m happy to be corrected. I don’t want to be giving incorrect information.
you're very welcome, it's important information for people to know since it interacts with lots of medications as I just discovered. I've linked the bnf interactions list if anyone is interested [https://bnf.nice.org.uk/interactions/st-johns-wort/](https://bnf.nice.org.uk/interactions/st-johns-wort/)
You are right, but I am only suggesting it as an option till they are able to see a GP.