What's involved?
If you call the Cruse Helpline, you will be put in contact with a support worker. They can talk to you or offer practical advice. If they feel you need more support, they will refer you to a bereavement counsellor.
You will then have an assessment to determine how your needs can best be met. This is usually done over the phone but a counsellor may visit your house if they are particularly concerned about you. They will then work out what your individual needs are.
If you have been bereaved through suicide, group therapy has shown better results, so you may be offered this option. Individual counselling sessions can be done either at your home or at your local Cruse centre.
During your one-to-one sessions with a counsellor, you may talk about how the death is affecting you, how it makes you feel, the difficulties you are facing and how to cope with your loss.
Call the Helpline to find out what facilities are available in your area. All the counselling sessions are free of charge.
Where can I go for help?
To find your local counselling centre visit www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk or call the Cruse Helpline on 0870 167 1677 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can also find details of your local Cruse centre by looking under 'Cruse' in your local telephone directories.
If you need to talk to somebody immediately, you can contact the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 who are available 24 hours a day.
PREGNANCY and ABORTION
What is it?
If you are facing a pregnancy with a sense of fear, rather than wonder, there is help for
you. Trained counsellors can help you deal with what being pregnant means for you and how it will affect your life.
If you decide not to go ahead with the pregnancy, there is also counselling available to help you deal with the impact of abortion - even if you are still feeling the effects decades later.
What treatment will I need?
If you are unsure about your pregnancy, the CARE Confidential network of counselling centres has trained advisors to talk to you. They will discuss all the options available with you and what the implications of those will be.
They can also prepare you for how you might be feeling in the future if you decide not to proceed with the pregnancy.
Abortion is a difficult decision. Even if you feel you made the right decision at the time, many years later the experience may still be affecting you. This syndrome is called post-abortion stress.
Post-abortion stress can make you feel tearful, empty or trigger more serious problems such as depression. It may affect your relationships and your work.
Your first step is to contact your GP. He or she may prescribe anti-depressants for you if that is what you need. Your doctor may also be able to put you in contact with other counselling facilities in your area that may be available on the NHS.
You can also contact the CARE Confidential Helpline 0800 028 2228 to talk to a trained advisor. They can give you details of your local crisis pregnancy centre for counselling.
What's involved?
If you call the Helpline, you will be able to talk to someone immediately. But if you would like to talk to someone face to face, you will be able to talk to trained advisors at the CARE confidential counselling centres.
Sessions usually involve discussing your feelings which may include guilt and shame, grief, anger and depression. You can also choose to discuss your feelings in a group to meet others who feel the same as you do.
Your advisor will help you resolve these feelings in healthy ways, maybe by making positive changes to your lifestyle rather than relying on drugs or alcohol to help you cope.
The sessions are free and operate on a drop in basis. If you would prefer to arrange an appointment, contact your local pregnancy crisis centre for more information.
Where can I go for help?
To find a pregnancy counselling centre near you, visit www.pregnancy.org.uk or call the Care Confidential Helpline on 0800 028 2228. The centres can also provide free pregnancy testing.
Pregnancy and abortion advice is also available from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. Visit their website at www.bpas.org.uk or call their Action Line on 08457 30 40 30. |
