Words by Smiley Team
A free service to help young people manage their mental health has been launched by youth charity Snow-Camp, after research revealed that three out of five believe lockdown has negatively impacted their mental health.
The Stop.Breathe.Think service offers young people aged 21 or under up to 12 weekly one hour counselling sessions with no wait times, and access to a team of more than 40 specialised counsellors.
And if young people need support in between their counselling sessions Stop.Breathe.Think also offer a free 24/7 text support service.
The research also revealed that for 82% of the younger generation the pandemic has made them feel anxious or worried, and three quarters feel overwhelmed, meaning the service has never been more needed.
Dan Charlish, founder of Snow-Camp said: "Stop.Breathe.Think is a service unlike any other, with the potential to meet a rapidly growing need and ensure that every young person who wants to talk, has someone there to listen and support them. There are no waiting lists, it’s completely free and is available 24 hours a day.
“The service is co-provided with JHD Counselling who share our vision and passion. Their 40+ counsellors ensure we can provide a perfect match to the right counsellor, qualified to support the young person’s needs, be it for grief, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, self-harm, anxiety, depression and more.
“We believe we have found a way to make a significant difference during the pandemic, and in the years to come when young people are recovering from the impact caused during this period."
Young people are encouraged to register at www.stopbreathethink.co.uk, and are then contacted within 24 hours to arrange a check-in, leading to six initial counselling sessions.
Those who have tried the service already have reported positive changes in their mental health and wellbeing. A young person from Manchester reported: “Stop.Breathe.Think has given me tools to actively work on my mental health and deal with low points in the future. I've felt listened to unconditionally which has made me talk about things I never thought I could.”
A young person from London added: “I felt like I couldn’t breathe or smile or do anything without waves of doubt and regret and guilt over nothing and everything - and now I can see a bright future. Now I can see it is okay for me to be positive and happy. And I know I have a long way to go but now I have the strategies to help me on my journey.”
For more information see the campaign website or follow Snow-Camp on Twitter.
