Wellbeing and Mental Health
We have over 2,000 UK adults born with a cleft on the largest Facebook group of its kind, stories, and interviews with other adults born with a cleft, a comprehensive pack containing a list of all the cleft teams across the UK, treatment options you may consider in adulthood, answers to commonly asked questions, a letter you can take to your GP to get a referral and more.
We also have employment webinars, Cleft Talk podcast episodes, a Peer Support Service, Question and Answer sessions on YouTube, and CLAPA Lounge events.
Every NHS Cleft Team has a Psychologist who are specialists who really understand the issues people affected by cleft might have to deal with.
A list of NHS Cleft Teams is available on our website.
If you need urgent mental health support and advice:
- Call NHS 111 for physical or mental health emergencies (available 24/7)
- Samaritans: call 116 123 (available 24/7)
- SHOUT85258: text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 (available 24/7)
Always dial 999 in an emergency or, to contact the Police in a non-emergency, use 101.
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Adult's Facbook Group
A dedicated Facebook group for UK adults born with a cleft.
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Need to talk?
CLAPA’s Peer Supporters are adults with a cleft who have been trained to support others one-on-one over the phone or email.
General Wellbeing Resources
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CALM
This helpline offers confidential, anonymous, and free support information and signposting to anyone anywhere in the UK. Call 0800 58 58 58 (nationwide, open seven days a week, 5 pm to midnight. Calls are free from landlines, payphones, and all mobiles).
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Changing Faces
Changing Faces have lots of self-help and guidance for adults living with a visible difference, including around mental health and wellbeing.
They also offer confidential, one-to-one social, emotional and psychological counselling and support sessions to people of all ages in the UK -
Live Life to the Full
This website helps with stress, resilience and low mood, offering free online courses to help with understanding feelings and confidence building.
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Mind
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. The website also has information about lots of different areas such as wellbeing, sleep problems and loneliness.
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Hub of Hope
The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.
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Stay Alive App
This app is packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in a crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.
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Mind Shift CBT
This self-help anxiety relief app helps reduce worry, stress and panic.
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FearTools – Anxiety Aid
This evidence based self-help app helps combat anxiety and uses thought diaries and breathing techniques.
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Catch It
This app helps with anxiety and depression, and teaches you to look at problems in a different way, improving your mental wellbeing.
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The Silver Line
A free, confidential helpline providing information, friendship, and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call 0800 470 80 90
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Sleepful
This app offers courses to help you get a good nights sleep.
