Here for someone

Here for Someone

Share your experience

Friends and family supporting an adult with mental health difficulties can be unsure what to say or do. We’re collecting first-hand experiences to help them understand what support was useful and why.

You can write about your own mental health difficulties, supporting someone else, or both. A few sentences are enough.

With your permission, we may publish an edited, anonymous version in our Advice section. A short quote may also appear in a relevant guide, linking to the full contribution. We read everything before it goes online.

Your contribution

These questions might help you start, or you can write about something else:

  • What helped, even a little?
  • What made it worse, even when it was meant well?
  • What would you say to someone supporting a person now, looking back?

You must be 18 or over to contribute. Leave out names, places, hospitals, dates and details that could identify you or someone else. If you cared for someone, keep their private health details out of it. You can stop at any point.

Your experience

Up to 400 words. A few sentences are enough.

0 / 400 words

For example: “Depression, supported by my partner” or “Supporting my son through psychosis”.

Only if you'd like to hear when it's published or if we need to ask about an edit. We delete it once your contribution is published or we decide not to use it, and within 90 days otherwise.

You can withdraw this permission using the contact form. How to ask for removal · How we handle your information.

When this form loads with JavaScript enabled, it creates a private removal code below. Save it before sending your contribution. If no code appears, you can still request removal through the contact form using a copy of what you sent.

What we do with it

We check every contribution before publication. This is a small project, so we cannot promise a response or publication date. We remove names, places, hospitals, dates and other identifying details. We don't publish descriptions of how someone was harmed or tried to die, medication doses, or advice about treatment.

We may shorten it or not use it, and we can't always say why. We won't change what you mean. Your contribution will not appear automatically.

Without an email address we can't reply. Keep your removal code and a copy of what you sent; these can help us identify your contribution later.

Want your contribution taken down?

Use the contact form and choose “Remove my contribution”. Include your private removal code, if you have one, and the label or link. You don't have to explain why.

If you've lost the code, still contact us. A copy of what you originally sent may help; please don't send medical records or proof of identity. We may need to ask a little more to identify the right contribution. We can remove it and its guide extract from this website, but cannot guarantee removal of copies other people have made.

Share your experience