No panic Sheffield (A brief guide)

In this guide, we will discuss how can No panic Sheffield help you if you suffer from a mental health illness.

No panic Sheffield: What is it?

No panic Sheffield offers a number of self-help support groups that meet regularly in the Sheffield area.

They use CBT techniques and peer support to help people find ways to cope and manage anxiety, recover from social anxiety, panic attacks, general anxiety disorder, OCD, phobias, agoraphobia, and PTSD.

However, they also welcome people suffering from depression and low mood. 

No panic Sheffield believes that anxiety and depression are debilitating mental health conditions that can affect someone’s life profoundly and severely.

Also, they believe that everyone should have access and help in a timely manner without having to wait for weeks to have an appointment. 

They actually provide self-help groups every Wednesday evening and Thursday morning in the city center.

However, it is not necessary for you to be from Sheffield, you can also be from other areas such as Rotherham, Dronfield, Chesterfield, and Barnsley.

If you find yourself waiting to attend one of the support groups or refer to someone that needs help, they have some experience of sharing experiences and helping people manage better with the following disorders:

• general anxiety disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• social anxiety
• phobias
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• other OCD spectrum conditions such as hoarding, trich, and health anxiety
• panic disorder
• low mood
• sleeping problems
• anger
• perinatal anxiety/postnatal depression
• depression
• bipolar disorder
• later stages of recovery from addictions and how that relates to anxiety
• personality disorders

“Many of these conditions are specialist areas and so our members receive help from specialist funded services outside NPS such as community mental health, IAPT, and many 3rd parties whilst feeling able to attend groups as well alongside (nopanicsheffiled.org.uk).” 

People considered to join as new members who would like to recover from anxiety and share their experiences with other people that suffer from the same or similar conditions are welcome to join.

Additionally, family members and carers are also welcome to attend.

The groups are free of charge, however, donations are welcome to help with the expenses of renting the room for the sessions. 

Groups are run by trained volunteers who usually will meet weekly on Wednesday evenings (6.30 – 8.30 pm) and Thursday mornings (10 am – 12noon) at the Quaker Meeting House in Sheffield city centre.

Consider visiting the website to check the dates of groups and events.

No Panic Sheffield is affiliated to the national organization No Panic.

Services from the National organization No Panic

No Panic aims to provide people with coping skills to be able to manage their condition and recover from it through self-help.

Services include (nopanic.org.uk):

• There helpline which is completely confidential and it is staffed by trained volunteers. Their phone number is 0844 967 4848 and attend from 10am – 10 pm every day of the year – after 10-00 pm this number plays a recording of a breathing & relaxation technique. 
• People aged between 13 and 20 years old, can also benefit from the Youth Helpline which can help with anxiety, panic, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the specific anxieties that young people of this age can experience.  The helpline is open between 3 pm – 6 pm Mon to Fri, and 6 pm – 8 pm Thu and Sat T: 0330 606 1174
• A range of information and resources on their website including for families, carers, and tailored information for young people in their Youth Hub

You can find additional details by visiting their website www.nopanic.org.uk, which includes additional services through a membership program for a small fee.

In their info pack, they state that “No Panic can offer so much support to you and we hope you take full advantage of everything we have to offer. Membership to No Panic costs £25.00 per year or £5.00 a year for those aged 20 and under”

Members have access to the following services:

• Access to One to One and Group Recovery Services 
• Access to Befriending group Service & coffee afternoons 
• Access to Member’s Only Facebook Group 
• Access to Access Anxiety Aid on our Member’s Facebook Group 
• Access to our email recovery programme 
• A Year’s Subscription to No Panic’s Newsletter worth £12 
• Optional access to and inclusion in our Contact Book 
• A discount on buying stocked items from No Panic by post or phone 
• 6 Months free access to Thrive’s Feel Stress-Free Mobile Phone App 
• A free copy of the Extended Beginner’s Guide to Anxiety – Exclusive to members and worth £3.00 
• A free No Panic Wristband 
• A birthday coupon for a 10% discount on any 
• No Panic stock 20% off Lavender Products from Cotswold Lavender 

As we discussed, if you would like to talk to someone about your issues you can contact the No Panic helpline at 0844 967 4848 calls cost 5ppm plus your access charge (normally open 10 am-10 pm every day). 

Their Youth Helpline for people under 20 years old, can contact the phone number  0330 606 1174.

The calls charged at local rate. Their Email support is: sarah@nopanic.org.uk 

They also have a variety of support services available to non-members We have a range of support services available to non-members ncluding 1-1 mentoring, FastTrack Mentoring, Non members Mentoring and their new E-recovery Programme.

If you would like further information on any of their services please call 01952 680460 or email info@nopanic.org.uk

In addition, they indicate that No Panic does not claim that self-help Cognitive Behaviour Therapy offers the only way to overcome Anxiety Disorders.

However, based on the scientific-based evidence and the success rate of CBT (said to be even at 80%) it is why they implement this type of therapy.

They encourage trying their services since there is nothing to lose and a lot you could gain from trying.

It can be your first step into your journey for recovering.

We will include some of the disorders they help to treat such as:

Agoraphobia

Many people have the misconception that agoraphobia is the fear about open spaces and nothing more.

It also involves an irrational fear of being in a place or situation perceived as unsafe or where they feel trapped and he/she is driven by an uncontrollable urge to escape to a place of safety which, in most cases, their safe place is home. 

Considering all these factors, it is really not surprising how sufferers from this condition are reluctant to leave home or very far away from it.

Some may also find comfort leaving home or their perceived place of safety if they are accompanied by a friend or a relative.

However, this can be counterproductive since they become totally dependent on their friend/relative/carer and can’t actually picture themselves in a place or situation where they are not around.  

They will try to avoid feeling uncomfortable at all cost since it will create distress, increase their anxiety levels and fear.

By doing this, they keep reinforcing their fears and recovery will be harder and more challenging to achieve. 

According to nopanic.org.uk “Once a phobia has set in then the best way to overcome it is to slowly but surely face up to the fear. This is not easy as the sufferer has to experience those feelings that for so long he/she has sought to avoid.”

Symptoms can be perceived with severe discomfort and will reinforce avoidant behaviour to manifesting the uncomfortable physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, nausea, chest pains, dizziness, difficulty in breathing, vertigo, feeling ‘unreal’ or ‘not there’, jelly legs, intense sweating, faintness, restricted/distorted vision and hearing, and also a strong feeling that they are about to go mad or die.

Often they are terrified of losing control and are worried about hurting themselves or others in the process. 

Social Phobias 

Social phobias are very common and are characterised by an irrational fear of being the centre of attention in a social context.

People with social phobia fear they may do something to publicly humiliate or embarrass themselves.  

They cultivate the thought of behaving in this manner that they require to avoidant strategies not to put themselves in this situation, even if that is ultimately not the cause or outcome.

“Examples of social phobias would be the avoidance of restaurants, public houses, public toilets, having guests in the house, or even being watched whilst carrying out household chores, e.g. preparing food, pouring drinks or even making a cup of tea.” 

Specific Phobias 

Someone suffering from specific phobias will have an irrational fear towards specific objects, animals or situations.

In most cases, they are aware that their fear of the object, animal or situation is irrational but, still will feel under threat. 

Nevertheless, these sensations and the fear they can feel is very real and causes a huge amount of distress for them.

Many people have specific phobias to spiders, snakes, large animals or objects such as edges of railway platforms. 

“However, as a phobia develops, the sufferer will probably avoid pictures, or even saying the name, of his/her particular dreaded object, situation or creature and will almost certainly never go anywhere near them. It is not unknown for carers to have to vet T.V. programmes or cut out articles from magazines or newspapers in order to protect their sufferer. Thus the sufferer becomes severely handicapped in a similar manner to an agoraphobic (nopanic.org.uk).”

Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder known as OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts that in most cases are related to the fear of being contaminated, dirty or full of germs, in conjunction with compulsions to carry out physical rituals, such as excessive washing.

These rituals help to relieve anxiety and the fear caused by these obsessive thoughts.

The scenario we have described is only one of the many forms this condition can take.

Cognitive behavioural therapy in combination with certain medications have been evidenced to help obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers, however, their journey can be quite slow and challenging. 

Why is this blog about No Panic Sheffield important?

There are many resources out there to start your journey into recovering from your condition, whether it is an anxiety disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality disorders, among others.

Some people don’t know about them and tend to believe they are complete alone and carry the burden of enduring and living a life with such debilitating and serious conditions that can affect quite drastically and dramatically their normal day to day functioning. 

Here we gathered all the necessary information, however, check out the websites we have included so you can fully see the current services they offer and how they can help you in your specific circumstances. 

Please feel free to comment in the comments section below.