Support this Mother’s Day

7th March 2018

Support this Mother’s Day

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline and Mindsmatter Service are encouraging local residents to get in touch if they need a listening ear this Mother’s Day.

Losing a parent is one of the most stressful and significant events that a person can experience and it is extremely common to struggle to manage feelings of grief. Certain holidays including Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of the people we dearly miss and mean that we often find it difficult to cope.

Lancashire’s dedicated helpline provides a confidential support service for people who are feeling distressed, lonely or struggling with their mental health or just need someone to talk to. The service is open Monday to Friday 7pm to 11pm and Saturday and Sunday 12 midday to 12 midnight. The Trust’s Mindsmatter service provides talking therapies for adults aged 16 and over who are experiencing common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress. The teams offer a variety of different interventions and support including stress management courses, development courses, supported online programmes, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and counselling.

Lorraine Khalaf, Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline Manager at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust said:

“When a mother or mother figure passes away, for some people it is one of the greatest losses that a person will ever experience and one of the most difficult things that they will have to deal with. People that are experiencing bereavement will go through a range of emotions as they adjust to this enormous life change.

“For people who have just lost a special person in their life, times such as Mother’s Day can be particularly difficult and with this in mind, we want to reassure people living in Lancashire that it is ok to not be ok. We understand that Mother’s Day can evoke more memories and feelings than usual and so the Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline is here to support anyone who needs to talk and share how they are feeling.”

For more information about the Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline please visit www.lancashirecare.nhs.uk/Mental-Health-Helpline or about your local Mindsmatter service and to access their online self-referral form please visit www.lancashirecare.nhs.uk/Mindsmatter