Epilepsy and mental wellbeing
The Epilepsy Society says:
"Feelings about being diagnosed and living with epilepsy will vary from one person to another. Mental health difficulties such as anxiety and depression are common in people with epilepsy. In some cases, there may be links between a person's epilepsy and mental health".
Epilepsy Society, leading UK charity for people with Epilepsy
We have brought together some resources to help you build and maintain your mental wellbeing. You and your family will be able to access many of these without being referred by a professional. There are also opportunities to connect with other children and young people who have Epilepsy.
- Your NHS Epilepsy service will also help to you identify what resources may be helpful to you, following an appointment with their team.
- The Local Offer Directory is full of information about what is available, including sports, activities and groups.
- Young Epilepsy have produced a video which features children and young people with Epilepsy talking about their emotions related to their having Epilepsy.
Contents
- Epilepsy specific support services
- Youth centres, clubs and social opportunities
- Emotional wellbeing support
- Neurodevelopmental support services
- Systemic
Epilepsy specific support services
You may find the information and support offered by these Epilepsy services helpful to you.
| Name | Age | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Young Epilepsy | All ages | A national charity that supports families, children and young people aged 25 and under with epilepsy and associated conditions. The services they provide include a support and inclusion team, an space for young people called The Hub and 1-1 support via a youth support coordinator. There is also a dedicated parent/ carer section offering information and advice on their website. |
| Epilepsy Society | All ages | A registered charity and provider of epilepsy services. It aims to work for everyone affected by epilepsy in the UK. There is information for parents on its website. |
| The Channel | 13+ | An online resource that's available to every young person aged 13 and over with epilepsy. Its content aims to help young people to navigate the world around them, helps them better live with the condition and enjoy life to the full. |
The Healthy Surrey website lists further suggestions of support for children and young people with epilepsy.
Youth centres, clubs and social opportunities
Youth centres are venues where young people can meet friends and take part in a wide range of activities and projects. They can also be a place for young people to get advice and information on any issues affecting them.
Surrey County Council run youth clubs throughout Surrey, however other activities in the area can be found below:
| Name | Age | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merstham Youth Club | School years 6 to 11 | Merstham | If you're in school years 6 to 11, you can come along to Merstham Youth Club. Attendance is limited to 15 young people per session, so you'll need to sign in with our youth workers. Children and Young People can come to chill out with friends or make new ones while enjoying cooking, games, arts and crafts, quizzes and much more! |
| Redhill Annexe Youth Club | School years 6 to 8 | Redhill | The Redhill Annexe Youth club is a free youth club in Redhill for school years 6 to 8. Children and Young People can come to chill out with friends or make new ones while enjoying cooking, games, arts and crafts, quizzes and much more! |
| Phoenix Youth Centre Tadworth | School years 6 to 11 | Tadworth | If you're in school years 6 to 11, you can come along to Phoenix Youth Club. Attendance is limited to 15 young people per session, so you'll need to sign in with our youth workers. Children and Young People can come to chill out with friends or make new ones while enjoying cooking, games, arts and crafts, quizzes and much more! |
| Ages between 11 to 18 years old | Guilford | An after school drop in, a safe and positive space for young people to meet friends, enjoy activities & games, and get to know our youth workers. This group is held in Guildford in Surrey for young people aged between 11 and 18 years old. For more information about this group, please visit the Matrix website, by clicking on the group name or contact youth.support@matrixtrust.com. |
The Mindworks social groups/ youth clubs web page provides details of further services/ activities where children and young people can have fun and make friends in a safe environment.
Emotional wellbeing support
| Name | Age | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Matrix Trust | 11 to 18 years old | Guildford | Offers a range of groups for young people to support them with their mental health and wellbeing. All groups are held within Guildford in Surrey for young people aged between 11 to 18 years old. |
| Waves | 13 to 19 years old | Reigate, Oxted, Tadworth, Horley and Redhill | Sessions for young people aged between 13 to 19 who are experiencing or have experienced emotional health difficulties. You can talk in complete confidence to others with similar experiences, take part in activities, as well as build friendships and support networks with others. The sessions take place across the East Surrey area. |
Surrey-wide and national support services
| Name | Age | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Young Epilepsy | All ages | A range of resources related to emotional wellbeing advice regarding: |
| Mindworks Surrey | All ages | A range of self-care resources, including the topics of anxiety, depression and self-care. Its 24/7 mental health crisis line, is also available for children and young people who are worried about themself, a friend, or for parents worried about their child or young person. |
| Eikon iAmMe | 12 to 18 years old | This Surrey-wide group is for young people who are LGBT+, and between the ages of 12 to 18 years old. Eikon also run an in person group. In the sessions young people have the opportunity to meet others, get advice and be signposted to other services when needed. Due to the confidential nature of the groups, the LGBT Youth Worker will need to first meet a young person who is interested in joining iAmMe. Please email EikonLGBT@eikon.org.uk to register your interest and receive a consent form. |
| Calm Harm | All ages | A free app to help teenagers manage the urge to self-harm. |
| Headspace mindfulness app | All ages | A science-backed app in mindfulness and meditation, providing unique tools and resources to help reduce stress, build resilience, and aid better sleep. |
| Kooth | 11 to 18 | A free, anonymous, confidential, safe, online wellbeing service, offering counselling, information, and forums for children and young people aged 11 to 18. |
| CYP Haven | 10+ | Are safe spaces for young people to drop into to talk about worries and mental health confidentially. There is also a phone service and virtual workshops operating alongside the face-to-face sessions. The opening times and phone number are listed on their website. |
Further services offering emotional/wellbeing support in Surrey are available on the Mindworks website. If you are concerned about your or another child's emotional wellbeing, you can contact the Young Mind's Parent Helpline on 08088 025544.
Neurodevelopmental support services
| Name | Age | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Space | Tadworth | Provides daytime and evening activities for children and young people (including parents) with autism or awaiting an Autism Spectrum Condition assessment. They aim to enable children and parents to build up a network of support and to provide a safe space to achieve a sense of 'belonging'. Activity days and clubs for children and their parents/carers are held at the Phoenix Centre in Tadworth. |
Surrey-wide and National Support Services
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| National Autistic Society | Hold social groups for autistic children and young adults across Surrey. They provide a relaxing space for people to meet and socialise and participate in a variety of activities. |
| Barnardo's Positive Parenting Course | Support parents and carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of, or are in the process of getting, a diagnosis of, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are two separate parenting courses: the Parent Factor Programme for those whose child is diagnosed with ADHD and the Nurturing Programme for families awaiting a diagnosis of ADHD. |
Mindworks' Neurodevelopmental needs web page provides information on support and resources available for social communication differences, attention, activity and other behaviours. This includes support strategies for attention, activity and behaviour for parents. Mindworks also offer an out-of-hours phone line which provides advice to parents and carers who are struggling with behaviours, challenges or difficulties which could be related to neurodevelopmental need, such as ADHD or Autism.
Systemic
Systemic therapy focuses on relationships and connections between groups of people, or a system where people work together, rather than solely focusing on an individual's thoughts and feelings.
- Family centres support families to find solutions to the parenting and relationships challenges they face and to grow in confidence to manage future difficulties. The aim of the family centres is to help families build their own resilience and self-reliance. The type of services available at family centres include: parenting courses, workshops and signposting to online parenting resources and support for parents to have healthy relationships
- Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) is a term used to describe the difficulty children and young people experience in attending school due to emotional reasons, such as stress, anxiety and/or feeling overwhelmed. This can result in prolonged periods of absence from school.
- Support for siblings and young carers a page detailing the support available for children and young people when their brother or sister has special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
- The Sleep Charity a free helpline that is run by trained sleep advisors, many of whom are specialists in working with SEND. They can talk to young people directly, or parents (they can also talk to adults, including older people, about their sleep issues).