Get help

If you're struggling, this page is the important one

A run club is a good thing. It is not a substitute for help, and we're not going to pretend it is. If things are bad, the people below are trained for exactly this and they will not think you're wasting their time.

If you need to talk to someone right now

Samaritans — 116 123
Free, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You don't have to be suicidal to ring them. samaritans.org

CALM — 0800 58 58 58
Campaign Against Living Miserably. 5pm to midnight, every day. Webchat also available. thecalmzone.net

Shout — text SHOUT to 85258
Free, 24/7, text only. If talking out loud is too much, this one is silent.

Papyrus HOPELINE247 — 0800 068 4141
For anyone under 35, and for anyone worried about a young person. 24 hours.

In an emergency, or if someone is in immediate danger — 999.
For urgent but non-emergency medical help, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option.

ANDYSMANCLUB

Free peer-to-peer talking groups, every Monday at 7pm across the UK. No referral, no appointment, no cost, and nobody asks you to perform. You can sit and say nothing at all for the first three weeks if that's what you need.

Their groups are for men aged 18 and over. Find your nearest group

25% of everything sold on this site goes to them. Here's how that works.

Support for women

The groups above are open to everyone unless stated. If you'd prefer women-specific support, Women's Aid (womensaid.org.uk) and Refuge on 0808 2000 247 run 24-hour services, and Mind can point you to local options.

For longer-term support

Your GP can refer you, and in England you can also refer yourself for talking therapy without going through a GP at all — search NHS Talking Therapies. Mind (mind.org.uk) have clear guides on what to expect from each option.

If you're worried about someone else

Ask them directly. Ask twice, because the first answer is usually "fine". You don't need the right words and you can't make things worse by asking. Then stay in touch — the follow-up text three days later does more than the first conversation did.

Samaritans and CALM will both talk to you about someone else, not just about yourself.