Here are some support services and help lines for the Caerphilly area. Where there is no local contact we have put the South Wales contact. If you can not find what you need, try contacting NHS Direct on 0845 4647, for a comprehensive list of all support services in Wales.
Smoking Cessation Help & Advice
Please ring to make an appointment with a Doctor or Nurse or ring the number below:
STOP SMOKING WALES – Freephone – 0800 085 2219 – www.stopsmokingwales.com
Sane Line 0845 7678000 - National out of hours help line for mental health recovery. Daily 12 till 2pm.
Samaritans 02920 344022
Community Advice and Listening Line 0800 132737 - Freephone for mental health recovery.
B.U.R.D 01495 222186 (drop in at Blackwood)
Depression Alliance Cymru 02920 692891 - A group meets in Caerphilly every week.
SHADE 01633 619770 - Self help group in Risca against depression.
TOPA 0845 6009601 (Triumph over Phobia and Anxiety) - A supported self-help group. http://www.triumphoverphobia.com/
The Calm Zone 0800 585858 - Help line for depressed, suicidal men. Tel: daily 5pm - 3am. http://www.thecalmzone.co.uk/
Caerphilly MIND 01443 816945 - Support, advocacy, social activitie and information for anyone trying to recover their mental wellbeing.
Post natal Depression
MAMA Help Line 0845 1203746 - 7pm -10pm weekdays. Meet a Mum Association also support groups and information. Always see your Doctor. http://www.mama.co.uk/
Parents Helping Parents 01443 879426 - Caerphilly Borough. Support in the early years of being a parent from other parents who have overcome post natal depression and low self esteem.
Bereavement,grief and loss
Beresford Centre 01633 212320 - counselling for early baby death, miscarriage, post termination and pregnancy.
Compassionate Friends 0117 9539639 - support for bereaved parents from other bereaved parents.
Bereavement Helpline Wales 0870 2406578
CRUSE 02920 889227 - free bereavement, counselling with trained counsellors.
Cancer
Cancer Care Line 01495 221660 - counselling, advice and support
Leukemia Care Society 0800 1696680
Tenovas 0808 8081010 - counselling, advice and support.
Rape and Sexual Abuse
New Pathways 01685 379310 - Rape and sexual abuse support & counselling service
Domestic Abuse
Women's Aid 02920 860255 - counselling, safe house, information & support.
Disability
Carers and Parents' 01443 837009 - Forum for learning disabilities.
Disability 01495 222127 - Support for carers of physically disabled & resource centre.
Headway 02920 577707 - Support and counselling for brain acquires injury.
Stroke Association 01443 862108 - Support for individuals and families.
Hearing and sight impairment - Deafness & Blindness
Wales Council for the Deaf 01443 485687 - support and advice
Gwent Association for the Blind 01495 763650
Drugs and Alcohol
Alcoholics Anonymous 02920 373939
Drug Aid 02920 868675 - self referral
DAFS (Drug and Family Support) 01495 292020 / 308009
Gwent Alcohol Project 01633 252045
Islwyn Drug and Alcohol Project 01495 769755
Narcotics Anonymous Help Line 02077 300009 / 08457 697555
Relationship Difficulties
Marriage Care Line 0845 6606000 - Mon to Fri 10am to 4pm. Help line, advice, counselling for couples.
Gay and Lesbian
Stonewall Cymru 02920237744 - Help line, support, advice - based in Cardiff
Transexual and transvestite
The Gender Trust 07000 790347 - Weekdays am only. Support and information. http://www.gender-trust.org.uk/
The Beaumont Trust 07000 287878 - Tel: Tues & Thurs 7 - 11pm. Support and Information. www.members.aol.com/Bmonttrust
Housing Problems
Shelter Wales 08088 004444 - 24 hour help line for advice on housing & homelessness
Care & Repair Caerphilly - 01495 235393 - Between Mon - Thurs 9:00 - 5:00 pm & 9:00 - 4.30pm Friday. Offers help and support to local older and disabled homeowners, living in the borough of Caerphilly, who would like to repair or improve their home.
Independence, getting out and about ...
Caerphilly Dial a Ride 01443 821431
CATS Caerphilly 02920 886117 - Independent community transport service for the disabled
Young at Heart 01443 838626 - Information and advice, support activites for 50+ age group.
Books can help
Medication has an important role in helping people with emotional problems, and is often very effective. However, people can also be helped by reading 'self-help' material. Many self-help books have been shown to be very useful in helping people to overcome a range of psychological problems. The use of books as a means of psychological therapy is known as 'bibliotherapy'.
It allows highly recommended self-help books to be prescribed by GPs, practice counsellors and Community Mental Health Teams. Once issued, the prescription can be exchanged for the book at any branch Library throughout Wales.
Books prescribed under Book Prescription Wales have been specially selected by health professionals and are available in every library across Wales so that they are accessible to everyone, free of charge. The scheme includes books on many of the common psychological problems that people experience, including depression, eating disorders, obsessional-compulsive problems, compulsive gambling, social phobia, panic, anger, stress, low self-esteem and the aftermath of sexual abuse.
Most of the books included in the scheme are written by leading psychologists and many present self-help versions of established treatment programmes. Book Prescription Wales offers an additional source of help for people experiencing emotional problems. A self-help book can be used in addition to any medication that has been prescribed, or while the patient is waiting to see a counsellor or mental health specialist. Of course, this approach will not be suitable for everyone, and will not always be effective. But there is now good evidence to show that books can often help.
If you feel that a book might help you to overcome an emotional problem, consider asking your G.P about Book Prescription Wales.
(Information taken from the leaflet 'Book Prescription Wales - Books Can Help' published by Welsh Assembly Government.) Leaflets can be picked up at the surgery.