Hi all,
I mention this organisation a lot, and no I am not on their payroll. It's about time they got a thread. I talked to them about getting them more members which they need if the organisation is going to stay around in the long term. So this thread is here to make you aware of their services and to ask you to join them if you can.
Anxiety UK have helped me greatly since I found out about them in 2010. They are a team of anxiety survivors who provide first-hand advice, guidance and support. If you are suffering from clinical anxiety then you will almost certainly find this service more useful than the Samaritans, although I would not ever recommend people to stop using the Samaritans service!
Anxiety UK takes a proactive stance, helping you to make sense of what you're going through. On nearly every occasion I have spoken to them I have find them polite, friendly, sympathetic and most of all understanding. They have been through what you're going through. I cannot think of anyone - no doctor, no specialist - more qualified to act as a guide than someone who has already blazed their own trail through the hell of anxiety.
Reduced-price therapy
You can also get cheaper therapy from Anxiety UK's qualified specialists. This can be done over the phone, which is cheaper and much more convenient for those who cannot travel, although the range of telephone services is more limited - for example, trying to conduct hypnotherapy over the phone would be ridiculous.
They currently offer counselling, CBT, neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy, possibly among other things.
They have a tier system of charges. Most people would fall into the £20-£25 per session bracket with students and people living on benefits paying only £5-£7.50 per session, and the heavy earners paying £40-£45.
In most cases, applications for therapy are processed the same day they arrive and your therapist will contact you within 14 days. Imagine trying to arrange that on the NHS! You'd be here til Christmas.
Membership
You will need to join Anxiety UK if you want their professional services. Membership for a year costs around twenty quid. You get a quarterly magazine called Anxious Times which is worth £4 if you buy it on its own. Also you get a membership pack with your details and lots of information about their services.
If you do sign up for a professional service such as counselling, there is a one-off £5 admin fee. If you ever actually speak to the people at Anxiety UK you will pay this without hesitation, believe me. Twenty-five quid in total to get access to cut-price therapy... there aren't many bargains left in Britain, so get one while you can.
Just giving their phone line a ring to talk about your problems is fine, you can do that any time they're open. Membership is not a requirement - I was just thinking of getting counselling or hypnotherapy for such a low price.
Well anyway, that's my two-penneth, I hope other people will take the company up on this.
CONTACT DETAILS
http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
Tel: 08444 775 774 (Mon-Fri 9.30-5.30)