Free mental health knowledge base
Plain-language guides for anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, ADHD, crisis moments, and everyday emotional survival. Built to stay free, source-backed, and easy to share.
Start with the phrases people often type when they are struggling and do not know how to explain it.
These global pages connect common crisis searches to country-specific phone, text and web support.
87 guides available
ADHD can affect focus, organisation, impulse control, restlessness and emotional regulation. It is not laziness or a character flaw.
Road anger can become dangerous fast. If you feel like using the car to hurt yourself or someone else, the priority is to stop driving and get support now.
Anxiety is worry, fear or unease that can show up in the mind, body and behaviour. It becomes a problem when it feels constant, intense or hard to live around.
Autism is a lifelong difference in how a person communicates, experiences the world, processes sensory information and connects with other people.
Bipolar disorder can involve episodes of depression and episodes of unusually high or irritable mood, energy and activity. It deserves proper support, not judgement.
Body image distress can make every mirror, photo, meal or comment feel loaded. You deserve support without having to punish your body.
Burnout is deep exhaustion after prolonged pressure. It often comes from carrying too much for too long without enough recovery, control or support.
Depression can affect mood, energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, self-worth and hope. It is more than having a bad day, and support is available.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions involving food, eating, body image or control. You do not need to look a certain way to deserve help.
Emotional numbness can feel like being detached, blank or unable to care. It can be a protective response, not proof that you are cold or broken.
Family conflict can make home feel tense, unfair or unsafe. You can care about your family and still need boundaries, support and space.
Fear of abandonment can make distance, silence or other friendships feel threatening. The feeling is real, but it does not have to control every relationship.
If money is stopping you getting support, you still have options. Free help can include crisis lines, NHS services, charities, peer support, self-help tools and local groups.
Friendship problems can hurt deeply, especially when groups fall apart, people leave you out, or you feel replaceable.
Grief is the pain of losing someone or something important. It can be messy, quiet, angry, numb, physical, delayed or different from what people expect.
Grief guilt can sound like “I should have done more” or “I wish our last conversation was different”. It is painful, but it is also common.
When your body is in alarm mode, start with the body before trying to solve your whole life. Small grounding steps can help the wave pass.
Overthinking often tries to protect you by solving every possible threat. The way through is usually structure, grounding and one clear next action.
A friend can be deeply attached because they are scared, lonely or hurting. You can care about them without losing your own boundaries.
You do not need perfect words to help someone in crisis. Calm honesty, staying with them, listening and getting urgent support can make a real difference.
You do not need perfect words to ask for help. A short, honest message is enough to start.
Being scared of relapse means part of you wants to stay safe. That part deserves help quickly, before the urge gets louder.
Being scared of being alone can make silence feel unsafe and relationships feel urgent. The fear deserves care, not shame.
Fear of the future can make life feel unsafe before anything has happened. You can plan gently without trying to solve every possible tomorrow.
Being scared to ask for help does not mean you are weak. It often means you have learnt to expect judgement, pressure or disappointment.
Seeing self-harm scars can bring back urges, memories or panic. You are not cruel for being triggered, and you deserve support too.
Anxiety can make sleep feel impossible: your body is tired, but your mind keeps scanning, replaying and worrying.
Constant thoughts about your body can feel exhausting and cruel. You deserve support before it turns into punishment, restriction or isolation.
Not being able to trust anyone can feel protective, but it can also leave you exhausted and alone.
When you feel like you cannot cope anymore, the next step is not to fix your whole life. It is to make the next few minutes safer and less lonely.
Crying that will not stop can feel frightening, but it can also be your body releasing overload. You do not have to solve everything before you calm down.
There is no single correct way to grieve. Feeling numb, angry, guilty, distracted or devastated can all be part of loss.
Feeling unreal, detached or far away from yourself can be frightening. It can happen with anxiety, panic, trauma, stress or exhaustion.
Not knowing what is wrong can feel scary. You may not need a label immediately; you may need safety, language and support first.
If you do not want to be here, your safety matters right now. You do not have to explain it perfectly before reaching for help.
Feeling alone around people can be deeply confusing. It often means you are not feeling seen, safe or emotionally met.
Constant anger can be exhausting. It may be protecting hurt, fear, grief, stress or feeling powerless for too long.
Feeling anxious after socialising can make you replay everything you said. It does not mean you did something wrong.
Feeling broken is a heavy way to describe pain, but it is not proof that you are beyond repair, care or connection.
Feeling disgusting in your body can make ordinary moments feel unbearable. The answer is not punishment; it is safety, steadiness and support.
Feeling empty can be frightening. It can show up as numbness, disconnection, boredom, sadness, exhaustion or feeling like nothing matters.
Guilt after a death can attach to arguments, missed calls, things unsaid or moments you wish you could redo. It is painful, and it is common in grief.
Feeling guilty for being sad can make pain feel like something you have to justify. You are allowed to struggle even if other people have it worse.
Feeling invisible can hurt deeply, especially when you are trying hard and still feel unseen, unheard or easy to overlook.
Jealousy can feel ugly, but it often points to fear, longing, insecurity or unmet needs. Shame usually makes it harder to understand.
Feeling behind can happen after disrupted education, work changes, pressure from family, illness, grief or simply years of surviving rather than choosing.
Being left out can hurt more than people realise. It can make you question your worth, your place, and whether anyone would choose you.
Feeling like a burden is a painful thought, not a fact. It can show up during depression, shame, burnout, grief, trauma or isolation, and it deserves support.
Feeling like a failure can make one setback feel like proof against your whole life. It is a painful thought, not a final truth.
When it feels like everyone leaves, every silence can hurt. That feeling deserves care, but it is not proof that you are impossible to stay with.
Feeling like giving up does not always mean you want to die. It can mean you desperately want the pain, pressure or exhaustion to stop.
Feeling like you are too much can make you hide your needs, apologise for emotions, and accept less care than you deserve.
Feeling like you do not belong can be deeply lonely, especially when you are surrounded by people but still feel separate.
When it feels like nobody cares, the loneliness can become heavy fast. The feeling deserves support, even if your mind says you are being dramatic.
When everything keeps going wrong, it can start to feel as if you are the reason. That thought can be painful without being true.
Feeling lost can happen when plans fall apart, work feels wrong, education changes, or life starts to feel like drifting. You can rebuild direction in small steps.
Feeling overwhelmed by everything can make even simple decisions feel impossible. The first goal is not fixing life; it is lowering the load.
Feeling replaced can hurt because it touches belonging, jealousy, grief and fear of being forgotten. The feeling is real, even when the situation is complicated.
Family can shape how you see yourself, but being dismissed, controlled or singled out does not mean you are worth less.
Home is supposed to feel safe, but sometimes it feels tense, unfair, lonely or impossible to breathe in. Your reaction makes sense.
Hating your life can mean you need relief, change and support. It does not mean you are beyond help.
Pushing people away can be a way of protecting yourself from rejection, disappointment or feeling too exposed.
Missing someone who died can come in waves: sadness, anger, guilt, numbness, longing, regret or moments where it does not feel real.
Needing help and being unable to ask can feel lonely and frustrating. You do not need perfect words before you deserve support.
Waking up anxious can make the day feel unsafe before it has started. A simple morning reset can help your body come down a notch.
Loneliness is not just being alone. It is the painful gap between the connection you need and the connection you have.
Loneliness often gets louder at night when distractions drop away. The aim is not to solve your whole life tonight, but to help you get through the next hour safely.
When you need support nearby, start with urgency, then look for NHS, GP, charity, school, workplace, university and community options.
Feeling unheard at home can make you feel invisible, powerless or like your pain does not count. Your needs still matter.
OCD involves intrusive thoughts, images or urges, and repeated behaviours or mental rituals used to reduce distress. It is not simply liking things tidy.
A panic attack is a sudden rush of intense fear and body alarm. It can feel dangerous, but the wave usually passes.
PTSD can happen after traumatic experiences. It may involve flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, numbness and feeling constantly on guard.
If anger on the road turns into thoughts of crashing, dying or hurting someone, stop driving as soon as it is safe and get support now.
Darker evenings, colder weather and less time outside can make loneliness and low mood hit harder. Planning ahead can make the season easier to carry.
Self-esteem is how you see and value yourself. Low self-esteem can make life feel smaller, harsher and more frightening than it needs to be.
Self-harm urges can feel intense, frightening or familiar. The first aim is to create distance between the urge and the action.
Social anxiety is more than shyness. It is a strong fear of being judged, embarrassed, watched or rejected in social situations.
Stress is the strain we feel when pressure is bigger than our support, rest, time or control. Long-term stress can wear people down.
Suicidal thoughts can range from not wanting to wake up to thinking about ending your life. They are a sign to get support now.
If therapy feels unaffordable, it does not mean help is out of reach. There may be free, low-cost or public support routes worth trying.
Trauma is the emotional and physical impact of experiences that overwhelm someone's ability to cope. It can affect memory, safety, sleep, mood and the body.
During a panic attack, the aim is not to win a fight with your body. The aim is to ride the wave safely until it passes.
Feeling empty can be lonely and confusing. It may be numbness, burnout, depression, grief or disconnection asking for care.
Anxiety can feel random, but there is usually something your body or mind is reacting to: stress, uncertainty, memories, health worries, tiredness or overload.
Feeling like a burden can make you hide pain from the people who would want to know. Needing support does not make you too much.
Feeling numb can be frightening, but it is often the mind and body trying to protect you from too much feeling at once.
Self-hate can feel brutal and constant, but it is often pain, shame or exhaustion speaking in your own voice. You are not beyond help.
You don’t need to know what’s “wrong”. Start with whatever feels manageable even if that’s just looking.
If you’re in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call 116 123 (Samaritans).
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