mods please lmk if this violates the rules. i’m posting here because I write about the mob/casino and many relevant themes that are important elements of the Sopranos, in my opinion. I think they’re of the same medium and genre so wanted to post here. Hope that’s alright. Cheers! (11 min read) ————————————————————————
EDIT 2: TL;DR -
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.
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Every good filmmaker makes the same movie over and over again—Martin Scorsese is no different
Scorsese's Casino is a phenomenal story of the condoned chaos and "legalized robbery" that happens on a daily basis to gamblers who bett away thousands of dollars and return each day for more “FinDom,” but without any of the sexual sadism. The whole scam only persists because the house always wins: the odds are stacked 3 million to one on the slot machines, but the same shmucks return wide-eyed each day hoping for a different outcome, devoid of any rational re-evaluation required to maintain their grasp on reality, and the liquidity of their bank accounts.
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.
Robert De Niro plays Sam "Ace" Rothstein, recruited by his childhood friend Nick "Nicky" Santorno to help run the Tangiers casino, which is funded by an investment made with the Teamsters’ pension fund. Ace’s job is to keep the bottom line flowing so that the Mafia's skimming operation can continue seamlessly. De Niro's character felt like half-way between Travis from Taxi Driver (of course, nowhere as mentally disturbed) and half of the addictive excess, greed, and eccentric business-mind of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Ace’s attention to detail gives him a rain-man-esque sensibility; his ability to see every scam, trick, hand signal, and maneuver happening on the casino floor make him the perfect manager of the casino, and take his managerial style to authoritarian heights in his pursuit of order and control over what is an inherently unstable and dynamic scheme; betting, hedging outcomes, and walking the line to keep the money flowing and the gamblers coming back. I’m not claiming Ace is autistic, I'm no clinician, but his managerial sensibilities over the daily operations of the casino, from the dealers to the pit bosses, to the shift managers, are to the point of disturbing precision, he has eyes everywhere, and knows how to remove belligerent customers with class and professionalism, but ultimately is short sighted in “reading” the human beings he is in relationship with. Ace is frustratingly naive and gullible in his partnership with Nicky and the threat he poses to him, and in his marriage with Ginger.
Ace has no personal aspirations to extract millions of dollars for himself out of the casino corruption venture. Ace simply wants the casino to operate as efficiently as possible, and he has no qualms about being a pawn of the bosses. While Sam, “the Golden Jew”—as he is called—is the real CEO of the whole enterprise, directing things at Tangiers for the benefit of the bosses “back home.” Ace’s compliance is juxtaposed with Nicky’s outrage upon feeling used: he gripes about how he is in “the trenches” while the bosses sit back and do nothing. Note that none of the activity Nicky engages in outside of the casino—doing the work of “taking Las Vegas over”—is authorized by the bosses. Ultimately Nicky’s inability to exert control over his crew and the street lead to his demise.
In the end, capitalism, and all that happens in the confines of the casino, is nothing but “organized violence.” Sound familiar? The mob has a capitalist structure in its organization and hierarchy: muscle men collect and send money back to the bosses who do not labor tirelessly “in the trenches.” The labor of the collectors is exploited to create the profits of their bosses. The entire business-model of the Mafia is predicated on usury and debtors defaulting on loans for which the repayment is only guaranteed by the threat of violence. But this dynamic is not without its internal contradictions and tensions, as seen in Casino.
In a comedic turn, the skimmers get skimmed! The bosses begin to notice the thinning of the envelopes and lighter and lighter suitcases being brought from the casino to Kansas City, “back home”. The situation continues to spin out of control, but a mid-tier mafioso articulates the careful balance required for the skimming operation to carry on: to keep the skimming operation functioning, the skimmers need to be kept loyal and happy. It’s a price the bosses have to pay to maintain the operation, “leakage” in their terms. Ace’s efficient management and precision in maintaining order within Tangiers is crucial for the money to keep flowing. But Ace’s control over the casino slips more and more as the movie progresses. We see this as the direct result of Nicky’s ascendance as mob kingpin in Vegas, the chaos he creates cannot be contained and disrupts the profits and delicate dynamics that keep the scam running.
Of course I can’t help myself here! We should view Scorsese’s discography, and the many portrayals of capitalist excess not as celebratory fetishization, but a critique of the greed and violence he so masterfully captures on film. See the Wolf of Wall Street for its tale of money as the most dangerous drug of them all, and the alienation—social and political—showcased in Taxi Driver. Scorsese uses the mob as a foil to the casino to attack the supposed monopoly the casino holds on legitimate, legal economic activity that rests on institutionalized theft. When juxtaposed with the logic of organized crime, we begin to see that the two—Ace and Nick—are not so different after all.
The only dividing line between the casino and organized crime is the law. Vegas is a lawless town yes, “the Wild West” as Nicky puts it, but there are laws in Vegas. The corruption of the political establishment and ruling elites is demonstrated when they pressure Ace to re-hire an incompetent employee who he fired for his complicity in a cheating scam or his stupidity in letting the slot machines get rigged; nepotism breeds mediocrity. In the end, Ace’s fall is the result of the rent-seeking behavior that the Vegas ruling class wields to influence the gaming board to not even permit Ace a fair hearing for his gaming license, which would’ve given him the lawful authority to officially run Tangiers. The elites use the political apparatus of the State to resist the new gang in town, the warring faction of mob-affiliated casino capitalists. While the mob’s only weapon to employ is that of violence. The mafia is still subservient to the powers that be within the political and economic establishment of Vegas, and they’re told “this is not your town.”
I’d like to make the most salient claim of this entire review now. Casino is a western film. The frontier of the Wild West is Vegas in this case, where the disorder of the mob wreaks havoc on, an until then, an “untapped market.” The investment scheme that the Teamsters pension fund is exploited for as seed capital, is an attempt to remain in the confines of the law while extracting as much value as possible through illegal and corrupt means for the capitalist class of the mob (and the ultimately dispensable union president). Tangiers exists in the liminal space of condoned economic activity as a legal and otherwise standard casino. While the violence required to maintain the operation, corrupts the legal legitimacy it never fully enjoyed from the beginning. This mirrors the bounty economy of the West and the out-sourcing of the law and the execution of the law, to bounty hunters. There is no real authority out in the frontier, the killer outlaw on the run is not so different from the bounty hunter who enjoys his livelihood by hunting down the killers. Yet, he himself is not the State. The wide-lens frame of Ace and Nicky meeting in the desert felt like a direct homage to the iconic image of the Western standoff. The conflict between Ace and Nick, the enforcer and the mastermind, is an approximation of the conflicts we might see in John Wayne’s films. The casino venture itself could be seen as an analogy of the frontier-venturism of railroad pioneers going to lay track to develop the West into a more industrial region.
I would have believed that this was a documentary about how the mob took over control of the Vegas casinos in the 1970-80s … if it were not for the viewer being expected to believe that Robert De Niro could play a Jew; it's hard to believe a man with that accent and the roles he’s played his entire career could be a “CRAZY JEW FUCK!!” I kid! But alas, De Niro is a class act and the last of the many greats of a bygone era. At times, it felt like Joe Pesci lacked talent as an actor, but his portrayal of the scummy, backstabbing bastard in Nicky was genuinely remarkable, but I might consider his performance the weak point of the movie. It’s weird to see a man that short, be that much of physical menace. There are a number of Sopranos actors in Casino. I’m sure Vincent Chase watched the movie and said to himself, “bet, i’ll cast half of these guys.”The set design and costumes were gorgeous. The styles and fashion of the time were spectacular. Scorsese’s signature gratuitous violence featured prominently, but tastefully. The camera work, tracking shots through the casino and spatial movement was incredible and I thought the cinematography was outstanding, the Western-esque wide lens in the desert was worthy of being a framed still.
The Nicky//Ace dynamic is excellent and the two play off of each other well. The conflict between the two of them escalates gradually, and then Nicky’s betrayal of Ace by cheating with Ginger marks the final break between the two of them. Nicky’s mob faculties represent a brutal, violent theft that is illegal and requires the enforcement of violence by organized crime. Despite the illegal embezzlement and corruption at play with the “skimming” operation at work at the casino, the general business model of the casino stands in contrast to the obscene violence of the loan sharks. Ace operates an intelligent operation of theft through the casino, and his hands-on management approach is instrumental to the success of the casino. Nicky’s chaos pervades the casino, and the life and activities of “the street” begin to bleed into Ace’s ability to maintain order in the casino. “Connected” types begin frequenting the casino, and Ace unknowingly forces one particularly rude gambler to leave the casino, who happens to have mob ties with Nicky. The “organized violence” of the casino cannot stay intact perfectly, because the very thing holding it together is the presence of the mob. Nicky is in Vegas as the enforcer and tasked with protecting Ace but his independent, entrepreneurial (shall we call them?) aspirations lead him to attempt to overtake what he realizes is a frontier for organized crime to brutalize and exploit the characters of “the street” (pimps, players, addicts, dealers, and prostitutes) and the owners of small private businesses.
Nicky is reckless, “when i plant my flag out here you won’t need your [casino/gaming] license” Nicky thinks he, and Ace, can bypass the regulations and bureaucratic legal measures by sheer force of violence alone. But ultimately Nicky is shortsighted and doesn’t have a real attachment to the success of the casino. After all, he isn’t getting profits from it (or much anyway) and isn’t permitted to play a real, active role in its daily functions because of his belligerent, untamed personality. Nicky has no buy-in that would motivate him to follow the rules or to work within the legal parts of the economy, it’s not the game he knows how to play, and win. All that he is loyal to, or deferent too, is the bosses back home; for whom he maintains absolute, uncompromising loyalty to, but still holds intense spite for.
And now to the more compelling element of the narrative. Sam “Ace” Rothstein is positioned as remarkably intelligent, he makes informed decisions that aid in his skill as a gambler, he can read people to determine whether he’s being conned, he has an attention to detail—aided by the casino’s surveillance apparatus which monitors cheating—that is almost unbelievable. Ace knows when he’s being cheated, he knows how to rig the game so that the house always wins, enacting psychological warfare to break down the confidence of would be proficient gamblers, who could threaten Tangiers’ bottom line. But in the end, the greatest gamble Ace makes is his marriage to Ginger. Ginger is the seductive, charismatic, and flirtatious madame who makes her money with tricks and her sexual power. Ginger works as a prostitute, seducing men, and extracting everything she can, almost as a sort of sexual-financial vampirism.
Ginger is the bad bet Ace can’t stop making even when she destroys his life, her own, and puts their daughter Amy in harm’s way. Ginger is the gamble Ace made wrong, but he keeps going back to her every time, trying to rationalize how she might change and be different the next time. Ace is not a victim to Ginger’s antics. Ginger makes it clear who she is: an addict, alcoholic, manic shopaholic who will use all of her powers to extract everything she can from everyone around her. She uses everyone to her advantage and manipulates men with her sexual power in exchange for their money and protection. Ginger had a price for her hand in marriage: $1 million in cash and $1 million worth of jewelry that are left to her and her alone as a sort of emergency fund.
Ace’s numerous attempts to buy Ginger’s love—and the clear fact that no matter how expensive the fur coat and how grand the mansion, none of it would ever be enough to satisfy her—mirrored Jordan Belfort’s relationship with Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street. Both relationships carried the same manic volatility and conflict over child custody was found in both films, with the roles reversed in the respective films. Ginger may be irredeemable and a pathological liar, but Ace can’t claim that she wasn’t clear with him; when he asked her to marry him, Ginger said she didn’t love Ace. Ace replied that love could be “developed” but required a foundation of trust to develop. That trust was never there to begin with. The love was doomed from the start to destroy the two of them; two addicts, two gamblers, lying on a daily basis to one another and themselves about reality to justify their respective existences, the marriage, and Ace’s livelihood. And as Ginger pointed out, “I should have never married him. He’s a gemini, a triple gemini … a snake” Maybe astrology has some truth to it after all.
Now I’m not licensed (but hey neither was Ace, and he ran a casino empire!), but Ginger has the inklings of a borderline personality: her manic depression, narcissism, drug and alcohol abuse, and constant begging for forgiveness all seem indications of a larger psychological disorder at play. In the end, Ginger runs away with all the money Ace left her and finds her people in Los Angeles, the pimps, whores, and addicts she fits in with, in turn exploit and kill her for 3 grand in mint coins by giving her a ‘hot’ dose.
Overall, Casino is an incredible cinematic experience. I highly recommend watching this and seeing it as part of Scorsese's anthology of commentary on our economic system and its human victims. I’d argue that Casino, Wolf of Wall Street, and The Irishman all fit together nicely into a trilogy of the Scorsesean history of finance and corruption from the 70s to the 90s.
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EDIT 2: TL;DR —
Casino is a story of sexual and financial intrigue, mob violence, union pension fund embezzlement, a “love” story, and the protagonist's masochist addiction to the pain and chaos his lover inflicts on him. It turns out that the sharp-minded genius who meticulously runs the casino, is no more rational than the gamblers who routinely frequent the casino, coming back to lose their money and hoping that the odds will magically shift in their favor.

There's been a lot of discussion about the new Chinese-exclusive canon ebook The Vow of Silver Dawn, and how there won't be an official translation of it, so I figured I'd have a go for my own enjoyment (and hopefully yours too!). I will eventually do all of the chapters as they come out, though Matt Martin has said the book is "looooooog, like super long," so I can't promise translations on the regular, but I'll share them as I can.
Edits: Fixed a few typos and added a link to Chapter 2
Star Wars
The Vow of Silver Dawn
By His Majesty the King
Chapter 1
Welcome to Bergamore
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
The Republic ruled a highly-developed galactic society, its capital of Coruscant like a blazing star spreading the light and heat of civilization abundantly.
However, in those corners where the light was not as bright, shadows were present, and poverty and corruption inevitably bred in the fringe areas of the Republic.
Bergamore, located in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, had followed its irregular orbit around a binary star system for countless years. The planet merited only occasional attention from the Republic’s indifferent citizens, who viewed it as impoverished and backward.
However, a few decades ago, a politician by the name of Jamie Brasen had risen to prominence on the planet Bergamore. Projecting charm and integrity, he won the support of the planet’s three billion inhabitants and became Bergamore’s President, bringing envoys to meet with the Senate of the Republic. On the capital world of Coruscant, he earned the respect of many senators with his almost flawless personal image.
In the view of the Senate, Jamie Brasen was honest and upright, with a gentle and humble personality. Under his rule, Bergamore had become increasingly prosperous and rich, gradually ridding itself of its poor and underdeveloped reputation, and Brasen built up the planetary capital of Green Sunlight into a model city. The thriving metropolis amazed countless tourists from far and wide. But Brasen himself had maintained a meager life for decades; even when he attended his conference with the Republic, Brasen had worn a patchwork jacket.
Surely, there was nothing more to this so-called saint than that.
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“Sure enough, there are no real saints in the world…”
A human woman covered her beautiful, dignified face with a gray cloak and walked quietly down a dark and damp street, looking at the crookedly-built temporary buildings along both sides of the path, and the shivering abandoned children under the shelter of awnings. She couldn’t help pursing her lips tightly at the sight, and sighed sadly within her heart.
Not far from this street – 20 meters overhead, to be precise – was the proudest, most affluent city on the planet of Bergamore, gleaming like a steel green forest. The city’s architectural style had been based on that of Coruscant. Although the sprawl had not spread over every corner of Bergamore as had happened to Coruscant, the city shown as bright as a star for the remote and impoverished planet.
However, how many people knew that under its dazzling epidermis, the city was rotten to the bone? How many knew that of Bergamore’s 3 billion people, only a very small number could live a life of luxury in the modern buildings of the capital Green Sunlight?
The woman walked in silence, and after a while, a group of devious shadows came to follow.
In this underworld domain, a woman walking alone in the slums was almost like bait thrown into a fishing pond.
In her wake, slave traders who longed for better captives, black market doctors looking for fresh organs, murderers who took pleasure in killing, and down-on-their-luck gamblers followed.
However, the woman simply looked back at the devious shadows. They disappeared like morning mist upon encountering the sun. Suddenly, these underworld thugs couldn’t even recall what they had come here after.
The woman didn’t care, and wasn’t surprised. After coming to Bergamore, similar instances had happened too many times to count. She shook her head, continued on her way, and walked until she reached a dilapidated hotel. Entering the only upper-class guest room, she took off her cloak, exhaled, and clicked on a huge projection covering an entire wall of the room. The screen, displayed by a customized communication device in the shape of a wrist bracelet she wore, transmitted new data.
Two holoimages quickly lit up on the wall. In the first, haggard children were kept in dark cages like animals, awaiting their fate as livestock before a slaughter.
In contrast, the other image showed revelers in the upper level of the city, drunk and enjoying a life comparable to that of the rich nobles at the core of the Republic.
Various images such as these came to light up the entirety of the wall – and this was the collection of a woman who had only come to Bergamore a week ago.
On the display, various pictures and annotations were connected by lines of different colors, like a densely-woven network with countless clues pointing to the core.
At the center was the image of the President of the planet Bergamore, Jamie Brasen!
It was the President of Bergamore, who was well-known on Coruscant, that had led to countless tragedies. Nearly every large criminal organization working behind the scenes on the planet stemmed from Jamie Brasen. He was at the helm of the consortiums and the gangs, the highest in the food chain. Before he had come to power, Bergamore had been poor, but its populace had lived in peace. The people had never been treated inhumanely, and had followed a harmonious life for thousands of years. However, in the span of just a few decades, the surface of this planet had been filled with criminals… and bones.
This was all still unknown to the galaxy at large. Jamie Brasen still enjoyed the prestige of a saint, and no one could tarnish his perfect reputation.
The woman stared silently at the network of clues on the wall. Suddenly, the communicator bracelet on her arm chirped, and she placed the device on the table. A blue holographic projection appeared.
She saw an octopus-like alien head appear in her field of vision, and the four tentacles on its chin squirmed gently, indicating his species as a Quarren. A gaze of utmost respect shown in the two round eyes.
“Salutations to you, respected Master Jedi…”
Before he finished speaking, the woman interrupted: “As I’ve said, please, call me Mostema.”
The Quarren individual seemed slightly uneasy.
Mostema continued, “Don’t feel anxious, just treat this as a business exchange between colleagues. You used to oversee the Republic’s intelligence work on Bergamore, and I really could use you professional advice.”
The Quarren felt even more ashamed when he heard this. “Jamie Brasen is a very cunning politician. I have been here for many years, and I have never him in the act of wrongdoing.”
“Being able to verify the other party’s cunning is still the result of important work,” Mostema assured the Quarren. “Do you have any suggestions for the next job?”
With that, the Jedi Master transmitted all the information she had collected to the Quarren agent.
Upon hearing the transmission had been received, the Quarren quickly turned his attention to his own display screen. His two already-huge eyeballs grew wider.
“Master, is this the evidence you’ve collected? You really deserve to be a Jedi Master. All this within just a few standard days, and so much as been compiled! Let me see… God, this chain of evidence is so complete! Next, just add the testimonies from StarFan Hostel and Shining Manpower…”
Again before he had finished, he saw Mostema exhibit two new portraits on the display through the communicator bracelet. They were the leaders of StarFan Hostel and Shining Manpower, and their confessions and related testimonies told the same story. Moments passed.
The Quarren was stunned. “… This is worthy of the Jedis’ famed omnipotence, the final link in the chain of evidence is here! As long as you submit this dossier to the Senate in the name of the Jedi Order, it should be enough to merit acceptance. Jamie Brasen’s evil rule ends here!”
“Hmmm…” Mostema thought to herself briefly, but then smiled and shook her head.
“So, what if this wasn’t submitted in the name of the Jedi Order? For example, if it came from you, or even an ordinary person working on Bergamore?”
The Quarren was stunned momentarily, then said in a low voice, “I am afraid that would be a bit insufficient. The President’s crimes are rarely committed firsthand; almost all of them are done by others. There is no proof that directly connections him to a crime. And, his perception within the Republic is nearly pristine. Everyone thinks of Brasen as a humble and incorruptible philanthropist. He also has the most prestigious lawyers in the galaxy at his disposal, and has turned black to white through the courts many times, in fact, with legal deposition on his side. Taking on a politically-strong man who has controlled this planet for decades is far-fetched in itself, so I hope you can…”
“Do you hope to use the name of the Jedi in order to bring him down? Then the essence of the matter is that I wield Jedi political sway extrajudiciously to forcibly interfere with the judgment of the Senate. Simply because I can’t stand Brasen, I should use the influence of the Jedi Order, dressed in the guise of the law, and ask the Senate to make him stand trial? How does that set me apart from a reckless tyrant such as him?”
The Quarren thought for a long moment, and suggested reluctantly, “If you must build your case through legal avenues, then you still aren’t without tricks at your disposal. Now that the Jedi Council has decided to investigate Jamie Brasen, then use your skills. Can’t you merely go to the President and let him confide the truth to you on his own? That’s the kind of hypnotizing technique that only the Jedi use…”
The Jedi Master deeply regretted the recognition of this power. “The Force techniques mastered by the Jedi are a double-edged sword. Of course I can use the Force to confound Jamie’s mind and make him self-report his crimes, but in the same fashion, this technique could be used to elicit a false confession, and allow innocent people to be unjustly wronged. If it was known I had influenced his mind, any testimony obtained from Brasen through hypnosis becomes invalid. Additionally, since Jamie Brasen is exceptionally crafty, it is entirely possible for him to anticipate and prepare for a Jedi mind trick in advance. In which case, he could not be hypnotized into telling the truth.”
The Quarren said helplessly, “If you believe that’s possible, then the situation is very dire. Jamie has been in control of Bergamore for so long, and the whole planet has become like a combination of labyrinth and spider web what with illegal intrigue, that it is difficult to pinpoint his location at a given time through peripheral clues. If you will have to speak with him, you can only try to find the legendary manor. Some have said that the President built a private mansion on the outskirts of Green Sunlight, where he lives a life of glamour. More importantly, he is known to entertain guests at the manor. Most of is crimes are designed and completed within the manor’s walls. I have been investigating for many years, but I have yet to find the slightest trace about the manor’s location…”
As he was talking, the Quarren suddenly heard the communicator bracelet on the table start to ding, and the woman’s cold expression melted a bit – though it was only barely perceptible, the Quarren felt sure the change wasn’t because she was looking at him.
Mostema stated, “I have asked my apprentice to investigate Jamie’s manor.”
The Quarren was shocked. “Apprentice? You didn’t come alone?”
“Yes, my apprentice Sean. He is still at the stage of training, 17 years old but still immature and in need of more tutelage. So I asked him to go to the lower city to investigate intelligence leads on the Presidential Manor.”
The Quarren only experienced a moment of astonishment before saying, “Master, Jamie has always attached great importance to the secrets of his manor. Anyone who dares to investigate it privately will have their life in danger! More to the point, many of my own elite agents have gone missing here in the Green Sunlight District!”
“Yes, so I told him to be particularly careful while investigating.”
“This is not a question of carelessness. Your apprentice is but merely a student? With all due respect, even for a Jedi who has mastered the art of the Force…”
However, as he was speaking, Mostema had reached out and pressed the button for multi-person communication feature on the bracelet, and suddenly another projection appeared beside the octopus-like head.
It was of a human teenager who seemed to be only 16 or 17 years old… the Quarren was not especially good at distinguishing human ages from simple beauty and ugliness, but seeing this black-haired and dark-eyed teenager, he immediately felt a sense of camaraderie.
The other party took the initiative to say hello to the alien.
“Good afternoon, Master! I presume this is our agent Mr. Squak, I’m glad to meet you! I read your ‘Bergamore Investigation Report.’ The work was very meticulous, it was really quite admirable!”
The Quarren’s rough skin abruptly took on a blood-like color. “I… I am too ashamed. There have been no reliable results from the investigation for several years…”
“No, because your work has not yielded any results, the Republic will request the Jedi Order to send a Master to investigate, which will substantially accelerate the progress of the investigation. I believe the people of Bergamore will remember you contributions long into the future!”
At last, the Quarren was utterly speechless.
Chapter 2: https://www.reddit.com/starwarscanon/comments/kqri6v/the_vow_of_silver_dawn_chapter_2_english/

** location: vic ** Hello! Throwing this horror show out to the internet to assess my options. Please be kind or constructive...
I've engaged a lawyer, seeking initial information on how to claim money owed by my ex-partner. The money was loaned to him to put a deposit on his parent's house - in their name (all written, documented and records noting that this was the loan and this is what it would be used for).
Repayment was agreed at one month... fast forward three years (and I'm the sucker). Payments in drips and drabs – "I paid $50 for dinner so take that off what's owed"... "here's $100 to go get your hair done, take it off the debt" ... "I'll pay all the rent this month so that's some money off the debt".
We've come from 70K to 50K owed following his "throwing crumbs" approach at repaying me. At least that's something.
The relationship has now ended and, as mentioned, I've engaged a lawyer. Unfortunately, they're telling me that this now falls into a defacto/ family law and makes it a little bit harder to justify that the money wasn't my contribution to the relationship. The good news, they said, I was forced to work on his business over my own during the three years and have managed to build quite a profitable business for him (without my time, effort and professional skills this would not have been possible). Again, a lot of this is documented and I can prove that I was the driving force in operations and expansion of his business. I can prove that he demanded I work on his business.
My question: what is stopping me from going to small claims to recover the personal debt and then family law for contribution to both business and business worth (revenue $500,000 p/a)? He's a problem gambler and I know he doesn't have any assets to repay me.
My lawyer said, if I proceed with them, that they can request a "full and frank disclosure". I know him. He won't do that. And, the cost of going to court, which is what he'll call my bluff on, really doesn't weight up for the sake of $150K which is what I'm seeking (on a payment plan of sorts).
Also knowing him, he will not take too kindly to a lawyer getting involved, so I plan on trying to settle this without using a lawyer, and should he ignore my requests then fork out the 5K legal fees to move ahead in a more "official" manner.
While I understand this is the internet and lawyers can't technically hand out legal advice, I'd like some anonymous thoughts and feelings on this from kind legal minds or people who have been in a similar position.
Thanks

Claire-France is a good friend of mine and an excellent astrologer. This is her essay on the Grand Conjunction.
Aquarius in traditional astrology is ruled by Saturn. Yes, lots of people use a modern planet to supplant Saturn, but there is a great design behind the zodiac in astrology. The beginning student in my class is obligated to return to the ancient period to gather the most potency from their astrology.
We will get to the Great Conjunction after I explain myself just a little to let you know why I am choosing Tradition over Modernism in astrology.
It is about the Sun. yes, the solar figure in our life is life itself. We are all bound by the sun’s warmth, drawn to it when it is needed, run away when it’s strong. We tell time with the Sun. we can see because of the light that it broadcasts so generously. Visualizing life without the sun leads to cold, dark and dreary imaginings.
The visible planets are a combination of the human capacity to see into deep space with the sun’s ability to light it up for us. This is the basis of the seven visible planets as the exclusive basis for rulerships in the zodiac. The Human Eye is capable yes of possibly seeing Uranus from earth, but it is rare. Saturn serves as “ring-pass-not” because his orbit is at that maximum distance still distinctly seen by the naked eye.
This phenomenon was how the ancient world divided up their cosmos, and all this is considered traditional. The Modern Astrologers have had a problem in the last few centuries. Technology has expanded the capability of the Human Eye. But this need not enter into the very human realms of astrology.
This technology has given us the Hubble Space Craft and its marvels. But these are the promethean feats of humankind. They are not resident in the eons of long, natural history.
Traditional astrology ensues.
Saturn rules Aquarius.
This has become meaningful in 2020 with the Coronavirus lockdown. All things secure, locked and sequestered are ruled by Saturn. While we are collectively made to react to his archetype, we expand it by pointing to depression, melancholy and isolation, all descriptors of the Saturn Model.
Saturn has been conjoined Saturn in Capricorn for most of 2020, so we cannot say that anything really new is happening in the sky, except that they will together leave Capricorn (and leave their companion, Pluto) to enter Aquarius on December 21.
Many say they believe this occasion begins the Age of Aquarius, but I will maintain that this has already occurred some years ago. and we are only aware of it now. I maintain this opinion based on the mathematics of the Ages. Just one fact should clarify. The precession of the equinoxes moves forward only one degree every 72 years. We have been in the zero-degree phase for over 20 years, but it has recently become a conscious fact for Humanity (writing in Dec 2020) only this year. Many pieces of our lives, our habits and social interactions will never be the same as we march forward into the New Age. (I will write an essay to address the age of aq, separately)
To qualify how this will appear we must look first at the role of the essential worker, the generosity of government to recognize its obligation to the worker, and then the value of that worker. This microcosm will serve as our metaphor for the effect of this transit around the chart, house by house.
To the great conjunction, I give a nick name, “Under New Management.”
The metaphor of the essential worker is exactly the kind of change you experience between the expansion and faith of Jupiter in coordination with the limiting and exacting demands of Saturn. To expand, we observe a worker lost his job due to the pandemic. The worker seeks support from the government and surprise, surprise the government has cash payments for the lowly worker. This is expansion offering extends to the garbage crew, the health care worker, the bus driver and various others, “a break,” leading us to the primary human interaction of the Age of Aquarius: Noblesse Oblige.
It is a French expression requiring the nobility to recognize their privilege and obligated them to help the lowly to lift themselves up.
So in what way will Noblesse Oblige affect your life? We can only begin imagining as we count around the houses.
I will name both a rising sign and the house in which we might find the Zero Aquarius degree. These may not be consistent, so adjust slightly for your own chart. We begin with the 1st house.
AQUARIUS: The conjunction occurs in your first house. “Under New Management” Is a sort of spring cleaning for all the practical variables of being part of a larger collective. Re-tooling and finding new ways of solving practical problems might mean a search for the right person for it. Or a better and more practical approach. Are you that person? Do you have management skills? Now’s the time to show up. If the conjunction makes a square to your planets in zero degrees of Scorpio or Taurus, look to those area to shake up old habits and programs.
PISCES: The conjunction occurs in your 12th house. Sometimes it is hard to believe that your old inhibitions are being questioned. It is a question formed from your doubts, your insecurities and those who don’t support your ask. Getting support in general may require facing both your past and your future in a way to stand outside of yourself and make an objective choice, if possible.
ARIES: The conjunction occurs in the 11th house. What the world wants from you now is to be free. How do you propose to free those who are close to you? Relationships are an all-volunteer event. There are those who want less of this, others who want more. Lots of shifting around, lots of replacing the one with the other, and many instances of gain or loss as you manage along. Do not question so much the motivations of others. Know your own and take what information or knowledge you can from the volunteers that do love you.
TAURUS: The conjunction occurs in the 10th house. Who is the one above you making decision that affect your reputation and professional standing? Is your department facing budget challenges? Do you want to hire the entire staff over again? These are the kinds of debates that are clearing off the business in its old form and creating opportunity (should you or your organization be sufficiently nimble to respond) from what is happening “on the ground.” You may not be able to see clear for yourself. But you may be able to clear the way for those who do.
GEMINI: The conjunction occurs in the 9th house. Have you been waiting to change your legal status, or do you have a manuscript that should be read by millions? Has a crisis in your orthodox faith required you to hitch to a different voice for inspiration? The 9th house is dedicated to the big solar accomplishments of symphonic music, great big films and the influences that come from foreign countries. Language skills combining with the courts, new characters popping into your novel requiring a complete reworking of your plot, the fly is in the majors works ointment and requiring your guidance and patience to manage to the final accomplishment.
CANCER: The conjunction occurs in the 8th house. Do your parents need a new house? Are you and others deciding how to bring two or three mortgages into one? The financial management question means searching for better information and fresher insights to help grow a house for the new baby or shrink a house for aging parents. Insurance, mutual funds, and the old savings account become the business of this aspect, requiring new institutions or managers to take the load and help you profit. You and your partner are making big decision that should establish a 20-year obligation and bring matters to peace for everyone.
LEO: The conjunction occurs in the 7th house. Partners or consultants are asking for a shift in how you manage either assets or time or both. Bigger obligations and shrinking resources may be the reasons for making changes, but the result should give new emotional space and cut back on misunderstandings. Clarity of purpose and the need for Unity apply to all and provide opportunity for fulfillment.
VIRGO: The conjunction occurs in the 6th house. Employees and staff are in continuous flux for a while. You may need to spend more time in managing changes between them, helping to accommodate new schedules or goals, while managing a time structure commitment. Are your employees or staff in a long-term contract? These require a fine-toothed comb, to find why you might be at a disadvantage, or to better place others in advantageous roles.
LIBRA: The conjunction occurs in the 5th house. If you are an artist, and finding a new gallery is on your list, then march on toward yo9ur goals. It is a question of managing your assets against their marketplace. What measures their value for your outreach? For those with children, it’s clear the lockdown orders have already shaken up their world, and so this conjunction makes it imperative to correctly situate them for their long-term benefit. New structures, new possibilities are gathering steam. For gamers and gamblers, new games and more exciting prizes come with greater fees and commitment.
SCORPIO: The conjunction occurs in the 4th house. Remodeling the old and revising the new, may mean a kitchen or bathroom are in the plan. Renovations to accommodate parental needs, are possible. The new versus the old seems terribly important, with changes to access adds prominence. Any histories of the family (DNA search of the past?) may illuminate exciting and possibly shattering family roots.
SAGITTARIUS: The conjunction occurs in 3rd house. The logic and wherewithal of siblings underpin important decisions to place assets or authority into their care. Local neighborhood changes may mean new routes in or out of the area to accommodate road construction and the like. The improvements to the neighborhood may include an institution to welcome your neighbors, or to create a food bank.
CAPRICORN: The conjunction occurs in 2nd house. Do you own assets which are easily converted into cash? Liquidation of property and possession is possible, or at least a change in the stockbroker you had for 30 years. Stability comes from a reassessment of your investments, your collections, your cash flow. This may require flexibility on your part, but with enough information your decisions are likely to have stable and positive outcomes.

So I'm a big proponent of JG.
But of course there is blowback from the UBI people who just don't like bureaucracy and would rather just be handed the money instead or something.
There are so many holes in my opinion to the argument. But saying "well, people will still want jobs regardless" or "People like working for money" or "Having a job gives people purpose" doesn't cut it. They just don't buy that. It's an optimistic and empowering view that I believe is closer to reality than what they're talking about. But then there's like "they'd rather not work for the federal government or the state government" or "where's the dignity in being handed a job that you got by default". All very silly and debatable philosophical sociological and psychological questions. They want to "get rid of the stigma of Joblessness" (but they call it unemployment which is incorrect from my view)
All of those arguments are irrelevant, right? That's what it seems like to me after thinking about it for a while.
I've been making these arguments lately and I'm just wondering if anyone can confirm this view.
First: Inflation
Inflation is a rate of price increases, not just price increases themselves. If it's too high, that might be a little bad, but it's definitely not good if it's an accelerating rate.
What it seems like is that there is some cost-growth in relevant industries that affect the supply chain costs in a big way initially. This could be caused by some unilateral price increase by a monopolist or price leader i.e. just a markup increase; an imported input supply shock due to exchange rates, embargos, overseas labor productivity decreases due to famine, war, revolution, etc; a domestic supply shock for the similar reasons in which unit costs increase because less units are able to be created i.e. labor productivity falls by no fault of labor, or an overseas unilateral price gouge.
In the former, the easiest solution is just to say "no don't do that, we're going to regulate you" to nip that in the bud. But for it to become inflation, the nominal demand has to be able (and willing at all) to be increasing i.e. wages must be increasing on some level. You have various people with contracts that include cost of living increases as a reason for raises, as well as unions that can bargain for higher pay. There will be some sectors that are unable to meet higher pay demands. If that sector is substantial that cannot meet higher wage demands, you could have credit expansion used to purchase but that will ultimately result in a debt bubble that becomes unsustainable. Basically, the inflation kind of can't continue if bargaining power is too low. You could even have substantial deflation or depression. Also, if people just begin to prioritize the higher cost goods and spend less on non-essentials, you'll see more unemployment in those non-essential sectors and less demand may counter that. Or not depending on the relative magnitudes.
So what seems like happens at full employment to the relevant areas of the supply chain that are receiving increasing nominal demand, the inflating sectors, is that demand for labor increases among competitors trying to sell the most output, so they bid up the price of labor hours amongst themselves resulting in cost-growth that employers may eventually counter with markup increases as per conflict theory of inflation. If they can't get labor at what they were paying before, they have to increase their bid. When the bids increase for the system, you have higher potential nominal demand, and markup increases that result in price increases can commence and potentially accelerate.
Hence, you have the need for unemployed people to take those jobs in those areas so those relevant employers don't increase their bid. So an unemployed buffer stock. If certain prioritized needs increase in price and that causes some lagging sectors to experience some downturns because people are just spending on their needs, you can have that unemployed buffer stock without any intervention.
But this isn't always the case. So what you could do is eliminate the markup increases that may be exacerbating a price wage spiral. But even at that point, you could still have some cost-growth. So the fed could step in and make debt more expensive or deter demand by making mortgages more expensive or forward pricing of commodities or whatever. That of course is a bad idea because it causes way more structural unemployment throughout the country in irrelevant areas that can't act as a cost-growth buffer for the relevant supply chain firms and that's one reason why there should be perpetual ZIRP. With income tax increases, you target where people are making money, but to an extent, this will also generate some structural unemployment that's unnecessary and cannot act as a cost-growth buffer for relevant supply chain firms.
The fed would call whatever level of unemployment you arrive at the NAIRU. Such a number is impossible to determine ex-ante because of the different ways that could happen, the structure of the economy, as well as the various ways you offset demand on a national scale to get to that number.
But effectively there *is* an amount of unemployment that's going to make that stop, but you can't determine it in any systematic way ex ante or whatever. And the tools the government is using to make that happen are imperfect ultimately and will push people into unemployment that don't need to be there. And the fed absolutely shouldn't raise rates before it sees any signs of inflation beyond just a lower unemployment rate.
The same would go for the NAIBER and pushing people into JG with demand offsets.
But let's say the government is maxing out fiscal space and consumer demand that causes demand for labor and employment to go way higher and you have like 2% unemployment or something that's entirely structural. The inflation rate is at 10% and it appears to be accelerating, so you raise taxes not only to stop it accelerating, but also to make inflation decelerate to bring the rate down to single digits. That creates unemployment.
(You could have a situation in which you tax prior to spending and perhaps you overshoot the amount of tax and you create unemployment inadvertently or something. But you still have unemployment there)
Is that about right?
So there's going to be a level of unemployment or JG workers that's mostly unresolvable with more stimulus that you could potentially resolve very carefully at the local level slowly.
Second thing: Unemployment - what it is and isn't.
Unemployment isn't joblessness. If you're a mother and not in the workforce that doesn't make income, you're not included in the unemployment rate and thus you don't stimulate the economy at that point. They can't act as a buffer stock no matter where they are or what skills they have. That also includes the elderly, the disabled, people who retire early, rent-seekers, people in finance, professional gamblers, the homeless, and on and on. If you are *choosing* to not have a job, you are not unemployed and thus if inflation happens, you can't act as a buffer to reduce cost-growth. Period.
So unemployment is always involuntary and people wanting jobs.
Of course there are people who just want jobs regardless if they need them or not because of their financial situation, but the argument from UBI people is that they want to make UBI good enough so that we can destigmatize unemployment and allow people to make the choices they need to be self-employed or whatever. I don't disagree that; we should destigmatize being jobless.
But to me they're basically saying they would want UBI to get us to *full employment* by shrinking the workforce rather than getting all those people jobs.
But that may be short-lived if fiscal space is maxed out in other ways as well. You may see cost-growth of the relevant industries and then all of the sudden, UBI is inadequate. You increase UBI, you just get more inflation. You let UBI stagnate with inflation, you all of the sudden have more people wanting jobs again. Nominal demand has decreased and you have less demand for employment and a bunch of people who want more income who can't get it.
You could also have a situation in which taxes increase. Then more people get thrown out of their jobs and receive just UBI that may be inadequate for their situation (maybe they have kids or whatever). They're unemployed.
So you still have some amount of joblessness that is actually unemployment and not just people living and doing their own thing.
Right?
So if you're maxing fiscal space and doing a UBI, it's likely that you still will have people not only that want jobs because unemployment is stigmatized, but you'll have people that aren't making enough money to live so that they can act as an unemployed buffer. If you give them more money to live, the buffer won't function because they won't want to be unemployed, but voluntarily jobless.
So it's not just an unemployment buffer stock, but a buffer stock of desperation for income that needs to be maintained in this current system. Prices and transfer payments need to be at a certain level for the unemployed that keep them in the workforce but at a 0 bid.
And *remember*, this is if fiscal space is maxed out, not in the current coronavirus situation. So many sovereign currency-issuing free-floating exchange rate countries have yet to even use up the fiscal space in a way that didn't leave substantial slack and capacity on the table.
But UBI could use up the slack in a big way and quickly if it was reducing workforce participation rates.
Third: Why JG is different
The same kind of thing happens with JG except JG doesn't cause that inflation. The inflation would have to be caused by something else (or UBI in addition).
But the thing about JG compared to an unemployment buffer is that you don't need to set the conditions (payments and prices) that make people desperate for a job in the private sector that they can't get. You can set the wage floor, all other private sector bids have to be higher in quantitative (wage payments) as well as some mix of qualitative terms (job security, benefits, upward mobility, job quality, etc). That wage floor level *can* be set above the poverty line without inflation because the bids already will be above the wage floor in the private sector for one, as well as the fact that they're trading wage hours in JG with wage hours in the private sector (of course different job arrangements would have to have attractive pay in some other fashion). But the deal is that no one has to be desperate to trade their free time. To get people desperate to trade their free time for jobs that don't exist, they have to be materially deprived. The JG as a buffer can remove this as a necessity. The JG wage can be more socially inclusive than unemployment insurance or a stagnating UBI. In addition, with a flexible JG, you can resolve underemployment that isn't counted in the unemployment rate that has made NAIRU estimates even more wrong.
​
​
So is that an apt argument and description?
If so, the entirety of the usual arguments against JG by UBI people gets into irrelevant political territory. The implementation should be done to make it as good as possible, it should be flexible, regulations in place so that there's no "corruption" or wrong incentives. Bureaucracy and bloat can be addressed to an extent (but to an extent you want it), and who's approving and deciding the jobs can be addressed and to what extent. Legal consequences for failure to provide a job or a bad job can be addressed. Whether or not the jobs are productive (in a hugely broad sense) can be addressed. Everything about implementation and manifestation of the program is irrelevant to the argument about why you should do a JG instead of UBI.
It's about the way the system works and where there are shortfalls. The economics of it all. Thats what makes JG core and not some ideologically normative thing tagged on to all the descriptive stuff. Of course, you can be ideological about it, but the argument to do it is there without the "we should all do work for society for money" idealogy. Right?
​
Right?
It'd be good to hear your thoughts on this.
Does this sound correct to anyone?

UK Mental Health Helplines:

ME CONNECT HELPLINE

https://meassociation.org.uk/information-and-support-line/
Got me/cfs fibro? Feel alone? Feel no one understands you? Not even Samaritans helps?
Volunteers at ME Association really do UNDERSTAND so call em:
We deal with each person individually, in a sensitive and professional manner. Every communication is kept completely confidential. ME Connect is staffed by a fully trained, and supervised, team of volunteers – most of whom have personal experience of M.E.

0344 576 5326

Available every day of the week between these times: 10am - 12noon, 2pm - 4pm and 7pm - 9pm.
Calls cost the same as other standard landline numbers (starting 01 or 02). If you have a call package for your landline or mobile phone then calls will normally come out of your inclusive minutes.
​
And on with...
​
... other valuable resources:
​
Mental health helplines:
Shout
Shout is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. We can help with urgent issues such as: suicidal thoughts, abuse or assault, self-harm, bullying and relationship challenges
Text Shout to 85258
(https://www.giveusashout.org/)
Mental Health Matters
Helpline for people with mental health problems, their carers, families and friends. The Team can offer emotional guidance and information and help people who may be feeling low, anxious or stressed or in extreme emotional distress and feel that there is nowhere else to turn. Support is also provided to people caring for another person and finding it difficult to cope. The service is confidential unless it is considered there is a risk to yourself or others. Webchat available 24/7
Phone: click here to find the different numbers for the geographical areas covered Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Supportline
We offer confidential emotional support to children, young adults and adults by telephone, email and post. We work with callers to develop healthy, positive coping strategies, an inner feeling of strength and increased self esteem to encourage healing, recovery and moving forward with life.
Phone: 01708 765200 (hours variable - ring for details)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
The Silver Line
The Silver Line operates the only confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK that's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. We also offer telephone friendship where we match volunteers with older people based on their interests, facilitated group calls, and help to connect people with local services in their area.
Phone: 0800 4 70 80 90 Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/)
Breathing Space
A confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Phone: 0800 838587 (weekdays mon-thurs 6pm until 2am. Weekend Friday 6pm-Monday 6am)
(https://breathingspace.scot/)
C.A.L.L. Mental health helpline
Offers emotional support and information/literature on Mental Health and related matters to the people of Wales. Anyone concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative or friend can access the service. C.A.L.L. Helpline offers a confidential listening and support service.
Phone: 0800 132 737 or text help to 81066
(https://www.callhelpline.org.uk/)
Lifeline Helpline
Lifeline is the Northern Ireland crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair. No matter what your age or where you live in Northern Ireland, if you are or someone you know is in distress or despair, Lifeline is here to help.
Phone: 0808 808 8000 or 18001 0808 808 8000 for Deaf and hard of hearing Textphone users. (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
(https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/)
One parent families Scotland
The Lone Parent Helpline provides advice and support to single parents. Call us about anything from dealing with a break-up, sorting out child maintenance, understanding benefits, money when having a baby, studying or moving into work. We provide a free confidential friendly service that provides advice and supports your wellbeing whatever you are going through.
Phone: 0808 801 0323 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(https://opfs.org.uk/)
RABI Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
Time is a precious commodity, especially in farming. But it’s something our staff will happily give you.
When you call you’ll speak to a member of our dedicated welfare team. We understand that making that very first call – and talking about personal things with someone you don’t know – might sound daunting. However, it’s 100% confidential, so you’ll be free to discuss what’s on your mind without judgement. We won’t disclose any information to third parties without your explicit permission and calls are not recorded. We’ll do our very best to make you feel at ease, listening with courtesy, sympathy and respect.
Phone: 0808 281 9490 (9am-5pm weekdays) Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(https://rabi.org.uk/)
The Drinks Trust:
We are the drinks industry community organisation, providing care and support to the people who form the drinks industry workforce, both past and present. The Trust provides individuals with services across vocational, well-being, financial and practical support. These services are intended to assist with and improve the circumstances of those who receive them
Phone: 0800 915 4610
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Contact form - To be eligible, you must have worked for at least two years full-time or four years part-time in the UK drinks industry.
(https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk/)
Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you've been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
(www.anxietyuk.org.uk)
Bipolar UK
A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Peer support line: Arrange a call back from our Peer Support Line. Book in a call with our chatbot- simply type in 'I would like to speak to someone' and select a date and time that works best for you.
Email us: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(www.bipolaruk.org.uk)
Carers UK
We provide an expert telephone advice and support service. You can talk to us, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks, and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.
Phone: 0808 808 7777 (Mon-Fri 9am until 6pm)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Online forum: here
(https://www.carersuk.org/)
CALM
Our helpline is for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (5pm to midnight - 365 days a year)
(www.thecalmzone.net)
Shelter
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support, and legal services
England&Scotland phone number: 08088004444 (8am - 8pm on weekdays and 9am - 5pm weekends).
(https://www.shelter.org.uk/)
Wales phone number: 08000 495495 (9.30am – 4.00pm, Monday to Friday)
(https://sheltercymru.org.uk/)
For similar housing support in Ireland and NI: Ireland and Northern Ireland
Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
(www.mind.org.uk)
Mind Cymru: 0292-0395-123 (https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/mind-cymru/)
No Panic
Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia/OCD. Includes a helpline.
Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm)
(www.nopanic.org.uk)
OCD Action
Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.
Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5pm)
(www.ocdaction.org.uk)
OCD UK
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Phone: 0845 120 3778 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.ocduk.org)
PAPYRUS
HOPELINEUK is a confidential support and advice service for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide.
Phone: HOPElineUK 0800 068 4141 (9:00 am to 12:00 am midnight every day including weekends & bank holidays)
Text: 07860 039 967
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(www.papyrus-uk.org)
Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.rethink.org)
Samaritans
Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
(www.samaritans.org.uk)
SANE
Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30 to 10.30pm)
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: (http://www.sane.org.uk/textcare)
(www.sane.org.uk/supportforum)
(www.sane.org.uk/support)
YoungMinds
Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Phone: Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.youngminds.org.uk)
Veterans Gateway
The first point of contact for veterans seeking support. We put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.
Phone: 0808 802 1212 Text: 81212 Email: submit here Live chat: here
(https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/)
First Person Plural
First Person Plural (FPP) specialises in working for and on behalf of all those affected by Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and similar complex trauma-related dissociative identity conditions. These similar conditions include type 1 Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS), and a type of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) which is described as DID-like.
Phone: 01902810082 (if we do not pick up leave a message and we will contact you as soon as possible but this might not be for a few days as our office is not staffed everyday) Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Twitter: u/DissociationFPP
LGBT+ helplines:
Switchboard LGBT
Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.
Phone: 0300 330 0630 (10am-10pm every day)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(https://switchboard.lgbt/)
MindlineTrans+
MindLine Trans+ is a confidential emotional, mental health support helpline for people who identify as Transgender, Agender, Gender Fluid, Non-binary..
Phone: 03003305468 (Mondays and Fridays from 8pm to midnight.)
Mermaids UK
Mermaids provides a helpline aimed at supporting transgender youth up to and including the age of 19, their families and professionals working with them.
Phone: 0808 801 0400 (Open Monday - Friday; 9am - 9pm)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
(https://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk)
Abuse helplines (child, sexual, domestic violence):
NSPCC
Children's charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
(www.nspcc.org.uk)
Refuge
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
(www.refuge.org.uk)
Women's Aid
Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Live chat: Our hours are Monday to Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-12:00pm. Here
Respect Men's advice line
The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them. We offer advice and emotional support to men who experience abuse, and signpost to other vital services that help keep them and their children safe.
Call: 0808 8010327 or visit: here
Respect phoneline
The Respect Phoneline is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are harming their partners and families. We provide specialist advice and guidance to help people change their behaviours and support for those working with domestic abuse perpetrators.
Call: 0808 8024040 or visit: here
National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans+ Domestic Abuse Helpline:
Galop gives advice and support to people who have experienced biphobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexual violence or domestic abuse. We also support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people who have had problems with the police or have questions about the criminal justice system
Galop is completely independent – we are a community-led group and we are not connected to police. You can talk to us anonymously if you choose
Phone: 0800 999 5428 (Monday to Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm. Wednesday to Thursday 10:00am - 8:00pm)
(http://www.galop.org.uk/domesticabuse/)
Honour based abuse/violence, forced marriage and/or female genital mutilation helplines
Freedom Charity
We aim to empower young people to feel they have the tools and confidence to support each other and have practical ways in which they can help their best friend around the issues of family relationships which can lead to early and forced marriage and dishonour based violence
(https://www.freedomcharity.org.uk/)
Phone: 0845 607 0133 ; or text "4freedom"to 88802 (24-hour helpline)
Halo Project
Halo Project Charity is a national project that will support victims of honour-based violence, forced marriages and FGM by providing appropriate advice and support to victims. We will also work with key partners to provide required interventions and advice necessary for the protection and safety of victims.
Phone: 01642 683 045 (9am-5pm)
(https://www.haloproject.org.uk/)
Karma Nirvana
Karma Nirvana is an award-winning National charity supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Honour crimes are not determined by age, faith, gender or sexuality, we support and work with all victims
Phone: 0800 5999 247 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
(https://karmanirvana.org.uk/)
Addiction helplines (drugs, alcohol, gambling):
Alcoholics Anonymous
Phone: 0845 769 7555 (24-hour helpline)
(www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk)
Gamblers Anonymous
Phone: 0330 094 0322
(www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk)
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 0300 999 1212 (daily 10am to midnight)
(www.ukna.org)
Drugfam
Support for families, friends and partners affected by someone else’s addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Phone: 0300 888 3853
(https://www.drugfam.co.uk/)
Al-Anon UK&Eire
We are here for anyone affected by someone else's drinking. Our Helpline is manned by a team of friendly and helpful volunteers who are also members of Al-Anon. They will listen and be happy to answer your questions
Phone: 0800 0086 811 (10am-10pm, 365 days a year)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Alzheimer's helpline:
Alzheimer's Society
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Phone: 0300 222 1122 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm. Weekends, 10am to 4pm)
(www.alzheimers.org.uk)
Bereavement helplines:
Cruse Bereavement Care
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
CruseChat
(https://www.cruse.org.uk)
Blue Cross for pets
If you have lost, or are facing saying goodbye to, a much loved pet and need somebody to talk to, our Pet Bereavement Support Service is here for you every day from 8.30am – 8.30pm
Phone: 0800 096 6606
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
The Compassionate Friends
The Compassionate Friends is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause
Phone: 0345 120 3785 (9:30am - 4:30pm Mon to Fri)
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide:
If you are 18+ and have been bereaved or affected by suicide and you would like to talk with one of our volunteers about your experience, you can get in touch in the following ways:
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and/or [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Helpline: open 9am to 9pm Monday to Sunday 0300 111 5065
You can also apply to join their online peer support forum here
(https://uksobs.org/)
Crime victims helplines:
Rape Crisis
To find your local services phone: 0808 802 9999 (daily, 12 to 2.30pm, 7 to 9.30pm)
(www.rapecrisis.org.uk)
Victim Support
Phone: 0808 168 9111 (24-hour helpline)
(www.victimsupport.org)
Eating disorders helpline:
Beat
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (adults) or 0808 801 0711 (for under-18s)
(www.b-eat.co.uk)
Learning disabilities helpline:
Mencap
Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.mencap.org.uk)
Parenting helpline:
Family Lives
Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). Please call us on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Our helpline service is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday and 10am-3pm Saturday and Sunday
Callers in Wales: If you would like to access this service in Welsh, find out how to request a call back here
Callers in Scotland: for callers from Scotland, Children 1st run Parentline Scotland and you may wish to contact them on 08000 28 22 33 Monday to Friday from 9am - 9pm.
Online chat: available 1:30pm-5:30pm every weekday excluding bank holidays here
Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Online forum: here
(https://www.familylives.org.uk/)
Relationships helpline:
Relate
The UK's largest provider of relationship support.
(www.relate.org.uk)
​

Here I will include a master post of UK mental health helplines/resources, feel free to message me directly if there is anything you would like me to add to this post or if you notice any contact or relevant information has changed since creating this. If you would like quick support on this site for legal or DWP related issues please consider checking out DWPhelp or LegalAdviceUK
If you live in England, you can refer yourself to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT).
If you would like to view some country-specific helplines&resources:

• England part 1
  
• England part 2
  
• England part 3
  
• Northern Ireland
  
• Wales
  
• Scotland
  

Mental health helplines:
Shout
Shout is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. We can help with urgent issues such as: suicidal thoughts, abuse or assault, self-harm, bullying and relationship challenges
Text Shout to 85258
(https://www.giveusashout.org/)
Mental Health Matters
Helpline for people with mental health problems, their carers, families and friends. The Team can offer emotional guidance and information and help people who may be feeling low, anxious or stressed or in extreme emotional distress and feel that there is nowhere else to turn. Support is also provided to people caring for another person and finding it difficult to cope. The service is confidential unless it is considered there is a risk to yourself or others. Webchat available 24/7
Phone: click here to find the different numbers for the geographical areas covered Email: [email protected]
Supportline
We offer confidential emotional support to children, young adults and adults by telephone, email and post. We work with callers to develop healthy, positive coping strategies, an inner feeling of strength and increased self esteem to encourage healing, recovery and moving forward with life.
Phone: 01708 765200 (hours variable - ring for details)
Email: [email protected]
The Silver Line
The Silver Line operates the only confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK that's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. We also offer telephone friendship where we match volunteers with older people based on their interests, facilitated group calls, and help to connect people with local services in their area.
Phone: 0800 4 70 80 90 Email: [email protected]
(https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/)
Breathing Space
A confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Phone: 0800 838587 (weekdays mon-thurs 6pm until 2am. Weekend Friday 6pm-Monday 6am)
(https://breathingspace.scot/)
C.A.L.L. Mental health helpline
Offers emotional support and information/literature on Mental Health and related matters to the people of Wales. Anyone concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative or friend can access the service. C.A.L.L. Helpline offers a confidential listening and support service.
Phone: 0800 132 737 or text help to 81066
(https://www.callhelpline.org.uk/)
Lifeline Helpline
Lifeline is the Northern Ireland crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair. No matter what your age or where you live in Northern Ireland, if you are or someone you know is in distress or despair, Lifeline is here to help.
Phone: 0808 808 8000 or 18001 0808 808 8000 for Deaf and hard of hearing Textphone users. (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
(https://www.lifelinehelpline.info/)
One parent families Scotland
The Lone Parent Helpline provides advice and support to single parents. Call us about anything from dealing with a break-up, sorting out child maintenance, understanding benefits, money when having a baby, studying or moving into work. We provide a free confidential friendly service that provides advice and supports your wellbeing whatever you are going through.
Phone: 0808 801 0323 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm)
Email: [email protected]
(https://opfs.org.uk/)
RABI Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
Time is a precious commodity, especially in farming. But it’s something our staff will happily give you.
When you call you’ll speak to a member of our dedicated welfare team. We understand that making that very first call – and talking about personal things with someone you don’t know – might sound daunting. However, it’s 100% confidential, so you’ll be free to discuss what’s on your mind without judgement. We won’t disclose any information to third parties without your explicit permission and calls are not recorded. We’ll do our very best to make you feel at ease, listening with courtesy, sympathy and respect.
Phone: 0808 281 9490 (9am-5pm weekdays) Email: [email protected]
(https://rabi.org.uk/)
The Drinks Trust:
We are the drinks industry community organisation, providing care and support to the people who form the drinks industry workforce, both past and present. The Trust provides individuals with services across vocational, well-being, financial and practical support. These services are intended to assist with and improve the circumstances of those who receive them
Phone: 0800 915 4610
Email: [email protected]
Contact form - To be eligible, you must have worked for at least two years full-time or four years part-time in the UK drinks industry.
(https://www.drinkstrust.org.uk/)
Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you've been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
(www.anxietyuk.org.uk)
Bipolar UK
A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Peer support line: Arrange a call back from our Peer Support Line. Book in a call with our chatbot- simply type in 'I would like to speak to someone' and select a date and time that works best for you.
Email us: [email protected]
(www.bipolaruk.org.uk)
Carers UK
We provide an expert telephone advice and support service. You can talk to us, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks, and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.
Phone: 0808 808 7777 (Mon-Fri 9am until 6pm)
Email: [email protected]
Online forum: here
(https://www.carersuk.org/)
CALM
Our helpline is for people in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (5pm to midnight - 365 days a year)
(www.thecalmzone.net)
Shelter
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support, and legal services
England&Scotland phone number: 08088004444 (8am - 8pm on weekdays and 9am - 5pm weekends).
(https://www.shelter.org.uk/)
Wales phone number: 08000 495495 (9.30am – 4.00pm, Monday to Friday)
(https://sheltercymru.org.uk/)
For similar housing support in Ireland and NI: Ireland and Northern Ireland
Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
(www.mind.org.uk)
Mind Cymru: 0292-0395-123 (https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/mind-cymru/)
No Panic
Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia/OCD. Includes a helpline.
Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm)
(www.nopanic.org.uk)
OCD Action
Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.
Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5pm)
(www.ocdaction.org.uk)
OCD UK
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Phone: 0845 120 3778 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.ocduk.org)
PAPYRUS
HOPELINEUK is a confidential support and advice service for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or anyone concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide.
Phone: HOPElineUK 0800 068 4141 (9:00 am to 12:00 am midnight)
Text: 07860 039 967
Email: [email protected]
(www.papyrus-uk.org)
Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.rethink.org)
Samaritans
Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
(www.samaritans.org.uk)
SANE
Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30 to 10.30pm)
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: (http://www.sane.org.uk/textcare)
(www.sane.org.uk/supportforum)
(www.sane.org.uk/support)
YoungMinds
Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Phone: Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.youngminds.org.uk)
Veterans Gateway
The first point of contact for veterans seeking support. We put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.
Phone: 0808 802 1212 Text: 81212 Email: submit here Live chat: here
(https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/)
First Person Plural
First Person Plural (FPP) specialises in working for and on behalf of all those affected by Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and similar complex trauma-related dissociative identity conditions. These similar conditions include type 1 Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS), and a type of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) which is described as DID-like.
Phone: 01902810082 (if we do not pick up leave a message and we will contact you as soon as possible but this might not be for a few days as our office is not staffed everyday) Email: [email protected] Twitter: @DissociationFPP
LGBT+ helplines:
Switchboard LGBT
Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.
Phone: 03003300630 (Open 10:00-22:00 every day)
Email: [email protected]
MindlineTrans+
MindLine Trans+ is a confidential emotional, mental health support helpline for people who identify as Transgender, Agender, Gender Fluid, Non-binary..
Phone: 03003305468 (Mondays and Fridays from 8pm to midnight.)
Mermaids UK
Mermaids provides a helpline aimed at supporting transgender youth up to and including the age of 19, their families and professionals working with them.
Phone: 0808 801 0400 (Open Monday - Friday; 9am - 9pm)
Email: [email protected]
(https://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk)
Abuse helplines (child, sexual, domestic violence):
NSPCC
Children's charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
(www.nspcc.org.uk)
Refuge
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
(www.refuge.org.uk)
Women's Aid
Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Email: [email protected] Live chat: Our hours are Monday to Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-12:00pm. Here
Respect Men's advice line
The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them. We offer advice and emotional support to men who experience abuse, and signpost to other vital services that help keep them and their children safe.
Call: 0808 8010327 or visit: here
Respect phoneline
The Respect Phoneline is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are harming their partners and families. We provide specialist advice and guidance to help people change their behaviours and support for those working with domestic abuse perpetrators.
Call: 0808 8024040 or visit: here
Honour based abuse/violence, forced marriage and/or female genital mutilation helplines
Freedom Charity
We aim to empower young people to feel they have the tools and confidence to support each other and have practical ways in which they can help their best friend around the issues of family relationships which can lead to early and forced marriage and dishonour based violence
(https://www.freedomcharity.org.uk/)
Phone: 0845 607 0133 ; or text "4freedom"to 88802 (24-hour helpline)
Halo Project
Halo Project Charity is a national project that will support victims of honour-based violence, forced marriages and FGM by providing appropriate advice and support to victims. We will also work with key partners to provide required interventions and advice necessary for the protection and safety of victims.
Phone: 01642 683 045 (9am-5pm)
(https://www.haloproject.org.uk/)
Karma Nirvana
Karma Nirvana is an award-winning National charity supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Honour crimes are not determined by age, faith, gender or sexuality, we support and work with all victims
Phone: 0800 5999 247 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
(https://karmanirvana.org.uk/)
Addiction helplines (drugs, alcohol, gambling):
Alcoholics Anonymous
Phone: 0845 769 7555 (24-hour helpline)
(www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk)
Gamblers Anonymous
Phone: 0330 094 0322
(www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk)
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 0300 999 1212 (daily 10am to midnight)
(www.ukna.org)
Drugfam
Support for families, friends and partners affected by someone else’s addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Phone: 0300 888 3853
(https://www.drugfam.co.uk/)
Al-Anon UK&Eire
We are here for anyone affected by someone else's drinking. Our Helpline is manned by a team of friendly and helpful volunteers who are also members of Al-Anon. They will listen and be happy to answer your questions
Phone: 0800 0086 811 (10am-10pm, 365 days a year)
Email: [email protected]
Alzheimer's helpline:
Alzheimer's Society
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Phone: 0300 222 1122 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm. Weekends, 10am to 4pm)
(www.alzheimers.org.uk)
Bereavement helplines:
Cruse Bereavement Care
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
Email: [email protected]
CruseChat
(https://www.cruse.org.uk)
Blue Cross for pets
If you have lost, or are facing saying goodbye to, a much loved pet and need somebody to talk to, our Pet Bereavement Support Service is here for you every day from 8.30am – 8.30pm
Phone: 0800 096 6606
Email: [email protected]
The Compassionate Friends
The Compassionate Friends is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause
Phone: 0345 120 3785 (9:30am - 4:30pm Mon to Fri)
Email: [email protected]
Crime victims helplines:
Rape Crisis
To find your local services phone: 0808 802 9999 (daily, 12 to 2.30pm, 7 to 9.30pm)
(www.rapecrisis.org.uk)
Victim Support
Phone: 0808 168 9111 (24-hour helpline)
(www.victimsupport.org)
Eating disorders helpline:
Beat
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (adults) or 0808 801 0711 (for under-18s)
(www.b-eat.co.uk)
Learning disabilities helpline:
Mencap
Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.mencap.org.uk)
Parenting helpline:
Family Lives
Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). Please call us on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life. Our helpline service is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday and 10am-3pm Saturday and Sunday
Callers in Wales: If you would like to access this service in Welsh, find out how to request a call back here
Callers in Scotland: for callers from Scotland, Children 1st run Parentline Scotland and you may wish to contact them on 08000 28 22 33 Monday to Friday from 9am - 9pm.
Online chat: available 1:30pm-5:30pm every weekday excluding bank holidays here
Email: [email protected]
Online forum: here
(https://www.familylives.org.uk/)
Relationships helpline:
Relate
The UK's largest provider of relationship support.
(www.relate.org.uk)
Mental health resources:

• PohWER - English Advocacy service
  
• Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
  
• Advocacy Support Cymru
  
• Inspire - Northern Ireland advocacy service
  
• Prescription Prepayment Certificates
  
• UK Men's Shed Association Finder
  
• SelfHelp services
  
• StepChange Debt Charity
  
• Change Grow Live
  
• The Blurt Foundation
  
• Camerados
  
• BACP therapist directory
  
• Directory of Chartered Psychologists
  
• Free IAPT workbooks and resouces
  
• Free self help resources
  
• Free NHS self help booklets
  
• Free generalised resources from Australian gov website
  
• St John's Ambulance mental health first aid training courses
  
• Womens Wellbeing Club
  
• Andys Man Club
  
• Talk Club - talking and listening clubs for men
  
• Student's against Depression
  
• The Wholeness of Your Nature - The Little Yoga Nidra
  
• Discovery of Your Self - The Deep Yoga Nidra
  
• How to Meditate: Mantra
  
• How to Meditate: Body Scan
  
• Kooth - free, safe and anonymous community for children and young people to get support
  
• turn2us benefits support
  
• PaNDAS Foundation - Post Natal Depression awareness support
  
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance
  
• YANA - help for those in Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire involved in farming and other rural businesses affected by stress and depression
  
• Home Start UK - family support
  
• Family Action support services finder
  
• Mental Health Foundation
  
• The Masked AMHP blog
  
• NHS Every Mind Matters
  
• Hub of Hope
  
• Free online suicide awareness training
  
• UK support for self harm
  
• Mens Health Forum
  
• Bullying UK
  
• The Survivors Trust
  
• Naz and Matt Foundation
  
• Citzens Advice finder
  
• How to support mental health at work
  
• Mental health at work toolkit
  
• Reasonable adjustments at work explained
  
• Discrimination at work
  
• Mental health and the criminal justice system
  
• Different types of talking therapies
  
• Antipsychotics explained
  
• Antidepressants explained
  
• CMHTs explained
  
• Crisis teams explained
  
• Young person's guide to inpatient care
  
• Men and mental health
  
• Where to get urgent help for mental health
  
• The Mental Health Act
  
• Scottish Association for Mental Health
  
• The Lucy Rayner Foundation - Surrey
  
• Mary Frances Trust - Surrey
  
• Choice and medication
  
• Mental health apps library - NHS website
  
• Forward Carers, Carers Card - Birmingham
  

Here I will include a master post of UK mental health helplines/resources, feel free to message me directly if there is anything you would like me to add to this post.
Mental health helplines:
Shout
Shout is the UK’s first 24/7 text service, free on all major mobile networks, for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. We can help with urgent issues such as: suicidal thoughts, abuse or assault, self-harm, bullying and relationship challenges
Text Shout to 85258
(https://www.giveusashout.org/)
Mental Health Matters
Helpline for people with mental health problems, their carers, families and friends. The Team can offer emotional guidance and information and help people who may be feeling low, anxious or stressed or in extreme emotional distress and feel that there is nowhere else to turn. Support is also provided to people caring for another person and finding it difficult to cope. The service is confidential unless it is considered there is a risk to yourself or others. Webchat available 24/7
Phone: click here to find the different numbers for the geographical areas covered Email: [email protected]
Supportline
We offer confidential emotional support to children, young adults and adults by telephone, email and post. We work with callers to develop healthy, positive coping strategies, an inner feeling of strength and increased self esteem to encourage healing, recovery and moving forward with life.
Phone: 01708 765200 (hours variable - ring for details)
Email: [email protected]
The Silver Line
The Silver Line operates the only confidential, free helpline for older people across the UK that's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. We also offer telephone friendship where we match volunteers with older people based on their interests, facilitated group calls, and help to connect people with local services in their area.
Phone: 0800 4 70 80 90
Email: [email protected]
Breathing Space
A confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Phone: 0800 838587 (weekdays mon-thurs 6pm until 2am. Weekend Friday 6pm-Monday 6am)
(https://breathingspace.scot/)
C.A.L.L. Mental health helpline
Offers emotional support and information/literature on Mental Health and related matters to the people of Wales. Anyone concerned about their own mental health or that of a relative or friend can access the service. C.A.L.L. Helpline offers a confidential listening and support service.
Phone: 0800 132 737 or text help to 81066
(https://www.callhelpline.org.uk/)
Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you've been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
(www.anxietyuk.org.uk)
Bipolar UK
A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.
Peer support line: Arrange a call back from our Peer Support Line. Book in a call with our chatbot- simply type in 'I would like to speak to someone' and select a date and time that works best for you.
Email us: [email protected]
(www.bipolaruk.org.uk)
Carers UK
We provide an expert telephone advice and support service. You can talk to us, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks, and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.
Phone: 0808 808 7777 (Mon-Fri 9am until 6pm)
Email: [email protected]
Online forum: here
(https://www.carersuk.org/)
Shelter
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support, and legal services
England&Scotland phone number: 08088004444 (8am - 8pm on weekdays and 9am - 5pm weekends).
(https://www.shelter.org.uk/)
Wales phone number: 08000 495495 (9.30am – 4.00pm, Monday to Friday)
(https://sheltercymru.org.uk/)
For similar housing support in Ireland and NI: Ireland and Northern Ireland
CALM
CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)
(www.thecalmzone.net)
Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
(www.mind.org.uk)
No Panic
Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia/OCD. Includes a helpline.
Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm)
(www.nopanic.org.uk)
OCD Action
Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources.
Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 5pm)
(www.ocdaction.org.uk)
OCD UK
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Phone: 0845 120 3778 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.ocduk.org)
PAPYRUS
Young suicide prevention society.
Phone: HOPElineUK 0800 068 4141 (Mon to Fri,10am to 5pm & 7 to 10pm. Weekends 2 to 5pm)
(www.papyrus-uk.org)
Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.rethink.org)
Samaritans
Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
(www.samaritans.org.uk)
SANE
Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30 to 10.30pm)
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: (http://www.sane.org.uk/textcare)
(www.sane.org.uk/supportforum)
(www.sane.org.uk/support)
YoungMinds
Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Phone: Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544 (Mon to Fri, 9.30am to 4pm)
(www.youngminds.org.uk)
Veterans Gateway
The first point of contact for veterans seeking support. We put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.
Phone: 0808 802 1212 Text: 81212 Email: submit here Live chat: here
(https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/)
First Person Plural
First Person Plural (FPP) specialises in working for and on behalf of all those affected by Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and similar complex trauma-related dissociative identity conditions. These similar conditions include type 1 Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS), and a type of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) which is described as DID-like.
Phone: 01902810082 (if we do not pick up leave a message and we will contact you as soon as possible but this might not be for a few days as our office is not staffed everyday)
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @DissociationFPP
LGBT+ helplines:
Switchboard LGBT
Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone, by email and through Instant Messaging.
Phone: 03003300630 (Open 10:00-22:00 every day)
Email: [email protected]
MindlineTrans+
MindLine Trans+ is a confidential emotional, mental health support helpline for people who identify as Transgender, Agender, Gender Fluid, Non-binary..
Phone: 03003305468 (Mondays and Fridays from 8pm to midnight.)
Mermaids UK
Mermaids provides a helpline aimed at supporting transgender youth up to and including the age of 19, their families and professionals working with them.
Phone: 0808 801 0400 (Open Monday - Friday; 9am - 9pm)
Email: [email protected]
(https://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk)
Abuse helplines (child, sexual, domestic violence):
NSPCC
Children's charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Phone: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
(www.nspcc.org.uk)
Refuge
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Phone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
(www.refuge.org.uk)
Women's Aid
Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Email: [email protected] Live chat: Our hours are Monday to Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-12:00pm. Here
Respect Men's advice line
The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them. We offer advice and emotional support to men who experience abuse, and signpost to other vital services that help keep them and their children safe.
Call: 0808 8010327 or visit: here
Respect phoneline
The Respect Phoneline is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are harming their partners and families. We provide specialist advice and guidance to help people change their behaviours and support for those working with domestic abuse perpetrators.
Call: 0808 8024040 or visit: here
Honour based abuse/violence, forced marriage and/or female genital mutilation helplines
Freedom Charity
We aim to empower young people to feel they have the tools and confidence to support each other and have practical ways in which they can help their best friend around the issues of family relationships which can lead to early and forced marriage and dishonour based violence
(https://www.freedomcharity.org.uk/)
Phone: 0845 607 0133 ; or text "4freedom"to 88802 (24-hour helpline)
Halo Project
Halo Project Charity is a national project that will support victims of honour-based violence, forced marriages and FGM by providing appropriate advice and support to victims. We will also work with key partners to provide required interventions and advice necessary for the protection and safety of victims.
Phone: 01642 683 045 (9am-5pm)
(https://www.haloproject.org.uk/)
Karma Nirvana
Karma Nirvana is an award-winning National charity supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Honour crimes are not determined by age, faith, gender or sexuality, we support and work with all victims
Phone: 0800 5999 247 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
(https://karmanirvana.org.uk/)
Addiction helplines (drugs, alcohol, gambling):
Alcoholics Anonymous
Phone: 0845 769 7555 (24-hour helpline)
(www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk)
Gamblers Anonymous
Phone: 0330 094 0322
(www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk)
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: 0300 999 1212 (daily 10am to midnight)
(www.ukna.org)
Drugfam
Support for families, friends and partners affected by someone else’s addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Phone: 0300 888 3853
(https://www.drugfam.co.uk/)
Alzheimer's helpline:
Alzheimer's Society
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Phone: 0300 222 1122 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm. Weekends, 10am to 4pm)
(www.alzheimers.org.uk)
Bereavement helplines:
Cruse Bereavement Care
Phone: 0808 808 1677 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
Email: [email protected]
CruseChat
(https://www.cruse.org.uk)
Blue Cross for pets
If you have lost, or are facing saying goodbye to, a much loved pet and need somebody to talk to, our Pet Bereavement Support Service is here for you every day from 8.30am – 8.30pm
Phone: 0800 096 6606
Email: [email protected]
The Compassionate Friends
The Compassionate Friends is a charitable organisation of bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents dedicated to the support and care of other similarly bereaved family members who have suffered the death of a child or children of any age and from any cause
Phone: 0345 120 3785 (9:30am - 4:30pm Mon to Fri)
Email: [email protected]
Crime victims helplines:
Rape Crisis
To find your local services phone: 0808 802 9999 (daily, 12 to 2.30pm, 7 to 9.30pm)
(www.rapecrisis.org.uk)
Victim Support
Phone: 0808 168 9111 (24-hour helpline)
(www.victimsupport.org)
Eating disorders helpline:
Beat
Phone: 0808 801 0677 (adults) or 0808 801 0711 (for under-18s)
(www.b-eat.co.uk)
Learning disabilities helpline:
Mencap
Charity working with people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
Phone: 0808 808 1111 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm)
(www.mencap.org.uk)
Parenting helpline:
Family Lives
Advice on all aspects of parenting including dealing with bullying.
Phone: 0808 800 2222 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 9pm. Sat to Sun, 10am to 3pm)
(www.familylives.org.uk)
Relationships helpline:
Relate
The UK's largest provider of relationship support.
(www.relate.org.uk)
Mental health resources:

• PohWER - English Advocacy service
  
• Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
  
• Advocacy Support Cymru
  
• Inspire - Northern Ireland advocacy service
  
• Change Grow Live
  
• The Blurt Foundation
  
• Camerados
  
• BACP therapist directory
  
• Directory of Chartered Psychologists
  
• Free IAPT workbooks and resouces
  
• Free self help resources
  
• Free NHS self help booklets
  
• Free generalised resources from Australian gov website
  
• St John's Ambulance mental health first aid training courses
  
• Womens Wellbeing Club
  
• Andys Man Club
  
• Talk Club - talking and listening clubs for men
  
• Student's against Depression
  
• The Wholeness of Your Nature - The Little Yoga Nidra
  
• Discovery of Your Self - The Deep Yoga Nidra
  
• How to Meditate: Mantra
  
• How to Meditate: Body Scan
  
• Kooth - free, safe and anonymous community for children and young people to get support
  
• turn2us benefits support
  
• PaNDAS Foundation
  
• Mental Health Foundation
  
• The Masked AMHP blog
  
• NHS Every Mind Matters
  
• Hub of Hope
  
• Free online suicide awareness training
  
• UK support for self harm
  
• Mens Health Forum
  
• Bullying UK
  
• The Survivors Trust
  
• Naz and Matt Foundation
  
• Citzens Advice finder
  
• How to support mental health at work
  
• Mental health at work toolkit
  
• Reasonable adjustments at work explained
  
• Discrimination at work
  
• Mental health and the criminal justice system
  
• Different types of talking therapies
  
• Antipsychotics explained
  
• Antidepressants explained
  
• CMHTs explained
  
• Crisis teams explained
  
• Young person's guide to inpatient care
  
• Men and mental health
  
• Where to get urgent help for mental health
  
• The Mental Health Act
  
• Scottish Association for Mental Health