While meditation can help with a wide range of things like anxiety, depression and stress, it cannot replace professional help and advice. And sometimes during meditation, sitting with experiences can trigger a trauma response within the body or exacerbate existing problems.
If you are experiencing distress or discomfort you are not meditating wrong or badly.
If a situation does arise during a class, do speak to a member of the team and we can do our best to help. However while some people leading classes at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre are trained in Mental Health First Aid, we are not set up to give professional support around this and would strongly advise people reaching out to other services which may be able to help.
If things have reached crisis point, and you need help for dealing with suicidal thoughts, see this page.
Important: Is your life in danger right now?
If you have seriously harmed yourself – for example, by taking a drug overdose – or you feel that you may be about to harm yourself, call 999 for an ambulance or go straight to A&E, or ask someone else to do this on your behalf.
For other general mental health support:
LIVING WELL CONSORTIUM
Free mental health across Birmingham and Solihull
W: livingwellconsortium.com/
T:0121 663 1217
MIND T: 0121 262 3555 Text: 86463
E: info@mind.org.uk
legal line (mental health related law) 0300 4666463
CALM (campaign against living miserably)
T: 080058 5858 W: thecalmzone.net
CRUSE Bereavement support T: 08088 081677
BSWA Birmingham Solihull Women’s Aid
T: 0808 800 0028 W: BSWAID.org
ANAWIM
support for women in Birmingham regarding wellbeing, relationships, finances, housing
T: 01214405296 W: anawim.co.uk