No Panic is the National Self-Help Organisation offering support for those people who suffer from Panic Attacks, Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders and other related anxiety disorders within their own community and within their own home. No Panic is 95% user led both within outside the management of the organsiation. No Panic is a totally voluntary Charity who’s aims are to aid the relief and rehabilitation of those people suffering general anxiety disorders. No Panic provides a confidential help-line from 10am to 10pm every day staffed by trained volunteers. No Panic provides a nighttime anxiety crisis line from 10pm through till 10am. No Panic provides drop in centres on a regular basis. No Panic uniquely provides telephone recovery groups and one to one telephone mentoring. No Panic provides up to date literature, books, audio and videocassettes and CD’s relevant to the illness. The current membership is approaching 3,000 throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and we also have some European members and some International members who subscribe. Each enquiry receives a free information pack and an opportunity to join. Membership includes access to all our services, bi-monthly newsletter. Telephone conferencing eliminates boundaries. Last year the help-line took 25,000 calls to its help-line.

Colin Hammond together with his wife Marion set up the organisation No Panic in 1991 from the front room of their home. From 1991 until the present day there home and their life has been dedicated to the aims of aiding the relief for anxiety sufferers and their carers. The organisation was founded in the belief and knowledge as a user and carer of the services they could help others understand how they can overcome their fears and anxieties and learn to help themselves. Colin was monophonic and agoraphobic and Marion was his carer. Together they felt that they had some knowledge of what was needed. Previously both Colin and Marion had worked for the NHS in the health service. The Charity was initially aimed to serve the County of Shropshire. During the first year the help-line took some 273 calls some eleven years later that number has escalated to well in excess of 25,000 calls. From the first year the Charity became a national organisation very quickly realising the needs of the anxiety sufferers out there were not adequately being met. No Panic grew by responding to need. No Panic started with a membership of less than ten and now has in excess of 2,800 members. The first three volunteers now extend throughout the Country and boast a total of seventy eight. The help-line which runs from 10am in the morning until 10pm at night is now followed by ‘an anxiety crisis line’ a simple message a recording from Margaret a volunteer who takes you through your particular crisis and encourages you to listen to her message. How to breathe properly, how to cope until the morning and gradually and calmly Margaret helps you get through till morning. No Panic is proud that it started off some eleven years ago being ahead of its time as a user led organisation and remains the same today. With Colin Hammond at the helm No Panic has gone from strength to strength providing, tapes, literature, self help material, telephone conferencing recovery groups, written recovery programmes and much more. All of the initiatives have come from the expertise within the organisation. The newsletter that is sent out bi-monthly to all of our members continues to be edited by Marion Hammond and the Birthday and Christmas cards sent to every member are still co-ordinated by Marion.

Quality and innovation - rural, high rise from Newcastle to Cornwall reaching out to people in their community.

The help-line is now just 30% of the overall work of the Charity. The story unfolds of the desire to actually do more than just offer a help-line to those in need. All the service provision is service user led.

Do you live in a rural area then this No Panic recovery programmes can help you. Do you live in an urban area (high rise block) and feel cut off from life outside your home - then No Panic recovery groups can help you. Distance - no problem Anonymity - no problem from next door to two hundred miles away.

A programme to suit everyone in particular minority groups. With the advancement of technology the emergence of possibilities for the future.

The dream, wanting to help more.

The reality, offering services to meet that need.

Let us concentrate on the advancements of this very young charity - on the charities influence on developments and achievements world wide.

The workshop will focus on how this can be achieved and be beneficial in your own peer group.

It should set you thinking.

If we get it right you could improve communication for just one person or one group in your particular area of expertise.

Telephone Recovery Groups - What, Why and Where plus Cost!

Who will benefit from the course?
The course is to help all anxiety disorder sufferers overcome their fear.

What time does the course take what commitment from me does it involve?
It is a basic 14 week, one hour per week, telephone course.

When will it take place?
At cheap rate telephone times, usually in the evenings, national rates apply.

Why is it important?
Because you want to get better and because you don’t have or can’t get to a local group.

What will the cost be?
Nothing except for the cost of a one-hour telephone call per week from your home to a ‘Community Network’ teleconference facility in London. Each course will run for a 14 week period, however, it can be extended to meet the needs of the course members.

The course is designed to help people who suffer with Phobias, Panic Attacks, O.C.D. and General Anxiety disorders, make steps, along the road to recovery. People who care for sufferers may also like to participate in the course in order to help their ‘sufferer’ get better by getting a better knowledge of the recovery methods. The courses use cognitive/behaviour therapy as the basis for recovery. Whilst no therapy guarantees success this method has, at the present time, the highest success rate. You will be expected to face up to your fear on a step by step basis but, we do not plan to throw you into your worst scenario and let you sink or swim. The progress you make will depend on the amount of effort you are prepared to put in, NO PAIN NO GAIN. You will also be expected to read one section of the manual each week prior to each weekly teleconference. Don't leave it until the last minute prior to each session, you will not benefit as much if you do. If you do not feel ready or able to give it a go, please don’t waste your time and ours by taking the course as there are others waiting who do feel ready and able.

The course takes place on the telephone using a ‘Community Network’ teleconference facility. This system enables a group of people to talk to each other, as though sitting around a table. Each group has a trained group leader who will guide the group through the course. The first week will normally be an ‘introductory’ session and this enables people to get used to the ‘teleconference’ concept, to get to know the other members of the group, to ask any relevant questions and to fully understand what is expected of them.

During the course, members of the group will be offered the chance to continue as a self-facilitating befriending group for as long as the group so wishes and your group leader will explain how this works. If only a few members of a group wish to continue then it is possible to amalgamate groups together into one viable group. Members of the group will decide the frequency of meetings of their befriending group. If you have any questions about this concept please ask your group leader.

Anyone about to undertake exposure therapy who may have other health problems is advised to check things out with their G.P. in order to ensure that the anxiety experienced during exposure therapy is not detrimental to their health.

If you would like more information about these courses please ring our telephone Groups Co-ordinator, on 01952 590005.