Mental Health Resources
Including Psychiatric Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Cognitive or Developmental Disabilities, Psychological Disorders and Addictions
updated February, 2008
For non-emergency information, please scroll down
Do You Need Help Now?? Update: We have a new page specifically for women with disabilties in crises. It is still in progress so, some of the below information is not there yet, but other information is. Go to the Crisis Help Page
If you are thinking seriously about suicide, it is recommended that you seek help in person, or at least, on the telephone, not on the internet. We have some resource pages listed below where you can find such help.
To talk to a volunteer samaritan, write to jo@samaritans.org The Samaritans have branches worldwide
Young people can call the Covenant House Nine Line for confidential counseling, and referrals if they are suicidal, running away, or have any other problems they need to talk about, toll - free 1-800-999-9999
General Resources
NAMI: the National Association for the Mentally Ill is the largest organization in the United States devoted to protecting the rights of people whose lives are affected by serious mental illnesses. They do direct advocacy work to help individuals as well as providing information, referrals, education, and public policy advocacy
Resource Center on Discrimination and Stigma this is a website from the National Mental Health Service Center of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services that provides information on addressing the stigma against people with mental illnesses
Developmental, Neurological and Learning Disabilities:
The ARC is a large organization in the U.S. that works for children and adults with cognitive, developmental and intellectual disabilities. They have branches in many areas of the United States and do great advocacy work
ADDvance is a resource site for women and girls with ADD or ADHD including articles, resources, and information about a National Center for Gender Issues and ADHD
CHADD: Children and Adults with ADD is a large organization in the United States with a website that has research and interactive forums. CHADD also has a national call center now: 1-800-233-4050
ADHD: Taking Control Through Knowledge is a site by Brandi Valentine which links to many email lists for people with ADHD and their family members, has a collection of articles, a newsletter and advice on dealing with ADHD
Tourette's Syndrome "Plus" is a large website addressing both Tourette's Syndrome and many related other conditions which may occur along with Tourrette's, including ADHD, mood disorders, obsessions and compulsions, sleep disorders, and more
OCD Links a collection of links on information, medication, entertainment, etc.
Autism Spectrum Disorders on Autism, Asperger's Syndrome and "spectrum disorders", also called on this site "oops, wrong planet syndrome"
General Self-Help, Support Groups, Treatment, etc:
Healthy Place.Com is a large, excellent site on mental health. It includes online journals (you can create one), newsletters, forums, chat rooms and moderated chat events. Some chat rooms are specifically for abuse survivors and people with Dissociative Identity Disorder
Recovery, Inc. has support groups for people with a variety of mental illnesses and problems. They operate under the idea that there are "no hopeless cases".
Depression
Wings of Madness: A Depression Guide is a large website with informative articles, articles based on personal experience, information on joining usenet groups, ICQ chat and message boards, and other resources. One section is specifically related to women. This site has been online for several years and is quite large.
Andrew's Depression Site is not specifically for women but it is one of the most comprehensive sites on depressive disorders that I have come across
Eating Disorders
The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders is the most comprehensive ED site on the web. It has lists of treatment providers, a wealth of helpful information, chat rooms and organized chats, and many message boards. Anyone who has an eating disorder should visit the memorial page for women who have not made it; this can remind you why you need to fight for your health.
Hugs International is an organization with resources and information on non-dieting "for people seeking a lifestyle without diets"
Size Wise give you information on how to have a healthy life at any size
The Real Women Project celebrates the diverse beauty of women and offers a different outlook on women's bodies from the socially enforced one we often see
Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention is an excellent U.S. organization that started national Eating Disorders Awareness Week and is dedicated to the prevention of eating disorders, unlike any other organization in this country
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
The Alcoholics Anonymous international web site is in English, French, and Spanish and can give you listings of support groups wherever you are.
Adult Children of Alcoholics also has an international site with listings of groups for adults dealing with the effects of having alcoholic parents.
Alanon is another twelve-step groups for people in relationships with alcoholics and the web site also lists Alateen groups for teenagers with alcoholic parents.
Self Mutilation (Self Injury, Self Harm, Cutting, etc.)
Secret Shame: Self Injury Information and Support is one of the few web sites in existence on self mutilation, although this addictive act is not uncommon, especially among abuse survivors. This site offers a chat room and the Bodies Under Seige email list for support.
SAFE Alternatives is a treatment program for self-injury. Their web site apppears to be gone.. You can call toll-free: 1-800-DONT-CUT
Trauma, Dissociation, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma Central by Hope E. Morrow, MA, MFT, CTS is most likely one of the most comprehensive resources for trauma information of any kind on the web. Just about everything you can imagine related to trauma is here, including extensive articles on
The National Center for PTSD is and excellent source of articles on many topics related to PTSD in children, adolescents, and adults who have gone through various types of trauma. It is also home of the PILOTS database, which is said to be the largest collection of PTSD research in the world, and you can search it online.
Sidran is an organization located in Lutherville, MD that provides information on traumatic memories, dissociation, PTSD and related issues on it's web site and through mail-order.
The Wounded Healer Journal has forums online for survivors of traumatic experiences, including, but not limited to, child abuse. There are many forums on specific topics related to abuse. The website also has a huge number of articles and related links.
Many Voices is a print newsletter on trauma and dissociation. The web site has information and sample articles.
WeRMany has chat rooms, message forums, and many articles for people with dissociative disorders
Mosaic Minds is a site with many forums for people with Dissociative Identity Disorder and for those who care about them
The Gathering Place is a very creative site on DID created by someone who does not consider it to be a disorder
Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder:
Schizophrenia.com is a very thorough site with blogs by people with Schizophrenia, message boards for mental health consumers, family and friends, and research information
Anxiety, Panic, Personality "Disorders", and other problems
Kathi's Mental Health Review has clinical information and advice on Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and other personality disorders (please note I personally am not endorsing any of this information; most of these "disorders" are always the result of abuse)
