There are many questions that you can find embarrassing to ask when growing up. There are also many changes that happen as you grow and become an adult that can affect you physically and mentally. These facts are why The Mix is so helpful and needed by young people.
The Mix is a UK based digital charity for young people aged 13 to 25. That wants to help young people by providing information and support by connecting you to your peers and experts who can give you support.
The Mix wants to support you by taking on any embarrassing problems, weird questions, and thoughts you don’t want to say aloud through their digital and phone services.
Their vision is that “all young people should be able to make informed choices about their physical and mental wellbeing to help them live better lives.” With this vision in mind, their mission is to become the first thing young people think about when seeking help or information.
How does The Mix provide support?
The Mix can support young people by providing them with services and connecting them with other people or places that can offer more support.
They want you to know that you can reach out for any of their services whether you want a quick chat or a more in-depth discussion.
However, if you are having suicidal thoughts or feel like you want to take your life, please contact emergency services immediately. You can also contact other specialised helplines like the Samaritans or HopeLine UK. If you are suffering abuse, contact Childline or Samaritans, depending on your age, for more specialised support.
The Mix provides five support services for you when you need someone to talk to and want support.
Helpline
The Mix Helpline is for those between the ages of 13 to 25. Who wants to talk to someone confidentially for free about their troubles and try to find solutions to them. Whether that be strategies to help you in your everyday life or helping you find more focused specialised support like therapy.
The helpline is open seven days a week from 4 pm to 11 pm.
This helpline is suitable for those who wish to talk to someone but do not like to speak Face-to-Face or are busy with work, school, etc., from morning until evening.
The helpline is not suitable for those who do not wish to speak with someone over the phone or have no privacy when talking on the phone.
Counselling
The counselling service The Mix provides is meant for those who need or want short-term help with their mental health and emotional wellbeing. The counsellors aim to support you by listening to your problems and helping you find ways to cope. While at the same time being non-judgemental and keeping what you say confidential.
Counselling sessions can usually help with issues such as:
- Lack of confidence
- Feelings of depression or sadness
- Exploring issues like your sexual or gender identity
- A relationship breakdown or bereavement
- Understanding your problems and yourself better
- Stress/anxiety
- Dealing with issues that are stopping you from achieving your ambitions
The Mix offers up to eight counselling sessions, around 50 minutes long each.
The Mix’s counselling service can be done by telephone or web chat but is only available to young people aged 13 to 25.
One to One Chat
The One-to-One chat service lets you message a trained helpline supporter live about anything that is causing concern or troubling you.
The Mix trains their team of Helpline supporters to help you explore your situation and provide direction that can help you, like finding other organisations that can help you further. This service is non-judgemental and confidential so that you can discuss anything troubling you.
The One-to-One chat is open seven days a week from 4 pm to 11 pm.
The Email service allows you to contact the helpline anytime you want for information but depending on when you send the email, it can take 24 hours to get a response. When using the email service, you are asked to give personal information so the supporter can better help you.
The email services are confidential, and the supporters are non-judgemental, so you can ask whatever you want or need to without being embarrassed. This service is especially good for those who feel it easier to write down what they think or feel. As well as those who dislike or can’t speak on the phone or Face to Face.
Crisis Messenger
This Crisis messenger service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is delivered in partnership with Shout and Crisis Text Line.
You should contact the Crisis Messenger service if you are worried about how you are feeling or can’t cope.
After contacting the trained volunteer using the Crisis messenger, they will introduce themselves, think about what you have said and invite you to share more if comfortable.
The volunteer will ask questions, let you share your thoughts and feelings and then respond with support. This process will help you understand and sort out your feelings. Which will help you calm down, feel safe and be comfortable.
If you or the volunteer believes you need more support. They may provide some signposting to other services that either The Mix or partner organisations offer to receive more support.
The Mix’s crisis text line could help with urgent issues such as:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Self-harm
- Bullying
- Relationship breakdown
- Abuse or assault
How else does The Mix help?
The Mix helps young people with their services. However, they also help by providing them with information on their website and a supportive community of their peers.
By providing information, The Mix can promote awareness of how some situations can affect your mental and emotional wellbeing. Awareness can help decrease the potential risks of some situations.
The Group Chat and Discussion Board that The Mix provides on their website helps form a community for young people. The Mix’s Community helps young people give and receive support from others in similar situations to themselves.
Confidentiality at The Mix
The Mix keeps what you say between you and Them. So, all their services are confidential. However, The Mix can break this confidentiality, and they will contact other agencies if:
- They believe your or someone else’s life is in danger.
- They believe you are harming someone else.
- Their staff, services, volunteers, or organisation are threatened.
- Their staff or volunteer believe, or you have told them, you are being seriously harmed by someone in a position of trust who can harm other young people, like a teacher, sports coach, police officer, doctor, or religious leader.
The Mix also legally have to share information if:
- They receive information about terrorist activity that has taken place or will occur. That information will be shared with the police.
- Legal action is taken to request information, such as legal action taken through the Data Protection Act or during criminal investigations.
If you need help and are under 19, contact Childline. For those 19 or over who need support, contact either your GP, a therapist, counselling service or a mental health charity.