You have mentioned that you may be feeling stressed, anxious or low. See some suggestions below.

Your local library may have useful healthy reading material. Healthy reading can be helpful for people to overcome and cope with problems such as: anxiety, depression, stress, dementia, eating disorders, bereavement, panic.

For more information, please visit www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210562/libraries.

The Royal Voluntary Service is a volunteer led organisation that helps older people in the area. We provide individual support and their services include good neighbours and transport, a resource centre in Haddington, as well as befriending and social clubs. 

If you'd like to find out more or get in touch, please use the details below.

Contact information
Website: Royal Voluntary Service
Email: edinburghcityhub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Phone:  01875 811 011

The Samaritans offer a free and confidential helpline. You are able to talk to them any time you like, in your own way, and off the record, about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal. Please phone on 08457 90 90 90.

You may also be able to speak to someone face to face. If this is something you'd be interested in, please contact your local branch for further information. To find out more information and where your closest branch is, please visit www.samaritans.org/branches/.

CHANGES Community Health Project promotes the positive well-being of people living in East Lothian. If you feel you're not coping as well as you'd like and are looking for ways of moving forward, then CHANGES can help.

You can contact CHANGES Community Health Project by using the information below.

Contact information
Website: CHANGES
Email: info@changeschp.org.uk
Phone: 0131 653 3977

You can also contact your GP to discuss any feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood, and discuss a range of treatment options including referral to specialist services.

Associated materials

• Worcestershire mental health services

You have mentioned that you may be feeling stressed or anxious due to a recent life event or you are starting to lose interest in the things you once enjoyed.

Don’t keep this to yourself, try talking to your family or friends about this concern. You may find talking to someone would help.

CHANGES Community Health Project promotes the positive well-being of people living in East Lothian. If you feel you're not coping as well as you'd like and are looking for ways of moving forward, then CHANGES can help.

You can contact CHANGES Community Health Project by using the information below.

Contact information
Website: CHANGES
Email: info@changeschp.org.uk
Phone: 0131 653 3977

You can also contact your GP to discuss any feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood, as well as discuss a range of treatment options including referral to specialist services.

Associated materials

• Worcestershire mental health services

You have mentioned that you may be feeling low. Please don’t keep this to yourself, try talking to your family or friends about this concern.

CHANGES is a local community project that promotes well-being by providing one to one and group support and guidance. To get in contact with them, please use the information below.

Contact information
Website: CHANGES
Email: info@changeschp.org.uk
Phone: 0131 653 3977
Address: 108 Market Street, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 6QA

You can also find support from local social groups, such as ‘Men in Sheds’ and ‘She Sheds’. For more information about these groups, please contact Alistair Sim using the following details.

Contact information
Email: Alistair@strive.me.uk
Phone: 01875 615423

Other examples of local supports include walking and gentle exercise groups, organised through Ageing Well, East Lothian Council. Avril Mackenzie is the coordinator for Aging Well and can be contacted using the details below.

Contact information
Email: amckenzie@eastlothian.gov.uk
Phone: 01620 827240

Further information about supports, services and mental health information in East Lothian is available at Eastspace. To find out more, please follow the link here.

You can also contact your GP to discuss your low mood and treatment options available to you, including referral to specialist services.

Associated materials

• Worcestershire mental health services

If you have been feeling stressed or anxious as a result of your finances then there are local services which can help you.

The Welfare Benefits Team offers free, confidential information and advice on welfare rights and benefits. The service is available to anyone in East Lothian and can:

• help you to claim all of the benefits you are entitled to
• explain official welfare rights letters
• help you complete claim forms
• advise you on reviews and appeals
• represent you at social security appeals tribunals

There are also free drop-in surgeries, details of which can be found below.

• Dunbar: The Bleachingfield Centre, Countess Crescent, Dunbar, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays each month, 2.00pm to 4.00pm
• Haddington: Court Street Entrance to John Muir House, Thursday, 2.00pm to 4.00pm
• Musselburgh: Brunton Hall, Wednesdays, 10.00am to 12.00pm
• North Berwick: North Berwick Library, School Road, 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month, 2.00pm to 4.00pm
• Prestonpans: Aldhammer House, 1st and 3rd Thursday each month, 10.00am to 12.00pm
• Tranent: George Johnstone Centre, Tranent, 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, 10.00am to 12.00pm

To find out more about the Welfare Rights Team or to get in touch, please use the details below. 

Contact information
Website: Welfare Rights Service
Phone: 0131 653 5230

The Citizens Advice Bureaus in Musselburgh and Haddington provide information and advice including:

• welfare benefits entitlement
• debt problems
• how to manage your money and maximise your income
• consumer rights and how to get the service you’re entitled to
• employment problems including redundancy
• dismissal
• retirement
• parental entitlement rights
• contractual changes
• housing issues (homelessness, neighbour problems)
• legal and relationship issues
• tax problems (including council tax)
• utility problems
• immigration and nationality problems

To find out more, please get in touch with the Citizens Advice bureau nearest to you, details of which can be found below. 

Contact information

Website: Musselburgh Citizens Advice Bureau
Email: info@musselburghcab.casonline.org.uk
Phone: 0131 653 2748
Address: 141 High Street, Musselburgh EH21 7DD
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10.00am to 12.30pm (drop in), Monday to Wednesday 1.30pm to 4.00pm (drop in), Thursday and Friday pm (Specialist Appointments)

Website: Haddington Citizens Advice Bureau
Email: cab@haddingtoncab.casonline.org.uk
Phone: 01620 824471
Address: 44a-46 Court Street, Haddington EH41 3NP
Opening hours: mornings Monday to Friday 10.00am to 12.30pm (drop in and appointments), afternoons Monday to Friday 1.30pm to 4pm (appointments only)

Legal Clinic (LawWorks Scotland): Every second Tuesday 5.30pm - 7.30pm - Appointment only after referral from CAB Adviser.

There is also the Carers of East Lothian, which is a  financial inclusion project that supports carers and the people they care for to understand their financial options and to claim the benefits they are entitled to.

If you'd like to get in touch, then please use the details below.

Contact information
Website: Carers of East Lothian
Email: centre@coel.org.uk
Phone: 0131 665 0135