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EMERGENCY - What to do in crisis situations.
Generic content loaned from MissYourMum.com. My thanks to them.

If any of the things here apply to you, please do not ignore them:

If you suspect you may be pregnant
If you have sex with no contraception
If you have any concerns about a physical or mental health problem
If you receive an eviction notice
If you have debts you can't pay
If you are the victim of a crime
If you are being threatened
If you feel you can't cope with life

If any of these happen to you, please do seek help as soon as possible.

If you suspect you may be pregnant OR If you have sex with no contraception:

Call the family planning association on 020 7837 4044 who can tell you your nearest family planning clinic for tests or contraception. They can also give you the facts on your situation.
Visit your GP or ask your pharmacist for advice.
If it is a weekend and you have had unprotected sex you need to visit a pharmacy or A&E for the morning-after pill (within 72 hours, but the sooner it is taken the better it works). A&E may be daunting but once you have been seen at reception they will probably send you straight to a quiet area or ward to wait for the duty gynaecologist - you shouldn't have to wait with the other patients.

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If you have any concerns about a physical or mental health problem:

Call NHS direct if you can't ask your doctor - you can call anonymously. Call 0845 46 47. There is also another national Health Information Service, on 0800 665544.
Do not rely on information you find on the internet - it is easy to find information from people telling their story of a worst case scenario, it's likely that your situation is much better than this!
Go to your GP. He has your medical records and is the best person to consult in the first instance.
Make sure you do take the bull by the horns. Whatever condition you think you have, early diagnosis is very important!

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If you receive an eviction notice:

You need to pay attention to it! Contact your landlord and find out whether there is a way of resolving the situation or whether you can get an extension to the deadline.
It may be worth asking your university adviser for help.
Make sure that the tenancy agreement you have allows your landlord to evict you on the date he has given, and if not seek legal advice (see our separate page on legal aid).

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If you have debts you can't pay:

Dont panic. Let your creditor(s) know you will have problems with repayment.
Ask for deferment. Utility bills can usually be deferred twice within a year provided they are then paid on the date you have given. Other debts may be deferred.
Ask your creditors (in writing) to freeze the interest on the debts. They should be prepared to do this. It is not in either party's interest for them to increase a debt faster than you can repay it.
Prioritise. Work out what must be paid promptly (e.g. rent), what can be deferred or repaid gradually, and what you can cut back on (e.g. mobile phone usage).
In all correspondence with any of your creditors be sure to take copies of letters and to make notes of what was said and to whom. This includes notes of all phone conversations.
Get self-help advice - ask your local council if they have an advice centre, or see the CAB's site, here, or consult your university adviser.
Work out your balance sheet to see what you can afford to pay - see our page on how to do this, here.
When you know how much you can pay towards your debts regularly, write to all your creditors with your balance sheet and repayment proposal.
You should repay your debts proportionately, so for every pound you pay towards a debt of £10 you should pay ten pounds towards a debt of £100.
If your creditors won't accept your proposal for repayment and threaten to take you to court, don't worry . A court cannot make you pay more than you can afford, so as long as your proposal for repayment is reasonable, your creditors should accept that, and so should a court if they don't.

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If you are the victim of a crime:

Let someone know. Dont suffer on your own. Tell a friend.
Go to the police. They may not be able to solve the crime but you will need a crime reference number if you have any loss you need to claim on insurance.
Letting the police know may help them solve existing crimes.
Even if you don't feel you can talk to the police, victim support can be very helpful. It is worth getting in touch with them for practical advice. See their site, here.
If the crime involves any other members of your university, or took place on university grounds, make sure you let the university welfare officer know.

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If you are being threatened:

Tell someone - this is half the battle won. Threats only work if you keep them to yourself.
Get some moral support, and make sure if there is a relevant authority you can contact, you explain the situation to them (depends who is threatening you).
Dont give in. That is exactly what the perpetrator wants. If he felt he was in the right he wouldnt need to threaten you.
If the situation is severe, talk to the police for advice.

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If you feel that you can't cope with life:

Talk to someone. Even if you are not religious vicars are good at talking about things.
Call the Samaritans on 08457 909090.
Try calling your university nightline for a chat.
Tell your GP. There may be a medical reason for the way you feel.
Your university counsellor can help you think things through.

Whatever happens please remember:

You are not alone, there are people that want to help you.
The sooner you get help, the sooner things can begin to get better.
Dont worry. You are not the first to need help!
You can usually get help anonymously. You can get things like AIDS tests, pregnancy tests and emergency contraception anonymously by being given a reference number instead of giving your name. If you call for help, you can always use an alias if you prefer - it does not have to be logged and no one will know.

So please give these organisations a call if you are in any doubt.

Also it is very important that if you suffer with any adverse situation like these listed, or a bereavement, shortage of money or anything else that affects you, LET YOUR COLLEGE KNOW! They can help you get help, and can ask for your situation to be taken into consideration against your exam results. Do not wait for your results before you let them know - they need to know before they mark your papers, even if you don't think your results will be particularly affected.

If the number you need is not here please try our useful numbers page, here.
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