survivors manchester

Online Support & Apps

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Research informs us that there is a disparity between the health of men and women in the UK. Men are not accessing GP Surgeries, healthcare services and mental health provisions as much as women are, and its certainly not that men are any healthier then their female counterparts!

Like many others, we believe that the pressure society puts on men to behave and act in a certain way, to suppress emotions and not show their true feelings, and to keep that ‘stiff upper lip’ all goes someway to explain this disparity. It simply perpetuates the verbal silence and often silent suffering of men – especially as victims of sexual abuse and rape.

We Are Survivors was established in order to support male survivors of sexual abuse and rape in Manchester, regardless of when or where the abuse took place. In this section, we would like to detail the different types of support available and how you can access our services.

Staying Safe Online:

Staying safe is important, especially online. Maybe you don’t want anyone to know your looking at this site at the moment. So in order to help you cover your tracks, we have provided you with some useful information on how to cover your tracks online.

Social Networking:

In order for you to be able to engage with us in a way that you feel most comfortable and safe with, not only do we have this site but we can also be found on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

Click on a logo below to open the relevant site of your choice a new window.

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Our Facebook Page is packed full of information on our goings-on, what we’re up to and news and information. Click to ‘like us’!

twitter

Our Twitter feed will tell you what we thinking, follow what we’re doing, and generally get to know us. Getting to know us a bit more will help you build up your confidence and allow us to gain your trust so that when the time comes that you feel you want to engage and connect, you can do it a lot more easily.

Email Support:

Sometimes just writing down how you feel can be a huge step towards healing. Showing someone else what you’ve written is an even bigger step, its speaking out. However, we can feel like we don’t know who to turn to or maybe we will be judged if people hear what’s really going on for us.

To give you the ability to have someone listen to you without fear of judgement, we have set up an Email Support Service so you can: contact us, get some advice, as a question, read your words, and maybe begin a discussion. If you don’t want us to reply then just say. Remember, you are in control of this contact and we will respond in whatever way you want us to.

Email us at: [email protected]

We make a solid commitment to answer all emails within 24 hours.

Other Male Specific Sites

Across the world, there are a small number of well designed and researched websites specifically for male survivors and those that support them. Whilst we can never guarantee the safety of any other site, the following is a list of sites of organisations we know and are professionally moderated.

UK Websites

The National Male Survivor website, managed by Male Survivors Partnership, is a central point of reference for services working with boys and men affected by sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation in the UK. The website holds information on local support services across the UK in it’s Directory of Services, which is broken down into regions to ensure ease of access. It also has the latest NHS Self Help Books that you can download and challenges the myths by presenting the facts.

Male Survivors Partnership

USA Wesbites

An innovative US based site
supporting male survivors of
sexual abuse.

1 in 6

International survivor organisation
providing message board support
for men.

Male Survivor

International survivor web-based organisation providing support to men and women.

Pandoras Project

Canada Wesbites

Canadian organisation supporting male survivors of sexual abuse.

Men & Healing

Australia Websites

Well researched Australian website for male survivors.

Living Well

New Zealand

Building a sustainable network in New Zealand.

Male Survivors Aotearoa

Crisis Support

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You know, if you feel in crisis and need to talk to someone then you can always call the Samaritans on 116 123 (24hrs) or in an emergency please dial 999 for free. There is always someone at the end of the phone that can and will help and although it may feel like it, your never on your own! Pick up the phone and reach out, please don’t suffer in silence

Here at We Are Survivors, we recognise that the world has changed and the way some people seek support has changed. In a world that wants access to information 24-7 and mobile technology making this possible, apps have become part and parcel of everyday life.

So imagine our excitement when Dr Gary Foster and our friends across the water in Australia developed the Living Well App.

Living Well App

The Living Well App has been specifically designed by Living Well to assist men who have been sexually abused in childhood. We know that childhood sexual abuse can have a profound impact on men’s lives and relationships. However, we also know that men who have been sexually abused can live rich, full lives, develop healthy relationships and make positive contributions within our communities.

This App is designed to compliment, not replace, the work of a qualified health care professional (see Terms and Conditions below) such as a counsellor, psychotherapist, doctor, emotional support worker, etc; and please do contact your doctor or a health care practitioner if you are concerned for your own or another person’s mental well-being.

Provided here are practical resources and suggestions that men who have been sexually abused can make use of. The information and resources draw upon research evidence and practice knowledge to offer suggestions that can enhance well being and help better manage difficulties.

Living Well encourage you to share information and strategies. The app is designed to be useful for partners, family members, friends and health care professionals – for anyone looking to enhance their understanding and personal well being.

This App is divided logically into eight sections:

  • Well-being
  • Assessment
  • Learning
  • Managing Difficulties
  • Time2Breathe
  • Support
  • Blog
  • Settings
app-support-iphone

We Are Survivors has tried and tested it and our CEO is himself, a user of it. So we extend Living Well’s invite to you to check it out – work your way through the App and become familiar with what each section has to offer. The Well-being section is a good place to start and make regular use of. Also check out the Living Well website.

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Stakeholders and Funders

Helpline: 0808 800 5005

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