Taking responsibility for your own health rather than expecting your parents or carers to sort things out is a sign of becoming an adult. This means thinking about things like diet and how your lifestyle affects your health and how you feel.
One way to keep your body and mind fit is by doing exercise. Once you leave school there will be nobody to make you do sports or keep fit. There are many ways to keep fit - swimming, step-aerobics and wheelchair sports – so you should be able to find one that you enjoy.
As well as exercising regularly, you should keep in touch with any therapists you see and visit your dentist regularly for checkups. If you have any health worries at all you should see your doctor (GP) who will refer you to someone else if they can't help.
You can get help with medical problems from the National Health Service (NHS), through your doctor, your dentist or the local hospital, private agencies and from voluntary organisations. Help from voluntary organisations may include advice, self-help groups, money or equipment.
If you're getting benefits or you're on a low income you can get:
- free dental treatment
- free prescriptions
- free eyesight tests and vouchers for glasses
- free wigs, boots or other appliances
- transport to and from a hospital
If you need to speak to someone else about a special problem, your doctor can put you in touch with many other services including:
- a doctor who knows more about your problem (a consultant)
- physiotherapist
- speech and language therapist
- occupational therapist
- dietician
- chiropodist
- counsellor
- genetic counselling centre
- continence adviser
- community nurse
- health visitor
You can also contact many of them yourself. You can get their address from your doctor, the local hospital or the phone book. You can contact your dentist direct.
Before you reach 16 you may sometimes be allowed to say no to treatment or get medical help without asking your parents if you can show you understand what it will mean to say yes or no to treatment. Your doctor should not tell other people things you have said to him or her in private unless you agree. That can include talking about and getting contraceptives.
It is against the law to take 'recreational drugs' no matter what age you are. If you are worried about any aspect of drugs you can phone the National Drugs Helpline on 0800 776600 or Release on 020 7729 5255.
If you’re worried about anything or want some help finding out information you can talk to one of our Additional Needs Personal Adviser.
Sensoryworld
Find information about nutrition along with an online nutrition planner that you can use to plan your meals and shopping.
Young Minds
YoungMinds is the national charity committed to improving the mental health of all children and young people.
SNAP - Directory of Organisations
The directory is guide of useful contacts to point both parents and professionals in the right direction in order that they are able to give the best possible help to the children.
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