Health, wellbeing and relationships

Creating and maintaining good relationships can help combat loneliness, stress, and anxiety. People with healthy, positive, and supportive relationships are more likely to be happier and healthier. Your relationship with yourself is just as important.

Navigating this can be tricky for everyone, but advice and support are available.

Healthy relationships

We need to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. To create a healthy relationship, we need to balance:

• respect
• compromise
• honesty
• trust
• communication
• individuality

This YouTube video looks at what makes a relationship healthy.

The Teen Health website for 11 to 19-year-olds has guidance to support your understanding of relationships.

The ​NHS Every Mind Matters website has relationship guidance, including:​

• ways to build a healthy relationship with yourself​
• ways to build healthy relationships with others​
• tips on managing stress and anxiety in relationships​
• how to deal with relationship conflicts​
• how to leave an unhealthy relationship​
• LGBTQIA+ relationships 

The Mencap website talks about sexuality and relationships for people with learning disabilities.

Stay safe

The Childline guidance includes what to do if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe in a relationship.

This YouTube video discusses what you can do when a friendship becomes harmful.

Teenage Helpline provides advice about healthy and safe relationships.

Love Life helps young people with learning disabilities understand things like:

• feelings​
• privacy and setting boundaries​
• friendship​
• different kinds of love​
• online safety​

Health and wellbeing

Oxfordshire Youth is a charity working to ensure that mental health support is accessible and available to all young people.​ 

Annual Health Check

The Annual Health Check scheme is for adults and young people aged 14 or above with learning disabilities who need more health support.​

Sometimes, it can be hard to spot when we're feeling unwell and explain what is wrong, so this check at your doctor's will just make sure everything is okay.

They will make sure you understand what is being discussed so you can make decisions about what you need.

If you are 18, it can be a good chance to make sure everything is in place for you into adulthood.

Watch the YouTube video by Mencap.org to learn a little more about what may happen during your Annual Health Check.

Other medical help

If you need to see a dentist but cannot visit one, the Oxfordshire Community Dental Service is a specialist team that could help.

Oxfordshire Sexual Health Service can provide help on things like contraception and sexual health. 

Good Thinking can help with many of the pressures you might be experiencing as you get older. Things like exams and bullying – they can all have an impact.

CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) are there to help if you're finding it hard to cope because of difficult feelings, behaviour or relationships.

Talking about your mental health is important. Sharing how you feel will help you as you get older. Take a look at this YouTube video about the difference it can make. ​