Benefits of broadband:
Mental Health Conditions

The effects of a mental health condition can have major impact on your day-to-day life. Accessing the Internet over broadband can offer new ways of dealing with some of the effects.

If you have a family member with a condition such as Alzheimers, broadband is a really useful tool providing you with instant access to information about the condition. This will help you and your relative understand the support available. If you act as a carer, broadband also means that you can always get onto the Internet and perhaps talk to other people in similar situations on a chat room. You could even set-up web cams at both your own and your relatives homes so you can have a visual link between you.

Other mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia are often very isolating meaning it is difficult for people to leave their homes to meet other people or even to pick up the phone to speak to friends and family.  If you have a mental health condition, broadband means that you have will always have access to chat rooms where you can speak to people who understand how you feel. It can also provides you with instant access to information about medication and treatments for anxiety and depression which can help you feel more in control of your illness.

Broadband can also help if you find shopping or dealing with organisations such as banks difficult. Internet shopping and online banking are easier with broadband. Local authorities and government departments are making more of their information and services available online. Communicating by email lets you contact an organisation without having to speak to them directly. Email also allows you to choose when you want to read and respond to messages sent to you.