Help with low mood: how Wobble works when you feel low, and the other UK routes

What is the difference between low mood and depression?

Low mood is a dip most people go through at some point and that usually lifts, while depression is a low that lasts and starts to take over: the NHS says a low mood that lasts two weeks or more could be a sign of depression. A general low mood can leave you sad, anxious, frustrated, low on confidence, tired or sleeping badly. The NHS says it often gets better after a few days or weeks, sometimes after a small change such as sorting out something that is bothering you or getting more sleep.

Depression is more than feeling fed up for a few days. The NHS describes it as feeling persistently sad for weeks or months, and lists other signs: getting no enjoyment out of life, feeling hopeless, finding it hard to concentrate on everyday things, and thoughts of harming yourself. Depression is a real illness, not a weakness, and the NHS says that with the right treatment and support most people with depression can make a full recovery. Only a doctor can tell you which it is, and a Wobble therapist will not try.

When should I see a GP about low mood?

See a GP if your low mood has lasted more than two weeks, if you are struggling to cope with it, or if the things you are trying yourself are not helping: that is the NHS's own list, and it adds that you can go simply because you would rather be referred by a GP. A GP can look at what is going on, including whether a physical illness or a medicine you take could be playing a part, talk you through treatment, and refer you to talking therapy. If you think you may be depressed, the NHS advises not waiting: many people put off getting help for a long time, and the sooner you see a doctor, the sooner recovery can start. A Wobble does not replace that appointment. If what you send sounds as if it needs a GP, the therapist will say so in your video.

Where can I get free help for low mood in the UK?

Free help for low mood in the UK starts with your GP, and in England you can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies without seeing a GP first.

• NHS Talking Therapies (England): free talking therapy for low mood, depression and anxiety, such as guided self-help, CBT or counselling. Refer yourself at 18 or over (16 or 17 in some areas); no diagnosis needed, and the service tells you the likely wait when it contacts you.
• Your GP: the place to start anywhere in the UK, and the right first call if you are not sure what you need.
• NHS Every Mind Matters: free NHS tips for low mood, self-help CBT techniques, and a personalised Mind Plan from five quick questions.
• Mind: a confidential support line, 0300 102 1234, open 9am to 6pm on weekdays in England and Wales, and Side by Side, an online peer support community for over-18s, open 24/7.
• Samaritans and Shout, for the hard nights: call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night, or text SHOUT to 85258, free and confidential, 24/7.

Wobble is the paid option, and it sits alongside these routes rather than in place of them.

Can Wobble help when I feel low?

Wobble can help when you feel low but are not in crisis: you describe what is going on, and a qualified, registered UK therapist records you a personal video about your situation, usually within hours. Wobble is for the low patch you want a qualified person's view on now: a flat few weeks, a knock that has not lifted, the same heavy thought coming back. You get what the therapist understood, practical guidance on what tends to help, and one next step you can take that day, with no appointment and no waiting list.

The therapists are registered with a UK professional body (BACP, NCPS, UKCP or BABCP) or a statutory regulator such as the HCPC, insured and based in the UK, and Wobble's clinical lead reviews live Wobbles and responses on an ongoing basis. Never an AI. Across everyone who has used Wobble and scored their response, 96% said they felt better after a single Wobble and 89% said they would use Wobble again.

What does a Wobble about feeling low look like?

A Wobble about feeling low is your answers to seven short questions, then a five to seven minute video from a qualified UK therapist about your low patch rather than low mood in general.

1. Answer seven short questions, one at a time: what is on your mind, how it is affecting your day to day, a moment in the last week when it felt hardest, what you are putting off or avoiding, the thought underneath it, how you usually cope, and what you want help with. A line each is enough on a flat day.
2. Add more in writing or as a voice note if you want to. This step is optional.
3. Pay, and a qualified UK therapist reads or listens and records your video, usually within hours.
4. Watch the video when you like, and keep it. The therapist says what they understood, gives practical guidance, and sets one clear next step. Where your GP or NHS Talking Therapies would help you more, they say so.

There is no live call and nobody sees you. Wobble works on the website and in the Wobble app for iPhone and Android.

Can I use Wobble regularly through a low patch?

Yes, many people use Wobble as a regular check-in through a low patch, a Wobble a week or a fortnight, each one ending with a small next step. The NHS advice for low mood is not to try to do everything at once but to set small targets you can easily achieve, and a regular Wobble works the same way: a qualified therapist's view on how the last week or two went, and the next small step. The plans are priced for it: two Wobbles a month for £19.99, or four for £34.99, which is £8.75 each, or pay as you go at £14.99. Regular Wobbles sit before therapy or alongside it, including while you wait for NHS Talking Therapies. They are not a reason to put off seeing a GP: if your low mood has lasted more than two weeks, book that appointment as well.

What is Wobble not for?

Wobble is not for a crisis, not for a diagnosis, and not for people who need to sit with a therapist for an hour at a time.

• A crisis. If you are in immediate danger or having thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to A&E, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or call Samaritans on 116 123.
• A diagnosis. Wobble therapists do not diagnose depression or anything else, and Wobble makes no claim to treat it. Whether low mood has become depression, and questions about medicine such as antidepressants, are for your GP.
• Weekly live therapy. If you need to sit with a therapist for an hour at a time, NHS Talking Therapies or a private therapist is the route, and Wobble can sit before that or alongside it.

Wobble also screens what you send. A Wobble that mentions risk may be held for personal review by Wobble's clinical lead before it reaches a therapist; if so, you are told on screen and by email, and if Wobble cannot support what you have sent, you are refunded in full and given crisis support details.