This petition comes from personal experience.

As a child, I experienced bullying, sexual abuse and trauma. As a teenager and young adult, I struggled with my mental health, unhealthy relationships, addiction and finding the support I needed.

Later, as a parent, I experienced postnatal depression, reached crisis point and repeatedly asked for help. At different stages of my life, I have been a victim, I have struggled myself, and I have recognised harmful behaviours in myself that I wanted help understanding and changing.

What I found time and time again was that support was often available after a crisis, but much harder to access before one.

I’ve seen the impact of trauma, mental health difficulties, abuse, addiction and harmful behaviour from more angles than I ever wanted to.

That’s why I believe we need better access to emotional regulation, behaviour change and mental health support before lives reach breaking point.

Prevention shouldn’t start after the harm has happened

Too often people can only access meaningful mental health or behavioural support once they have already reached crisis point.

By the time support becomes available, lives may already be falling apart. Families break down. Children are affected. People develop addictions, engage in self-destructive behaviour, become involved with police or social services, or hurt themselves and others.

Many people struggling with trauma, emotional dysregulation, anger, harmful behaviour or worsening mental health are left stuck between long waiting lists, inaccessible services or private support they cannot afford.

We need earlier intervention.

Emotional regulation and behavioural support should not only exist for people who have already reached breaking point.

Prevention should be treated as seriously as crisis response.

This petition is calling for:

• Better access to free emotional regulation and behavioural support through the NHS
• Earlier intervention before crisis point
• More trauma-informed mental health support
• Better referral pathways through GPs, schools and community services
  Support that is accessible regardless of income

This is not about excusing harmful behaviour.

Prevention and accountability can exist together.

If we are serious about reducing violence, addiction, family breakdown, suicide, self-destruction and long-term harm, then we need to stop waiting until people are already in crisis before support becomes available.

We should not need more victims before support becomes accessible