Understanding Depression: Alison's Story

😔 Alison is feeling fed up and has been for a few months.

😢 Alison experiences episodes of tearfulness, even from small things.

🌑 Alison describes her mood as very black and miserable.

🔑 The person is experiencing fatigue and lack of energy, which is affecting their daily activities and work.

💤 They are having difficulty sleeping, spending hours awake and struggling to fall back asleep after waking up.

🍽️ Their appetite has decreased, leading to weight loss, and they are experiencing difficulty concentrating and remembering things.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The person is struggling with their responsibilities as a parent.

📺 They have difficulty focusing on TV shows or activities they used to enjoy.

😔 They have lost interest in things they used to find enjoyable.

⚡️ The patient, Alison, is experiencing symptoms of depression, including low mood, lack of energy, sleep and appetite problems, difficulty concentrating, and decreased enjoyment in activities.

💔 Alison's relationship with her partner, Dave, is being affected by her depression, with decreased communication and sexual difficulties.

💊 Alison has a history of feeling similarly when her husband left and has taken tablets, specifically paracetamol, in the past.

🔑 The person in the video took a significant amount of paracetamol and had a couple of glasses of wine in a moment of distress.

💭 They had suicidal thoughts but didn't take any further actions or seek medical help.

😔 Currently, they continue to struggle with feelings of low mood and loneliness at night.

🔑 The person has been feeling overwhelmed and finds everything difficult.

💔 They have not made plans to harm themselves, but have thought about it.

👪 They love their children and would not harm them.

🌻 There are not many positive things in their life at the moment.

🤝 They have supportive people in their life, like their sister and a few friends.

🚫 They feel able to keep themselves safe at the moment.

🔒 They know to seek help if they no longer feel safe.

😔 Their symptoms strongly suggest that they are depressed.

💡 Depression can cause low mood, thoughts of self-harm, and affects eating, sleeping, and concentration.

💪 Seeking help for depression is important and there are treatments available to improve the situation.

🤔 Discussing treatment options with a professional can lead to positive changes in managing depression.