Mental Health Shadow Health Tina Jones Transcript “I’m here because I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping”
Interviewer: Hi, I am xxxx. I will interview today and later examine you.
Tina Jones: Hey.
Interviewer: What is your name?
Tina Jones: Tina Jones.
Interviewer: What brought you to the clinic today?
Tina Jones: I’m here because I’ve been having a lot of trouble sleeping. . . I just feel much more nervous lately, especially right before bed.
Interviewer: I am sorry to learn about your sleep problems and nervousness. I am glad you came. I will be able to assess you further.
Tina Jones: I appreciate you saying that.
Interviewer: How long have the symptoms been there?
Tina Jones: Well. . . I’ve known I have a lot coming up for a while, so I was a little worried about stuff starting a few months ago, but it really feels like the stress and the sleeping problems started at around the same time, three and a half weeks ago. . .
Interviewer: How often do you experience stress and sleeping problems?
Tina Jones: It used to be I’d just get nervous right before a test or something, but now it’s happening, like, every night before bed.
Interviewer: Sorry about that Ms. Jones. We will further explore to find about the root cause.
Tina Jones: Thanks for saying that.
Interviewer: What worsens your stress and sleep problems?
Tina Jones: I guess it’s like. . . when I need to go to sleep, I start stressing that I won’t be able to, and then I start worrying about everything else–graduating, the CPA exam, finding a job, moving out of my mom’s–and everything sort of piles up. So it’s, like, having the time and space to let myself start thinking about what I’m worried about that makes me really start stressing, I guess.
Interviewer: I understand. We will learn more about what you are experiencing as we progress with the interview.
Tina Jones: I appreciate you telling me that.
Interviewer: Do you sleep during the day?
Tina Jones: No. I’ll definitely wake up two or three times a night, for at least ten minutes.
Interviewer: Do you drink caffeine at night?
Tina Jones: I know caffeine can make it hard to sleep, so I try to only drink it in the morning and early afternoon. . . I never have caffeine after 4 PM.
Interviewer: That is nice.
Tina Jones: Thanks.
Interviewer: Do you drink alcohol before sleeping?
Tina Jones: I haven’t been drinking at all lately. I have too much to get done.
Interviewer: It seems like you have too much on your plate. Am sorry are dealing with a lot.
Tina Jones: Thanks for understanding.
Interviewer: Do you take any drug before sleeping?
Tina Jones: No. . . I don’t do drugs.
Interviewer: Do you have any respiratory problems interfering with your sleep?
Tina Jones: Yeah, I have asthma.
Interviewer: Sorry about asthma.
Tina Jones: Thanks for saying that.
Interviewer: Could asthma be interfering with your sleep?
Tina Jones: My sleep problems definitely aren’t related to my breathing. . . I haven’t been having any breathing problems, really, since I started the daily inhaler.
Interviewer: What makes you less stressed?
Tina Jones: Usually I try to stay organized, you know, make to-do lists, plan my time, that kind of thing. Sometimes I’ll talk to friends or family. . . going to church usually helps, too. Lately, though, none of that is really helping like it should.
Interviewer: I see you have a strong support system. That is great.
Tina Jones: I appreciate you telling me that.
Interviewer: What relieves your sleep problems?
Tina Jones: I just feel really nervous before bed–I start worrying about stuff and stressing about the future and my thoughts start to race.
Interviewer: Am sorry to hear that you are very nervous.
Tina Jones: Thanks for understanding.
Interviewer: Do you exercise?
Tina Jones: I just don’t have time to exercise, honestly.
Interviewer: How have your sleep problems affected your daily life?
Tina Jones: No.
Interviewer: Have you been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Tina Jones: No. I feel really lucky that I haven’t had to deal with that.
Interviewer: Have you ever taken psychotropic medication?
Tina Jones: No, luckily I’ve never needed that.
Interviewer: Do you have depressive symptoms?
Tina Jones: No. . . I don’t think so.
Interviewer: Do you have difficulty making decisions?
Tina Jones: Only in the sense that, like, everything I do is a little harder because I’m out of it from not sleeping.
Interviewer: Sorry about that Ms. Jones.
Tina Jones: I appreciate you saying that.
Interviewer: Are you feeling sad?
Tina Jones: I’m not really feeling sad. . . more just stressed out.
Interviewer: Any loss of appetite?
Tina Jones: I’m feeling less hungry lately, actually. . . I think not sleeping is making me feel a little queasy during the day.
Interviewer: Have you ever had thoughts of suicide?
Tina Jones: No, never.
Interviewer: Have you ever attempted suicide?
Tina Jones: No, I’ve always turned to God in tough times, and He’s helped me through.
Interviewer: Any self-harm?
Tina Jones: I’m not hurting myself–like cutting–or anything like that. I’ve never done that.
Interviewer: Good to hear that.
Tina Jones: Thanks for understanding.
Interviewer: Do you have a past trauma?
Tina Jones: No, not really.
Interviewer: Do you sometimes have angry outbursts?
Tina Jones: I don’t really get angry a lot. I try to be patient with people. . . it just makes everything easier that way.
Interviewer: Yeah, that is true. Though sometimes anger may be a sign of mental disturbance.
Tina Jones: Alright, thanks for letting me know.
Interviewer: Have you ever been violent in the past?
Tina Jones: No, never.
Interviewer: Are you currently employed?
Tina Jones: I’m a supervisor at Mid-American Copy & Ship. I’ve been working there since high school, and I’ve just kept moving up.
Interviewer: Glad to hear that you have a source of income.
Tina Jones: Thanks for saying that.
Interviewer: How many hours do you work per week?
Tina Jones: I work about thirty-two hours a week right now, sometimes a little more if things are busy. I used to be full-time, but my bosses let me cut my hours a bit so that I could get my degree at the same time.
Interviewer: That is good. At least you are able to manage both your job and education.
Tina Jones: Thanks.
Interviewer: Do you drink alcohol?
Tina Jones: I do sometimes, yeah, when I go out with my friends.
Interviewer: How often do you drink alcohol?
Tina Jones: No more than once or twice a week. . . a lot of time less than that.
Interviewer: Excessive alcohol is harmful to your health.
Tina Jones
: Sure, I think I understand what you mean.
Interviewer: Do you drink and drive?
Tina Jones: We usually take a cab when we go out.
Interviewer: That is good. Driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous.
Tina Jones: Alright, thanks for letting me know.
Interviewer: Do you take any prescription medication?
Tina Jones: All I have is a Proventil inhaler and a Flovent inhaler for my asthma.
Interviewer: Do you abuse prescription drugs?
Tina Jones: No! I don’t know why I’d want to take someone else’s prescriptions. . . I hate having to take my own medicines.
Interviewer: That is great. Some people abuse prescription drugs as recreational drugs.
Tina Jones: That makes sense.
Interviewer: Are you in a relationship?
Tina Jones: No, I’m not in a relationship right now.
Interviewer: When was your last relationship?
Tina Jones: I broke up with my last boyfriend about three years ago.
Interviewer: Have you ever been married?
Tina Jones: Nope.
Interviewer: Are you sexually active?
Tina Jones: No, I haven’t been in a while.
Interviewer: Do you use condoms during sex?
Tina Jones: No, not really. I’m single right now, but before that, I was using the pill.
Interviewer: Using protection during sex is important.
Tina Jones: OK, I understand.
Interviewer: Have you ever been abused?
Tina Jones: No, never.
Interviewer: What do you think is the cause of your stress?
Tina Jones: I’m stressed now because I can’t sleep, but I can’t sleep because I keep worrying about all this other stuff, like graduating, and passing this exam that’s coming up, and getting a job, and finding my own place to live. . . it’s a lot.
Interviewer: I am sorry you are dealing with too much at a go.
Tina Jones: I appreciate you telling me that.
Interviewer: How do you cope with stress?
Tina Jones: Usually, I try to stay organized, you know, make to-do lists, plan my time, that kind of thing. Sometimes I’ll talk to friends or family. . . going to church usually helps, too. Lately, though, none of that is really helping like it should.
Interviewer: That is great. Social networks can help someone with stress.
Tina Jones: Sure, I think I understand what you mean.
Interviewer: Any family history of mental illness?
Tina Jones: No. They’re crazy, but nobody’s diagnosed with anything.
Interviewer: Any family history of addiction?
Tina Jones: My uncle, my dad’s brother, has an alcohol problem, but we never see him anymore.
Interviewer: Any family history of sleep problems?
Tina Jones: I don’t think anyone in my family has trouble sleeping. Just me.
Interviewer: Have ever had any sleep problems in the past?
Tina Jones: Well. . . the only other time I’ve had sleep problems was right after Dad died. It felt a little like this, with my mind racing, but honestly, not as bad. Other than that month or two, I’ve always been a really good sleeper. I could fall asleep right away, and then I’d sleep like a log.
Interviewer: How frequent are the sleep problems?
Tina Jones: It’s happening most nights, I’d say. Four. . . more like five nights a week.
Interviewer: I am sorry about that. Sleeplessness can be a challenge. We will see how this will be addressed.
Tina Jones: Thanks for understanding.
