Who it is for
For anyone who has been through a low patch and wants to recognise the lead-up next time. Dips and lifts can be part of the path, and a dip on its own does not have to mean it is all coming back. Early signs are often personal: things like replying less, a shift in sleep, or one thing quietly dropping.
The map gives you, and the people supporting you, a shared picture of your own early signs, so the noticing is not yours alone. It is something to glance at now and then, not a reason to feel on alert.
What is inside
Page 1, read first. Why early signs are worth knowing, what they tend to be like, and three stages a low patch can move through:
Page 2. One area per row, with starting points for sleep and energy, pulling away, the things that drop first, how you talk to yourself, and appetite and body, plus a row that is yours alone. For each: where to look, what my early sign looks like, what it might be telling me, and a small step or who you would tell.
How to use it
- 1Think back to a low patchRecall the lead-up, if you can. What shifted while things still looked mostly fine?
- 2Fill in what fits youUse the rows as starting points. A few words each, and skip any that do not fit.
- 3Share it with supportBring it to therapy, or to someone you trust, so the noticing is shared.
The rows are starting points, not a list to complete, and any cell or row can stay blank. It can help to fill it in with, or share it with, someone supporting you. You can type into the PDF on a computer, or print it and write by hand.
