APP’s Danielle Thomas shares her story with Stacey Dooley
Danielle Thomas, APP’s Wales Assistant Co-ordinator, shared her PP story with BBC investigative journalist Stacey Dooley for her latest book, Are You Really OK? published by BBC Books.
Published in February 2022, the book is an exploration of the mental health crisis in Britain and its particular impact on young people. Danielle, who is also a midwife, shared her experiences of postpartum psychosis with Stacey over a zoom call, talking about her traumatic birth and the PP symptoms she experienced after returning home with her baby.
Danielle’s story forms part of a wider collection of first person stories about mental health, as well as comments from medical experts, counsellors, campaigners and health practitioners who give detailed insights into the conditions and environmental factors that play a part in affecting mental health - including poverty, addiction, identity, pressures of social media and the impact of Covid- 19.
Are You Really OK? also includes positive stories of recovery that can inspire and offer hope to those going through mental health problems and those around them. Recovery is possible is a very strong message; just hearing it may give that bit of hope needed to keep going through the tough times. It doesn’t immediately free someone from the illness, of course, but it might help them see that with the right help they can get through a crisis, manage their mental health and carry on living as normally as possible. This book is about opening up the conversation around mental health, sharing experiences and offering hope and proof that it is possible for things to get better.
Stacey Dooley is one of the UK's most loved documentary presenters. Across her 15 year career, Stacey’s series include Stacey Dooley Investigates, Women in Dangerous Places and Stacey Dooley Sleeps over, to name a few. She has examined a variety of topics from sex trafficking and under-age sex slavery, to domestic violence. In 2018, Stacey was awarded an MBE for her outstanding contribution to broadcasting. Her debut book, On The Frontline With The Women Who Fight Back was a double Sunday Times Bestseller in both hardback and paperback.
To order a copy of the book, click here.