A "deeply caring" former nurse took her own life after years battling with manic depression, insomnia and obsessive compulsive disorder, an inquest heard today.

Kim Fitzgerald, 54, was found by her mother in the bedroom of her central Watford home on October 2 after taking an overdose.

It was noted that "one of the tragedies" of Ms Fitzgerald’s conditions was that they forced her to give up her career and "the fact that she didn’t have a family of her own".

Family members described Ms Fitzgerald as a "wonderful sister" and a "fantastic" nurse.

Her brother, Tony Fitzgerald, said: "She went through some very, very bad times but she was a wonderful sister and she did a fantastic job for so many years. 

"She was deeply caring and didn’t deserve the deal she got."

An inquest, at Hertfordshire Coroners Court, heard Ms Fitzgerald had overdosed on chloral hydrate, a drug she was taking in small doses to help with her insomnia.

Associate specialist at the Hertfordshire Partnership University Trust, Dr Rehan Siddiqi, said he got to know Ms Fitzgerald very well since he began treating with her in June 2006.

Ms Fitzgerald told doctors she thought she saw death in the form of a man with a single eye in the centre of his forehead who used to sit at the bottom of her bed and tell her "I’m waiting for you".

She was given a syringe of between three to four doses twice a week, so she could administer chloral hydrate to herself.

Dr Siddiqi told the inquest even if she were to take all the doses at once "it would not have been fatal", and that he believes she probably got a hold of the lethal quantity of chloral hydrate online.

He recalled the last time he saw his patient, on September 24, at which time he said he did not "feel any cause for concern".

Yet, on October 2 one of Dr Siddiqi’s colleagues went round to see her at her address in Neal Street and was unable to get a response when he knocked on her door.

Later that day, her mother and a colleague gained access to the house and found Ms Fitzgerald in her nightdress on the bedroom floor upstairs.

The curtains were drawn and there was a note on the kitchen table.

Coroner Edward Thomas said it was unclear exactly when she had died.

Ms Fitzgerald’s mother, Joy Fitzgerald, told the coroner about her daughter’s turbulent emotions in the days leading up to her death.

On Thursday, September 27, the pair went out for lunch and Ms Fitzgerald talked of the difference a new kitten had made to her life.

She told her mother the pet had helped with her agitation.

The two parted on good terms, but the next morning Mrs Fitzgerald said her daughter "blasted off" at her when she phoned her.

Mrs Fitzgerald said: "It was all jumbled, I said 'go to sleep Kim' because I was so deflated by it.

"I was so excited because we had a nice couple of days and then everything had gone wrong."

The inquest heard she then tried to call her daughter back several times that day but was unable to get through.

Mrs Fitzgerald added: "I will never forgive myself for that because we have got through those things before."

Mr Thomas recorded a verdict of suicide.