GF's World Mental Health Day Coverage - Courtesy of Leadership Newspaper

Culled from Leadership Newspaper

Onukogu Kanayochuqu Jubal was a part of the World Mental Health Day seminar organised by non-governmental organisation Gede Foundation, in consonance with the Coalition for Global Health Awareness, on October 10, 2017 and writes on the modern struggle for peace of mind in the work place.

Very few know that hiring an employee, paying them and giving them emoluments is not all that is require of an employer. You need to provide a work-friendly environment and ensure they are free from the strangle-hold of mental encumbrances, so that the work does not suffer.

In the light of this, those who owe their employees, abuse them verbally or fail to create a conducive working environment must be doing them a great disservice and upsetting the balance of their mental cart, all to the detriment of their job and general productivity.

Every October 10 is World Mental Health Day and, in order to commemorate this year’s, non-governmental foundation, Gede Foundation, brought together the members of the Coalition for Global Health Awareness to talk about the issue, to a great extent.

The gesture, according to the foundation’s management, is part of efforts it is making to join forces in the campaign for mental health.

The issue this year was, simply, “Mental Health in the Work Place.”

According to a 2017 study on “Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates” by the World Health Organisation, Nigeria has 7 079 815 cases of depressive disorders (3.9 per cent of her population), while another 4 894 557 suffer from anxiety disorders (2.7 per cent of her population).

Of the first group, 1 291 694 (7 per cent of that number) have live with it for years, while 451 762 (2.7 per cent) of the second group have live with it for years.

Clearly, there is little succour for sufferers; not when the National Primary Health Care Delivery Agency (NPHCDA) is ill-equipped to deal with the situation.

It was time to talk about mental health challenges in work places, away from the street, and a clinical psychologist with the Karu General Hospital, Abuja, Samuel Jinadu, was on hand to dissect the issue.

In his opinion, mental challenges which can be attributed to the work-place are real, but, sadly, hardly confronted.

“If you look at our work places carefully, you will notice that organisations neither have plans for nor do they support mental health issues that arise from the work place; they would prefer to be in denial and continue to dodge questions relating to this.

“Work place stress is real and cannot be swept under the carpet. Ask directors, managers, heads of human resources departments, construction workers, senior, junior and senior management staff or members of a company’s board. Stress is real and it is damaging more minds and psyches than we will ever know. Sadly, some people do not even know that they have it. They think they are just being natural or so. But they are not,” said Jinadu.

The psychologist further highlighted that, rather that indict employers of labour, the aim of the day remained highlighting a need for changes in the way the nation’s workplaces deal with issues such as stress, anxiety and mental illness, seeing as 1 in 4 of Nigerians will struggle with a mental health issue at some point.

“People are still too scared to speak to their employers about their concerns, for fear of being labelled or viewed as weak or incapable.”

Jinadu touched on a few signs as pointers to watch out for.

“If we do not watch out for one another, we will suffer, the work will suffer and, ultimately, the company or organisation will shut down and everyone loses.

“If you notice some of the symptoms in yourself or a colleague, something should be done as soon as possible.

“If you find that work or aspects of your work bring on or make these symptoms worse, speak to your line manager, trade union representative or your HR department. It may be that some action taken at an early stage will ease the stress and reduce or stop the symptoms.

“Normally, the symptoms are in three-fold. The emotional symptoms come in form of negative or depressive feeling, disappointment with oneself, increased emotional reactions which could be aggressive or otherwise, loneliness, withdrawn, loss of motivation commitment and confidence, mood swings (not behavioural), amongst others.

“The mental symptoms are confusion, indecision, loss of concentration and poor memory.

“The other signs is a noticeable change in normal behaviour, eating habits, increased smoking, drinking or drug taking ‘to cope’, mood swings effecting one’s behaviour, changes in sleep patterns, twitchy, nervous behaviour, being erratic by arriving late too early or leaving too early and too late.”

Jinadu advice employers and colleague at the work place to watch out for these signs, as they may be indicative of other conditions.

“If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, please, seek advice from a health practitioner. In the case of a colleague, try to convince them to see their doctor,” he further advised.

While Jinadu avise for closer observation of self and others, the founder of the Youth Reformation & Awareness Centre, Margaret Udoh, called for an up-scaling of advocacy to policy makers, law makers, schools, families and, even, the judiciary.

“We should go back to our homes and know the strengths and weaknesses of our children, as far as their studies and emotional intelligence are concerned.

“That way, we can guide them to the right career path, to avoid stressing their young minds.

“Also, in schools, we should have proper career counsellors and bring our parents up to speed on the things they should know about this,” Udoh echoed.

Ameh Zion, who works with the Mandate Health Empowerment Initiative, thinks that the key lies in legislation.

“The things which are wrong and have to be made right, as far as mental health is concerned, are enshrined in the Mental Health Bill. Until it is passed, a lot will be shrouded in secrecy and, even when it is passed, we would need some vibrant, active advocacy and education to help Nigerians deal with it and not stigmatise sufferers,” he opined.

Emmanuel Okafor of the Centre for Constructive Leadership & Development International, called for more foundational effort, in order for the campaign to gain more traction.

“We should take our advocacy beyond government, have health clubs in foundation schools, tertiary institutions and in our homes. Even the Legislature passes the bill, there would be a lot to be done. The best way would be to begin from the roots, the schools, so that when the bill si passed, we can move right up. We are the only ones who can understand the language of the sufferers, because they are here amongst us. Until we begin to realise that this thing has to be tackled, our children will continue to guess what is wrong with them, stigmatise other children who have mental health challenges and, even when they become adults, not know how to go about the issues at stake.”

But Jinadu insisted that stress in the work-place can be handled, if a few pointers are practically taken into consideration.

“First off, identify the signs through self-awareness, observation of muscles and breathing exercises. Also, reducing stress through self-care (exercises, socialising an connecting with others, taking breaks or some time away and making healthy food choices can help a great deal.

“However, there a few things which people easily take to when they are highly stressed. Do not take pills or drugs to relax, do not take to smoking or drinking, because they can be easily abused. Practice safe sleeping habits, look for humour and enjoy light moments, attend socio-cultural events and create a balance schedule.

“Above all, know when to say ‘no’ to your superiors. You could get yourself into a health quandary by always trying to prove your commitment; people die and the work remain.”

But is stress that bad? While many would answer with a resounding “yes” right away, the performance director, research & advocacy of Gede Foundation, Cynthia Ticao, Ph.D, does not share that opinion.

“Sometimes, we should stop to think about how boring a life without stress would be. Stress is alright, because, sometimes, it brings out the best in us, but you need to know when it is taking a toll on your health or family.”

She said the workshop is one of the ways the foundation is working to create nation-wide awareness for mental health issues, by getting a mental health kit for women, children and the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North East.

She assured that a lot is being done by the foundation, through working partnerships with professionals and organisations to do more and “take real help to the people who need them.”

The search for peace of mind in these days has driven many into the arms of clinical professional, many of whom have found themselves victims of the issues they are trying to help, as well.

According to Dr Jennifer Udekwu-Braimah of Intensive Rescue Foundation International, it is proof that care givers are not immune or super people.

“Care givers are the frailest and most vulnerable. When they see the kind of trauma which those who have mental health challenges go through, they could be affected adversely.

“As scary as the situation is, though, we have a way of relaxing after marathon schedules.

“We sleep at the slightest break, watch interesting shows, form strong bonds with families and colleagues and protect ourselves. We really are the most vulnerable, technically speaking and have to do these little things to protect and watch out for our own well-being,” she said.

Whatever way the wind blows, it is clear that many have taken to seeing clinical psychologists and all other types of mental health professional, in order to save their minds and bodies. What is yet unknown is how early we can all come together to agree on the issue and how much damage it can do to a nation, one mind at a mind.

After all, acknowledging a problem is the first step to solving it, they say.

The Dark Side of Resilience

Article culled from Harvard Business Review

By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Derek Lusk

Resilience, defined as the psychological capacity to adapt to stressful circumstances and to bounce back from adverse events, is a highly sought-after personality trait in the modern workplace. As Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant argue in their recent book, we can think of resilience as a sort of muscle that contracts during good times and expands during bad times.

In that sense, the best way to develop resilience is through hardship, which various philosophers have pointed out through the years: Seneca noted that “difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body” and Nietzsche famously stated “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” In a similar vein, the United States Marine Corps uses the “pain is just weakness leaving the body” mantra as part of their hardcore training program.

But could too much resilience be a bad thing, just like too much muscle mass can be a bad thing — i.e., putting a strain on the heart? Large-scale scientific studies suggest that even adaptive competencies become maladaptive if taken to the extreme. As Rob Kaiser’s research on leadership versatility indicates, overused strengths become weaknesses. In line, it is easy to conceive of situations in which individuals could be too resilient for their own sake.

For example, extreme resilience could drive people to become overly persistent with unattainable goals. Although we tend to celebrate individuals who aim high or dream big, it is usually more effective to adjust one’s goals to more achievable levels, which means giving up on others. Indeed, scientific reviews show that most people waste an enormous amount of time persisting with unrealistic goals, a phenomenon called the “false hope syndrome.” Even when past behaviors clearly suggest that goals are unlikely to be attained, overconfidence and an unfounded degree of optimism can lead to people wasting energy on pointless tasks.

YOU AND YOUR TEAM SERIES

Resilience

• Resilience Is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure

  • Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan

  How to Evaluate, Manage, and Strengthen Your Resilience

  • David Kopans

  You’re More Resilient Than You Give Yourself Credit For

  • Andy Molinsky

Along the same line, too much resilience could make people overly tolerant of adversity. At work, this can translate into putting up with boring or demoralizing jobs — and particularly bad bosses — for longer than needed. In America, 75% of employees consider their direct line manager the worst part of their job, and 65% would take a pay cut if they could replace their boss with someone else. Yet there is no indication that people actually act on these attitudes, with job tenure remaining stable over the years despite ubiquitous access to career opportunities and the rise of passive recruitment introduced by the digital revolution. Whereas in the realm of dating, technology has made it easier for people to meet someone and begin a new relationship, in the world of work people seemed resigned to their bleak state of affairs. Perhaps if they were less resilient, they would be more likely to improve their job circumstances, as many individuals do when they decide to ditch traditional employment to work for themselves. However, people are much more willing to put up with a bad job (and boss) than a bad relationship.

In addition, too much resilience can get in the way of leadership effectiveness and, by extension, team and organizational effectiveness. In a recent study, Adrian Furnham and colleagues showed that there are dramatic differences in people’s ability to adapt to stressful jobs and workplace environments. In the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances, some people resemble a superhero cartoon character that runs through a brick wall: unemotional, fearless, and hyper-phlegmatic. To protect against psychological harm, they deploy quite aggressive coping mechanisms that artificially inflate their egos. Meanwhile, others have a set of underlying propensities that make them act a little differently when under stress and pressure. They become emotionally volatile and scared of rejection. And consequently, they move away from groups, put up walls to avoid being criticized, and openly admit faults as a way to guard against public shaming.

Even though the resilient superhero is usually perceived as better, there is a hidden dark side to it: it comes with the exact same traits that inhibit self-awareness and, in turn, the ability to maintain a realistic self-concept, which is pivotal for developing one’s career potential and leadership talent. For instance, multiple studies suggest that bold leaders are unaware of their limitations and overestimate their leadership capabilities and current performance, which leads to not being able to adjust one’s interpersonal approach to fit the context. They are, in effect, rigidly and delusionally resilient and closed off to information that could be imperative in fixing — or at least improving — behavioral weaknesses. In short, when resilience is driven by self-enhancement, success comes at a high price: denial.

Along with blinding leaders to improvement opportunities and detaching them from reality, leadership pipelines are corroded with resilient leaders who were nominated as high-potentials but have no genuine talent for leadership. To explain this phenomenon, sociobiologists David Sloan Wilson and E.O. Wilson argue that within any group of people — whether a work team or presidential candidates — the person who wins, and is therefore named the group’s leader, is generally very resilient or “gritty.”

However, there is something more important going on in human affairs than internal politics, and competition within groups is less important than between groups — such as Apple going head to head with Microsoft on technological innovations, Coca-Cola trying to outmaneuver Pepsi’s marketing campaigns, or, in evolutionary terms, how our ancestors fought for territory against rival teams 10,000 years ago. As Robert Hogan notes, to get ahead of other groups, individuals must be able to get along with each other within their own group in order to form a team. This always requires leadership, but the right leaders must be chosen. When it comes to deciding which leaders are going to rally the troops in the long-term, the most psychologically resilient individuals have a miscellany of characteristics that come much closer to political savvy and an authoritarian leadership style than those needed to influence a team to work in harmony and focus its attention on outperforming rivals. In other words, choosing resilient leaders is not enough: they must also have integrity and care more about the welfare of their teams than their own personal success.

In sum, there is no doubt that resilience is a useful and highly adaptive trait, especially in the face of traumatic events. However, when taken too far, it may focus individuals on impossible goals and make them unnecessarily tolerant of unpleasant or counterproductive circumstances. This reminds us of Voltaire’s Candide, the sarcastic masterpiece that exposes the absurd consequences of extreme optimism: “I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?”

Finally, while it may be reassuring for teams, organizations, and countries to select leaders on the basis of their resilience — who doesn’t want to be protected by a tough and strong leader? — such leaders are not necessarily good for the group, much like bacteria or parasites are much more problematic when they are more resistant.

Gede in the News!!!

A non-governmental organisation, Gede Foundation, has urged the Federal Government to promote mental health in work places across the country.

The NGO made the call at a symposium it organized to mark the 2017 World Mental Health Day with the theme: “Mental Health in the Workplace”.

Speaking at the event, the Performance Director: Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Management of the NGO, Mr Godwin Etim said the symposium was to let people know how mental health can be promoted in work places across Nigeria.

He said the objective was to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilise efforts in support of mental health.

He added that if the bill on mental health which is currently with the national assembly is passed into law, Nigerian workers would be protected from abuse and stigmatization they go through as a result of mental illnesses.

“The passage of the bill would help secure large portion of Nigerians affected with issue of mental health in work places and create room for people to care and support for people affected rather than stigmatizing them,” he said.

A clinical psychologist at Karu General Hospital, Mr Samuel Jinadu who said a large proportion of Nigerians are having mental issues also added that the Health Management Organisations do not have mental health or affective disorder as part of their coverage.

He enjoined organisations to designed their work places in a way that is supportive to people who has mental health-related issues.

Jinadu further added that stress, which is one of the causes of mental health, is not a bad thing but how it is been perceived adding that we cannot be immune from stress.

“Today, we look at mental health in work environment and one thing that is very prominent is that stress is emanating because of the way the work space is being designed and that is affecting productivity,” he noted.

He said: “Employers should make sure that mental health issue is no more a stigmatising issue so that people do not get demoralized, dismissed, demoted because they have mental health issue rather they get support.” 

Article culled from the Daily Trust Newspaper

10/10/2017 - World Mental Health Day

Gede Foundation, with Basicneeds UK celebrated this year's World Mental Health Camp themed "Mental Health in the Workplace." 

Gede was joined by other organisations and Mr. Samuel Jinadu gave a presentation on "Stress and Managing Stress in the Workplace." As we spend most of our adult time at work, it is important for employers and employees to find a balance and maintain their mental health. 

Below are some pictures from the 10/10/17 as well as the Mental Health Camp held in Waru on the 11th of October 2017.

Please come back to the blog for more!

My ”Foothingz” Enterprise

I am Asiya Eso Ita, third year student with the department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Calabar, Calabar. I am 22 years old. I hail from Obutong community in Calabar Municipal council. I am a beneficiary of the Lafarge Africa Plc – Gede Foundation educational support programme. 

I was enrolled into the programme in 2015 in my 100 level. I had participated in all the educational programmes organised by Gede Foundation to improve and enhance the grant that is awarded for tuition, books and other academic needs by Lafarge Africa Plc. I have also played a part in the drug-free campaign to community’s secondary schools to enlighten young students about the damages caused by drug use and its impact on social, mental and physical health of the user. 

In my first year in the programme a life building skills workshop was organised by Gede Foundation to improve capacity of beneficiaries and introduce us to basic entrepreneurial skill with an intent to encourage savings and economic activities that could aid us raise extra income for school.  After the 2 day training a got around with my cousin who have had a formal vocational training and who is currently making shoes. I have graduated as an apprentice and I am making my own shoes now. 

I have done a few sandals of my own and sold within the campus. I choose shoe making because I have passion for footwear and it is very lucrative business. Although, at this initial stage is demanding as materials are purchased in bits. In a year’s time when I am able to invest more money, I will buy materials in large amount to serve more production and reduce the cost of transportation. 

I hope to take other courses on shoe making after my graduation to improve the skill I have acquired now and improve. I also will register my shoe company soon and have my own brand. I want to name it ‘Foothingz’.

Written by

Asiya Eso Ita

300 level student

Linguistics and Communication Studies

University of Calabar, Calabar

Living in Constant Fear - Mental Health Camp in Waru IDP

By Zunzika Okpo

Fatima* is 19. She lives in Waru IDP community. Even though she is far from Borno State and far from the insurgency, she lives in constant fear. Any small noise scares her to the point that her heart starts to palpitate and often she feels as though she is about to pass out. She has been in the IDP camp for over 3 years now and she has small children. Sleep? She has not gotten a good night’s sleep in years. She may sleep for two or four hours at the most. Her children, innocent as they are, sleep through the night. However, she noted that sometimes she is happy when they awake at night because that gives her some comfort. 

Four years ago, Fati, as she was fondly called, lived in a big house with both her parents and her siblings. They were a happy family and did not want for anything. They had three score meals plus extra, clothes on their backs and a more than decent roof over their heads. They ate and prayed together. The girls helped their mother in the kitchen while the boys learned about the farming with their father. Their lives were relatively peaceful even though they were aware of the insurgency in their state. Every so often they would hear gunshots but little did they know that it would get to them. One day, their father did not return home. On that same day, Boko Haram insurgents raided their compound. Fati, her sisters and brothers made a run for it. Their mother was behind them, trying to beg for her life when she was beheaded right in front of her children. The children made a run for it, in different directions. The older ones tried to carry the smaller ones but some were shot in the process. While she was running, Fati jumped over someone she recognised. It was her father; dead and left there for people to see. With tears and fear, she kept on running. She ran until she found others who had been displaced and managed to escape from their villages. She did not see any of her brothers or sisters. 

For a long time she could hardly keep food down. She did not even want to eat. She had witnessed her mother die in front of her. She had seen her dead father. She had no idea where her other family members were. For all she knew, she was alone in the world. Often, she wondered why she had been spared, if she would be better off dead. 

Once she got to Abuja, she found someone who wanted to marry her. She jumped at the idea because she had no one else. Her husband left for Lagos after their third child was born. She feels alone again, save for her children. Her fear is always with her. When she came for the Mental Health Camp held on September 11th 2017, she felt a sense of progress for once. She wants to get better. She wants to forget what happened to her. She is not alone in this anymore. This was the sentiment expressed at the virgin Mental Health Camp held in Waru IDP community. Most of the occupants there have seen so much trauma that they are afraid to sleep. With the BasicNeeds team going in there, support groups will be formed, livelihoods will be given, psychotherapy will be given and they can begin to heal.

As always, do come back to the blog for more updates on our work with IDPs both in Abuja as well as in Borno State. 

The ‘Madman’ Is Back in the Building

By Zack Mcdermott (New York Times)

What do you wear the first day back to work after a 90-day leave of absence because of a psychotic break? This is the question I found myself asking a little more than a year after I joined the Legal Aid Society of New York. The last time my colleagues had seen me, I’d been wearing a handlebar mustache better suited to a Hell’s Angel than a 26-year-old public defender. I’d also taken to wearing a Mohawk — tried a case like that even. We won, thank God.

At the happy hour following that trial, I stripped down to my underwear and did a titillating strip tease for a bunch of law students who were there as a part of a recruiting event for a white shoe law firm. It didn’t go over well but I didn’t care. I thought I nailed it.

For my first day back to work I dressed in a sober navy sweater and a pair of dark slacks. Normal haircut, neatly trimmed beard. I got there early to avoid the morning rush and the inevitable stares and whispers. I had been “away with some issues” — that was the official company line, but offices are gossip hotbeds, and I wondered how much of the real story had filtered through. Did they know that I’d marched through the city for 12 hours — manic, psychotic and convinced I was being videotaped by secret TV producers, the star of my own reality show? That the police had found me later that evening shirtless, barefoot and crying on a subway platform? That I’d been involuntarily committed to Bellevue, the notorious psych ward to which we at Legal Aid routinely sent our most mentally ill clients?

For most, an involuntary stay in a locked psychiatric ward becomes a closely guarded secret. But part of me wanted everyone to know. I wanted them to know that I had received a Bipolar I diagnosis — that the “madman” they’d been covering for was actually a very sick young man who did things he feels guilty about, but who also knows that he had no more control over the doing of those things than a cancer patient has over the state of his lymph nodes.

Because that’s the thing about mental illness — our brains betray us. Our symptoms are our behavior, and the disease makes us do humiliating and dangerous things.

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In the weeks leading up to my break, I knew something was up with me. I couldn’t sleep for more than a few hours each night, but seemed to have limitless reserves of energy. At times, I felt like electricity was shooting through my spine, that I was breathing in secrets of the universe.

I cried a lot, too. I’d listen to Bruce Springsteen sing “41 Shots” and weep in my room while I meditated on police brutality. These, I would learn, are all classic symptoms of bipolar disorder: the delusions of grandeur, the insomnia, the rapid cycling moods. And I was in my mid-20s — the textbook clinical age when bipolar disorder tends to present.

I wanted to tell my colleagues that the “madman” — the drunk, naked guy who ran through oncoming traffic and covered his wall in Sharpie — was gone. That he didn’t go easy, that he had to be killed with a drug regimen that had left me drooling and impotent, with my hair falling out by the fistful, rapidly packing on weight.

Now I had to clean up the mess he’d made. The “madman” had raided my checking account, and there was no overdraft protection for “Sorry, I had a manic episode and rang up $800 worth of novelty T-shirts at Urban Outfitters.” I’d lost friends, an apartment, maybe my job and reputation, too.

Mercifully, one person stuck by me through it all — my mom, nicknamed the Bird on account of the choppy, avian head movements she makes when her feathers are ruffled. She had been my tether in a hurricane.

During my leave of absence, I’d taken to calling the Bird in the middle of the night, every night, to hear her voice. I knew the toll it was taking on her. I could feel her heart breaking for me. She couldn’t tell me that everything was going to be O.K. because the truth was, she wasn’t sure. All she could do was make sure she kept answering the phone.

What I wanted to hear was, “This will never happen again.” I wanted to hear that I’d never again be restrained and injected with anti-psychotics. That I’d never have to smell that place again or eat that food. That I’d never again wonder if the orderlies would tackle the flailing patient before he really starts swinging. That I would never again fear the worst in a communal psych-ward shower. But no one, not even the Bird, could tell me that.

I buzzed my security card and entered the interior office. The halls of the Legal Aid Society felt nearly as claustrophobic as the psych ward. I wanted to believe that these people understood mental illness. They make their paltry living arguing on behalf of the poor and mentally ill, citing poverty and mental illness as an explanation for “bad” behavior every day in criminal court. But I was terrified of them.

I had to go talk to my supervisor. But just before I rounded the corner, my body made a U-turn back to the lobby and dove into the restroom. I fished my phone out of my pocket, scrolled to the Bs, and tapped Bird.

It was 8:30 a.m. in Kansas — she’d be busy setting up her students as they trickled into her class. She answered on the first ring; her phone had become an appendage since I moved back to New York.

“Gorilla report?” (The Bird nicknamed me Gorilla, because of my barrel chest and hirsute body.)

“Gorilla is at Legal Aid.”

“First day of school? Not good?”

“Not good.” I spilled it — sobbed, breathed, sobbed. “I shouldn’t be here. This is so ridiculous. I feel like such an idiot. Idiot! I can’t see these people again yet.”

“Steppers keep on stepping. You’re a …”

“Not a stepper! Not a stepper. No steps.”

“Three months ago you were in a locked psych ward. You’re at work now. You’re still an attorney. It’s not easy, what you’re doing.”

“I’m scared. Of everyone. And everything — all the time,” I told her. “The subway. Confined spaces. Walking through the halls, waiting for everyone to stare at me, and think, The Madman is back in the building.”

“You need Mama Gorilla to open up five cans of whoop ass on somebody?”

I laughed. I knew she’d love to.

“Boy, we been through the fire with gasoline soaked drawers on. You got this. Puff out that big gorilla chest and go rip it off like a Band-Aid. Call me if you need me.”

I wiped my eyes, left the stall, and splashed some cold water on my face. Game time. Don’t let them see you sweat. Steppers keep on stepping. I looked in the mirror — You look good, you look normal. You’re a normal guy. Then I slapped myself in the face as hard as I could.

I knew I had a lifelong disease and that bipolar disorder is something to be managed, not cured. I knew I’d need to take medication for the rest of my life and that I’d humiliated myself in front of countless friends and strangers alike. I knew that I had more in common than I’d have liked with my schizophrenic uncle Eddie who lived the last 15 years of his life in a state mental institution. That no matter how early I got to work, no matter how useful I made myself, no matter how reasonable and modest my khakis and my sweater were, I was and would always be the “crazy” dude.

I finally bucked up and made it to my supervisor’s office. I knew we’d have a come-to-Jesus talk soon enough — my practice was in disarray when I left — but he seemed genuinely glad to see me. “You look great,” he told me. “Got some meat back on your bones. We’re thrilled to have you back.”

Twenty minutes later, he was forced to dismiss me. I needed a note from my psychiatrist declaring me fit to return to duty. “Sorry,” he said, “it’s just policy. You can’t be in the building without a note.”

“Them’s the rules,” I said.

I was relieved to have an out but I was humiliated all the same. The note requirement didn’t feel like the fulfillment of a bureaucratic requirement; it felt like a request for proof of sanity. We’re thrilled to have you. Now we’ll be needing certification that you’re no longer certifiable.

I got the note the next day and returned. I knew I had no choice but to keep showing up every day, take my meds, keep my pants on and channel my trauma as best I could to find a way to be someone else’s Bird.

It did not work.

What I’d once viewed as my dream job became a pressure cooker I couldn’t withstand. The cramped jail cells where we public defenders spend so much of our working day frequently triggered PTSD symptoms, bringing me right back to the claustrophobia of forced confinement. But it was the anxiety attacks after work that eventually did me in. My philosophy as a public defender was that no one should spend an extra hour in jail because of a mistake I made. It’s probably an impossible standard to meet, but I couldn’t shake the fear that I wasn’t cutting it. After two more psychotic breaks and hospitalizations, I left the Legal Aid Society.

It’s been two years now, and thanks to the love and support of the Bird and modern pharmacology, I no longer live in constant fear that my mind will abandon me at any time. I also live with the knowledge that millions of others with mental illness live with that fear, and suffer through it alone, and far too many are sucked into our hyperactive justice system and treated as criminals for an illness they are powerless to fight. A 2015 investigation by The Times found that nearly 40 percent of the population at Rikers Island, a total of 4,000 men and women at any given time, suffer from mental illness. In other words, our jails have become our de facto mental health facilities.

Ultimately, I couldn’t take the pressure of having lives hanging in the balance when I went off the work in the morning, while also keeping my bipolar in check.

What I could do, though, was speak and write honestly about being utterly at the mercy of my illness, and being pulled from the brink by the care of one person’s love. And that’s what I am doing now.

Gede Goes to Borno

By Samira Koko

Gede Foundation, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is conducting a project with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Borno State. 

Prior to their departure, the team had a training in identifying mental health and psycho-social support among IDPs in Maiduguri. The 5-day training with Bonnie Kaiser also included basics in research. Topics discussed included introduction to mental health, qualitative & quantitative research, ethics & mental health stigma, psychosocial first aid and involved a practice interview with actual IDPs in Abuja. 

Pictured below, are our Research Assistants right before they left to Borno State on the 13th of September, 2017. 

Binfa and Yusuf left for Borno State and Samira is working from Abuja. 

Please return to the blog for more details!

Sitawa Wafula Visits Gede

Sitawa Wafula's visit to Abuja

Good afternoon Beautiful people,
In today's post, which is the second part of my chronicles from Keffi and Abuja - Read Part 1 on things to do in Keffi and Abuja - I will share the mental health service providers I met with in Abuja.

1. On Sunday afternoon, I facilitated a support group meeting, hosted by She Writes Woman  - a forum that brings women going through different types of mental health issues together to speak and support each other through monthly sessions in Abuja and Lagos. Since support group meetings are private closed door affairs, I will not divulge more.

2. On Monday morning, we went for a hospital visit, the Behavioural Medicine Unit in Abuja - the main state referral unit in Abuja - where we met Samuel, a psychologist at the hospital. He was very instrumental in helping us understand the mental health structure in Nigeria. The Behavioural Medicine Unit does both in and out patient services and can host up to 40 people at a time - space is definitely an issue, but hey if we did more awareness and preventative mental health, we will not need to worry about space. Samuel informed us that the most common admissions are on substance abuse and substance induced mental health issues, bipolar, clinical depression and schizophrenia.

He also shared some success stories and I loved how his face lit up when he took us through various recovery journeys that he had been part of or seen at the unit. I loved that the unit works with social workers to help with the transition process from hospital to home and has a trial release program where one is allowed to go home over the weekend before being officially discharged from the hospital. Samuel informed us that stigma even among staff is an issue and told us of an interesting initiative by WHO where staff got free lunch if they ate with those who had been admitted at the hospital. 

3. After the hospital visit, we went to Gede Foundation  which one of the largest mental health NGOs in Nigeria. Godwin, the partnership manager, received us and took us through a brief history of the foundation. Gede started with work on HIV where they saw the burden of mental health issues in people living with HIV, this is what formed the foundation of their work in the mental health space. They have various projects going on including implementation of the Basicneeds model to various  communities including IDPs - I have worked with the Kenyan arm of Basicneeds and visited with the Ghanaian and been in conversations with the US arm so I am very familiar with this model and it is exciting to see Gede adopting it. It basically works around inclusion of community in addressing mental health issues as well as looking at livelihood and self advocacy of those going with a mental health diagnosis. 

Gede Foundation has also been involved in research and policy work - where they have successfully gotten mental health care on the HIV guidelines, they also host a mental health CSO coalition that brings together 54 mental health organisations in Nigeria among many other exciting things. 

When a Sibling Attempts Suicide

Over the weekend, I got a text saying my older brother had been talking about taking his own life. He had threatened to do this so many times we brushed it aside and even laughed about it. Little did we know that he was serious.

The next text I got said he had climbed onto the power lines (NEPA lines) with the hopes of electrocuting himself. Somehow he was talked down and then disappeared for about 2 weeks. 

A little backstory. My brother is not only the smartest in the family but the most talented. He is a self taught artist; he can draw, paint, sculpt, mould, sing, write, you name it. However, at some point in his life, he fell into drugs. When the pocket money he got could no longer sustain his habit, he resorted to stealing. He was/is the type of relative that when he comes around, you hide all the valuables. I always protected and defended him because he was my smart and handsome big brother - until he stole my new shoes. Even then, though, I gave excuses for him. I recall one time we were woken up at 4am by policemen holding my brother who had our TV with him. He had told the policemen that he was on his way to fix the TV - at 4am. Looking back, they were really nice policemen because they brought him to the house to ask if this was true and if he truly stayed there. As we slept, he left all the doors open, took the TV and he went out with the hopes of selling it. We were saved that day. Another time he stole something very valuable from my mother. She insisted he take us to where he sold it. He took us around the neighbourhood until we got to a deserted house and then he took off. This was about 10pm on a dark, cloudy, starless night. As no cars were passing, my mother and I had to walk back hoping we did not run into hoodlums.

Another thing that my brother is, is a charmer. Once he was done with all his shenanigans, he would return home and our mother would be strict with him but he would play her tune (and the rest of ours). For 2/3 weeks he would be the perfect brother/son and just when you lower your guard, he would strike. I recall my mother crying because he stole her gold watch and sold it for peanuts - just to get a fix. She tried having him locked up, kicked him out of the house but he always charmed his way back. One time, he took rat poison and we all got scared and tried to ‘understand’ his situation as best as we could. 

There was always a darkness about him. Other girls would describe him as ‘dark and brooding’ but maybe that was the beginning of depression and we missed it. He did write several suicide notes as well as other dark literature. He found pleasure in inflicting pain on my younger brother but never me. He attempted suicide more than once but he got a scolding instead of a listening ear and treatment. Now he is older, married with children. Sometimes he calms down, best husband and father ever and then he goes on a bender. He’s been missing for two weeks. His phones are off. The family knows he will eventually turn up but what if he does not? 

As Dr. Stella Iwuagwu once said, empathy costs no dime. Perhaps if we had listened, paid more attention, gotten treatment for him, anything really, we might know where he is. He might have gotten the treatment he so desperately deserves. Even worse, what if he succeeds? How does the family recover? How do we pick up the pieces? 

Written by Susan