MIND SPACE

The birth of a child can stir up different emotions from excitement, joy, anxiety and fear. It is a time that brings a big change in a woman’s life. I gave birth to my daughter during the 2020 Covid 19 lock down. It was a confusing time with so much uncertainty. I was excited, nervous and anxious about meeting my new born baby. After giving birth, I started hating how my body looked, it brought down my self-esteem. I also hated not being independent. I would look in the mirror and couldn’t recognize who I was anymore. I didn’t feel like my body was mine. My husband would always tell me how beautiful I was but I didn’t see it. I would get mood swings, anxiety and crying spells. Leave alone the sleepless nights dealing with a new born baby but I had myself to deal with too.    There are so many women who suffer from postpartum depression but you won’t hear about it because it’s something that is not talked about. Everyone expects a mother to be a super hero, ready to endure anyt...

Recently, I read about the tragic story of DJ Lithium, a popular DJ on Capital FM in Kenya who committed suicide at his work place. It is heart breaking to read about a young man who had so much ahead of him take his own life. The sad part is that, this is one of many. We have a silent monster amongst us, it is like a vampire, it sucks out everything from within. It turns laughter into hidden tears, it turns hope into hopelessness, it turns worth into worthlessness, it turns sleep into sleepless nights, and it turns love into hate. This monster is moving in our society and stealing young lives. This monster is called Depression. It comes in different forms, it can be major, bipolar, postpartum, persistent, premenstrual, psychotic and seasonal. It is like a snake slithering through the grass, waiting to pounce on its victim without warning or mercy. People experience depression in different ways, it can interfere with your daily work, it can influence relationships and for some, it migh...