From failing grades to finding purpose: How I survived suicide, rebuilt my life — Aishat

A young Nigerian, Aishat Abdulhakeem, has shared a moving communicative of however world nonaccomplishment and affectional struggles erstwhile pushed her to effort suicide; and however timely entree to intelligence wellness attraction and household enactment helped her rebuild her life.

Speaking astatine Vanguard’s 3rd Mental Health Summit, held connected Friday astatine the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Aishat recalled however her difficulties began erstwhile she repeatedly failed to summation admittance into university.

“Years back, I was having issues with gaining admittance into school,” she said. “First and 2nd year, I didn’t get admittance until the 3rd year. While I yet got in, I was struggling with academics, and astatine immoderate point, I got disturbed and couldn’t sleep. My eyes were ever teary.”

Aishat said that aft a person suggested she sojourn a intelligence wellness clinic, she met Professor Taiwo Sheikh, a psychiatrist who started her connected treatment.

“I was connected medicine for a twelvemonth and a half,” she said. “Before that, I was told I was possessed by a jin. As a quality anatomy student, I failed my halfway courses and kept trying to motivate myself.”

Her intelligence state, however, worsened. “One morning, I felt amended and said I should spell location to spot my mother,” she recalled. “Then I began proceeding a dependable telling me, ‘You are a failure. Go to the roadworthy and extremity it all.’”

It was a near-tragic moment, but assistance came unexpectedly. “Luckily for me, it was determination radical knew me. One woman saw maine and came to maine — she saved maine that day,” Aishat said.

Back home, she opened up to her mother. “I told her I was battling struggles with my academics and that I attempted to instrumentality my life,” she recounted. “My parent told me, ‘The doc you saw that clip who

made you consciousness amended — it’s clip to spell backmost to him.’”

Shame initially held her back. “I felt I had disappointed Prof. Sheikh and didn’t question assistance due to the fact that I was ashamed,” she said. “But 1 day, helium saw maine by the roadside and took maine backmost to the clinic.”

Today, Aishat says her beingness has changed. “I’m present a postgraduate with amended results, and I person recovered

purpose. I’m presently serving arsenic a corps subordinate nether the NYSC,” she said proudly.

Reflecting connected her experience, she emphasised the value of consciousness and entree to intelligence wellness care. “I survived a termination effort due to the fact that I had entree to a intelligence wellness session and a listening receptor from my mother,” she said. “When 1 idiosyncratic knows astir intelligence health, it leads to much radical successful our assemblage getting the close awareness. Let intelligence wellness facilities beryllium accessible to each Nigerian successful need.”

Her last connection was 1 of hope: “Healing starts with conversations. Suicide is real, but assistance leads to a amended life.”

The station From failing grades to uncovering purpose: How I survived suicide, rebuilt my beingness — Aishat appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.