Briefly tell us your background.
I am the second born among three children raised by a single mother. She really struggled financially to raise us, so I grew up in a really difficult environment.
What really drove you into depression?
It was the desire to conform to the lifestyle of my peers in campus. I was lucky enough to get good grades and join campus and my mother did everything she could to make sure I secured the chance.
However, most of my peers and colleagues at the college were from well-to-do families. I didn't want to look like I was from a lowly background. Nonetheless, this was the most stupid blunder I had ever made I started copying their lifestyle including how they eat, wear and even having girlfriends.
I even moved in with one of my girlfriends while at the campus and I was the one who was catering for almost everything.
To sustain this type of life, I used to lie to my mother that there are certain requirements needed or I was sick just to get money from her.
Since I wanted to be like my friends, I didn't mind living with the girlfriend but unfortunately, she was very demanding.
I did everything including faking my background and status just to be able to meet her demands so that she doesn't leave me.
However, the consistent lies to my mother, the pressure of wanting and looking for more money took a toll on me. Slowly by slowly, I started becoming mentally unstable and I came to learn later from my colleagues, my emotional and physical stability was greatly impaired.
Please describe your behaviour and how abnormal it was.
My colleagues told me that I had started acting weird. I was arrogant and could insult or even beat up anyone who crossed my path.
It actually started with my girlfriend whom I had moved in with. Sometimes I could just hide her clothes, books or valuables and become aggressive when she asked me anything.
I also started becoming abusive and this behaviour was transferred to university staff. I was told how I answered our janitor rudely after he found me at the ladies washrooms.
However, my girlfriend became very concerned about our confrontations and told me that I had a mental problem. It was at this point that the janitor reported me to the administration who reached out to my mother to take me to hospital. At this time, I was in my final year of studies.
What happened after your mother was involved?
My mother came to the campus and took me to hospital where I was diagnosed with severe depression.
However, I had to be discharged before recovery because my mother did not have money to pay hospital bills. She offered to take care of me at home for about five months before I regained my senses and went back to campus to complete my studies. I thank God that I managed to overcome my mental challenges and finally got to graduate.
Have you managed to get a job since you graduated?
Not yet.. I have not been lucky to get a job yet and for this reason, I am asking well-wishers out there to show or grant me a job opening.
What great lessons did you learn after this experience?
Just live your life. It is pointless to emulate the life of someone else because the pressure will subject you to emotional, psychological and even physical imbalance.
You can live comfortably within your means and to avoid unnecessary pressures, we need to avoid exaggerating life.
For university students, always focus on what brought you to campus and avoid pleasures which would jeopardise your life and even well-being.
