Former KBC producer Elizabeth Irungu has launched a book on Mental Wellness.
Austria
The book dubbed 'Take it Away Sandra' seeks to raise awareness on mental wellness.
In the book, Elizabeth demonstrates how in an attempt to escape pain, we sometimes mask it with alcohol, drugs, partying, work ventures, social media, travel adventures and in her main character Sandra's case, a wild sexual behaviour and reckless dating.
Elizabeth says the behaviours are an easier escape for many as opposed to facing childhood trauma and other life experiences that might have contributed to a lack of good mental health.
"I felt i needed to explore this arena inspired by mostly my own personal travels. All around Europe, you see all these young people from all walks of life engage in wild parties, travel and what on the surface appears to be innocent fun in an era of social media and self-made millionaires, instant gratification and life on the fast lane (some even from my own home Kenya) but later on you hear of tragedy from crime, to arrests to suicide," Elizabeth says.
The journalist, who relocated to Austria 3 years ago writes how Sandra, a fun-loving adventurer ends up doing the unthinkable because her pain was masked too deep even for her herself to recognize that it had always been there like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.
Elizabeth says the book is not based on her life, but only on a fictional character created from observation.
"It is a crime thriller actually. I push it to the very limit. I demonstrate how unresolved trauma can go unchecked for years creating monsters in the end!"
Elizabeth further explains that she wrote a short book to avoid boring her audience.
"I settled on a short novel to emulate the fast pace of life today where we youngsters are concerned. We like to view things in one click, one link and one takes!!! Therefore i wrote something someone can read in less than 30 minutes and the story itself is also that of a woman living life on the fast lane!"
Final answer, what impact do i think it will have on my audience:
Elizabeth hopes the book will make friends and family be more observant to notice those suffering from Mental Illness.
"When your friend is picking that extra bottle or taking that extra shot of vodka! When they are reckless in who they date- jumping from partner to partner, with this book i hope to have you the reader question whether they are "only having fun" or is there something more sinister going on," she says.
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