Social media influencer Maureen Waititu says she went through severe depression after break-up from Frankie Kiarie.
The two had been in a union that bore two sons.
She became a point of ridicule after Frankie moved in with socialite Corazon Kwamboka and made her pregnant.
Maureen said social media’s reaction to the end of the relationship took a heavy toll on her mental health and almost drove her into ending her life.
"The internet trolled me very badly. I was the topic of discussion almost everywhere for months on end and I was losing it behind closed doors,” she said.
Waititu said that she could not get out of bed, eat well or sleep properly for weeks.
"I started getting heart palpitations, light-headed and very distracted. I remember twice in a mall, I parked my car and left the door wide open just to come back and find concerned security guards next to my car,” she said.
What followed was her loss of interest in things that she loved doing and sunk into a dark hole she couldn’t get herself out of.
She eventually began to entertain suicidal thoughts.
"The thoughts were so persistent that I attempted to end my life three different times,” she confessed.
Waititu was speaking during the Girl Generation Festival held in Athi River on Monday which sought to champion for the mental health and well-being of girls and women a global priority.
At her last attempt to end her life, she drove out of her house onto Waiyaki Way with the intent of crashing into oncoming traffic.
However, the memory of her two sons who were quite young then flashed through her mind and brought her back to her senses.
“Thankfully, at this point, I had been recommended to a very good psychiatrist who I still see even today,” she said.
Waititu said the first step towards mental wellness is acknowledging that you need help.
“It’s okay to seek help. I have never looked back since then. Even though I have had lapses in my mental health since then, it has gotten better,” she said.
She said that there is often a lot of negativity around medication for mental health but her doctor did what had to be done.
“I started off with very heavy anti-depressants which would put me out at night and keep me awake during the day. For two years, I was basically operating like a robot,” she said.
Waititu said said that with consistency, she was able to get better completely and get off the anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication.
"If people tell you otherwise about medication, trust your physician. Take care of your health whatever it takes because no one has got you like you have got you,” she said.
With help from Better 4 Kenya who work to amplify the voices of influencers, she now talks openly about mental health and advocates for mental well-being.
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