The Editor-In-Chief went undercover to the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. He encountered an outpatient, Titi Balogun (not real names) who came with her brother.
Her brother shared her story.
It all started in the year 2000 when she came back from a church around the months of either July or August. She had taken her friends in the Lagos State University (LASU) to the same church.
Suddenly she started shouting the names of all her classmates; then she jumped the fence claiming that people wanted to kill her. She also uttered a lot of gibberish with unending talk and screams.
We rushed her to Aro where she has been hospitalized many times since then.
She could not finish her course at LASU and has not been able to have a source of livelihood as a result of the illness.
Sometimes she gets violent and has gotten into a couple of fights with people who are unaware of her mental health challenge.
When I was doing my National Youth Service Corps in Kabba, Kogi State, I got a distress call from one of our tenants that she nearly stabbed my mother to death after she relapsed. I had to rush home to salvage the situation and mercifully no harm was done to my mum.
When she is mentally stable, she can be so sweet and nice. I recall her telling me that she desperately wants to marry and have children before menopause sets in. Many male love interests flee once they get aware of her health challenge. One of her greatest fears is growing old alone.
Asides hospitals, my mum has taken her to some miracle centres for ‘deliverance’ from ‘evil spirits’.
She hasn’t relapsed in two years now though she is now more withdrawn than before. I sincerely hope she stays stable for the rest of her life as she doesn’t joke with her medications.
Please excuse me as it’s her turn to see the doctor.
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