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Posted in Coaching and Therapy, Marie's Garden, Mental Health Advocacy

Marie Abanga on Mental Health and Services she offers

Posted on by Marie Abanga

 

Hello world, after passing my exams in flying colours recently; setting out on a journey to launch a much desired and needed service as a CBT therapist and mental wellbeing coach, so grateful for all the support.

Have a great week everyone

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Posted in Coaching and Therapy, Mental Health Advocacy, Poetry

Hopeless…Hopeful

Posted on by Marie Abanga

Hopeless
Might as well
Hopeful

 

She crawled under her bed

It made no more sense

Such sham & shame

The Weight

Mind & Mass

Needless living on

Who cares what goes on

Sensless, pointless, needless

It is truly

HOPELESS

……….

she publishes a 4th memoir

Kinda movie

The 360°

Transformations

Hardwork

Tough Choices & Sacrifices

Faith, Hope, Love

It is truly

HOPEFUL

……….
(C) 2017 Marie Abanga

The end

Hopeful and Hopeless directions. Opposite traffic sign.

P.s: Officially and in my inspired way, fully embracing my story and engraving it in my heart and on all walls of my home. I actually did crawl and stay for a while under my hospital bed the morning my daughter died, I prayed the ground open up for me. I spiralled for 6 months and survived another 6. Then although pregnant once again, it felt not worth living. I picked up a knife and then I got a kick from within and I dropped it hot. The transformation started dripping in from that moment… Be inspired…

Watch “Inviting us all to the Solidarity and Sensitization walk against Rape”


#mentalhealthawarness #walkagainstrape #yestosocialjustice #ourfight #letsmakeithappen
When a person is raped, it is not just their body which is abused, but their mental health above all. It could take years or a life time to heal from the pain, shame, guilt and trauma. That’s why, we are organising a Solidarity and Sensitization walk against Rape in Douala, Cameroon on the 9th of November, and in Yaounde on the 16th of November. Are you in any of those cities? Join us. You can also support us in any way you can, we are grateful.

I had a meltdown today after 9 months


Hello tribe,Today was so overwhelming and sensorial, I ended up with a meltdown.Today I signed the grant for my association at the US Embassy in my country, and an event which was to be joyful all the way ended up triggering. I really went through the crying and pain in my head, and hands and legs, and I did live videos to capture all that and use that to raise awareness about mental health challenges and Mental illness.So, feeling better now and ready for bed, I just wrote the following on Facebook – does anyone relate or have anything to add which I could capture for more sensitization please?Some Signs someone is struggling mentally:
1) Their speech gets more rapid or slurred;
2) Their gaze gets more distracted or static;
3) Their coherence gets more all over the place or repetitive;
4) They cry for no reason or every reason they recall;
5) They look so untidy or over more than usual…inshort it is on a case by case basis and I am drawing from my own experiences as a mental health care user and providerSome things you can do to help someone struggling
1) Listen to them without offering advice as they speak;
2) let them cry all they want and just run their hand and offer a tissue as you let them know it is ok to cry it out;
3) Ask them what you can do to make them feel better, and try to do that;
4) Help them look at the positive side of life as is without any judgmental tone;
5) Encourage them to lie down or offer to go for a walk with them depending on how they are and what they prefer.Some things not helpful to do when someone is struggling
1) Do not cut them short with solutions unless you know them so well, you may trigger more sadness and helplessness if you do – online comments are different, they may not even read them while the struggle is ongoing;
2) Do not try to blame them or make them feel ungrateful about their struggles;
3) Do not try to get them bottle it up for whatever reason;
4) Do not try to take any major decisions about them without discussing with them (personally I would feel invalidated, hurt and stigmatized);
5) Do not laugh away their struggle.All the above from my personal experiences. I am sincerely grateful for all Angels on my path, and all who continue to trust me to help them too.Goodnight tribe, I feel much better but need to sleep now and not later o. I will be live on national TV tomorrow for the program below

Hey Tribe can you help my association get an award?


The Award screenshot

My association Hope for the Abused and the Battered has been nominated for an award – a prestigious award for philanthropy, and it’s a close call lol.

I am not going to stop breathing if my association doesn’t get the award, but it will sure be cool as a first award o. The Returnee is out to be the bridge between the diaspora and the people back home, while celebrating those who returned to the country and are making strides in one area or the other.

So, without writing too much, below is the link to vote, and the votes can be done daily until the 27th. Thank you all in advance.

RETURNEES AWARDS NOMINEES 2019!

World Mental Health Day 2019, I reflect some…


I have definitely come a long way since opening up about my mental health challenges in 2013, and PTSD diagnosis which followed in 2014. Could it be just 6 years gone? I have come to realize the best way to liberate yourself of the yoke of stigma and shame, face dem phobias and foes, is to #speakyourmind. When you do that, you without knowing give others the permission to relate and #daretohopetoo.

I run an organisation today which at barely 10 months got a US Embassy grant to principally carry out mental health awareness, advocacy and look at what structures could be put in place to facilitate mental well-being. I know there is more to come and to be done.

I share this tweet from the Global Mental Health Peer Network to which I belong too as the executive representing Cameroon, to encourage and motivate us all on this day.

#WMHD2019. Together we can prevent and reduce #suicide rates through – Raise #awareness; Eliminate #stigma; Create #support structures for those suffering; Provide safe spaces to #speak about struggles; Make sure that no one feels alone; Generate #hope! @global_peer

A special shout out to Ashley Peterson who blogs over at Mentalhealth@Home.

This picture reminds me of when I started to consciously hate how my life was playing out back then

An exceptional week in Accra Ghana does so much to me


Hello world,

Wow wow wow. I am currently on my way back to my country Cameroon after spending a week (5 full days lol) in Accra Ghana. Accra is a big hustle and bubble commercial city in Ghana, and seriously could be a mini version of Baltimore MD hahahaha.

So, I was there officially for a 3 day orientation into the university of Lancaster as a Commonwealth Scholar, doing an MSc in something lol

Well, y’all should know by now am an #areagirl and when I globe trotte, I make the most of my trotting hahahaha.

I tried my best in Accra, indeed the same minute I landed I followed my host straight from the airport to town for some errands they had. We looked up my stuffs in the booth as I had insisted – why be dropped off at any home?

I generally don’t love living in ‘high rise’ areas like where my school was, nor in homes which feel more like prisons hahahahaha. I am freedom and love, and wish to go wherever and whenever – well I kept remembering what I was officially here for too o.

Another highlight of my trip was FOOD. I was advised to make my trip an ‘operation eat all you can’ because I had lot so much weight, and my cousin hosting me said she was putting me on a ‘1day/1kg’ diet. Both at home and school, AWWWWWWW Food Food Folly lol

I did make a lot of new friends, classmates and some blogger sister from World Pulse. We were so happy.

And yes, I had so much fun gallivanting an regaining my groove to be made up, swavy, sexy and good to go feeling funky hahahaha

You know, as in YOLO – You Only Live Once, I am doing the 4 Ls wherever I am. I live, I love, I laugh and I learn.

I am so grateful for this opportunity, and for all the Angels on my path during the trip. I return home filled from all angles you name them, and yes I was a good student after all hahahahaha