Survivors recount how they battled mental illness and how they pulled through

In Kahawa West, Nairobi, Ruth Waithera has been helping her mum in taking care of vegetables on their small plot. This, Ruth says, has been her saving grace after she recovered from mental challenges that dogged her for over a decade. Ruth was diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that is the result of previous traumatic events. She says she did not know the traumatic events she encountered as a kid would lead her into this state. “I realised I was getting angry very fast, I would shout or even yell at my siblings without reason, and sometimes I would break down and cry even when not provoked. My mental status was not good. I also had these unending nightmares that came with insomnia sometimes,” Ruth says.