Prioritise your mental health, media personality, Jideonwo, urges Nigerians

TV host and media entrepreneur, Chude Jideonwo, has urged Nigerians to prioritise their mental health.

Jideonwo, in an Instagram post, said this while recalling his challenges, as he took a seat as a guest on a special edition of his show, #WithChude, in commemoration of his 25 years in media.

Nigerian actress and film producer, Omoni Oboli, took over as host.

”From age 15, my life had been moving up—I had never faced failure like this. Then suddenly, I realised I could fall, and fall hard. My mind wouldn’t stop thinking about the worst-case scenarios.

“I was afraid of what I might do to myself, so, I moved into Debola’s house (my co-founder). I just needed to be around people.

“One day, my assistant came knocking at my door. When I didn’t answer, he had to push the door open because I had locked myself inside, shut all the windows, and just felt like I couldn’t deal with life anymore.

 

“He panicked. I panicked. That moment scared me. I didn’t know what I was capable of anymore. That was when I knew I needed help.”

He called on individuals to surround themselves with genuine friends and family.

 “The idea that I don’t know if I was ever going to come out of this was what led me to depression. There’s the shame and pain, I didn’t have anything to fall on, so, I sank.

“For years people have been asking me, what’s your own story?

“This year, I am finally saying yes and sharing a part of my story. The part I think the world needs to hear today,” he said

Jideonwo also announced the release of his new book, ‘How Depression Saved My Life’, which will be out in April, a memoir of his life from 2014 to 2024. (NAN)