Name: Careen Chikwanha
Organization: Second Chance Foundation
Role: C.E.O & Founder
Other interests: Student| Entrepreneur| A Columnist
Achievements/Awards:
Ignite Youth Foundation Mental Health Award Winner
We effectively destroy ourselves giving up on our lives by not seeing what’s ahead of us. Cry if you are heartbroken let your pain and tears water your soul.
It’s okay to fall, it’s okay to break; but it’s not okay to give up on your life.
So, this was me the whole of 2018, I lost weight suffering from eating disorder, I was depressed, self-harming all because I couldn’t bear the pain. I was always surrounded by people at work and home yet I always felt alone slowing drowning in my pain slowing dying inside feeling betrayed my fiancé whom I dated for 7 years him telling me that he had moved on whilst we were planning our future ahead, he was planning to marry and suddenly everything just changed. So pretty much I was hurt couldn’t withhold it each and I cried each and every min to the extend I ended up losing everything that I had and became anti-social.
Of course, even on my work career I couldn’t focus on anything as emotions were controlling me. Yes, I have a [family] both parents and siblings but they didn’t know what I was going through I couldn’t even tell anyone had to pretend to smile whilst I was dying inside. For 6 months I suffered and did not know any joy at that time even dropping from 64 KGS to 43 KGS, yes, a complete mess I was. Why? Because I was blaming myself for the things that I didn’t do and try to find a reason why someone would just move on just like that.
Music soothed my soul healing.
Months passed then I started realizing that was destroying myself I instilled positive words in myself. That it wasn’t my fault for him to leave, as T.D. Jakes says, he left because he wanted to and certain people come for a certain period in people’s lives and not everyone who passed in your life is there to stay. It wasn’t easy to fight back to get back to myself. A huge battle it was, so I started keeping myself busy, finding peace and love in doing things that I love the most and also learnt to speak out.
Prayer is the key. I became so close to God and knowing myself worth getting myself back up was the hardest thing to do stepping out and making a decision and discovering only I was responsible for my life so I had to choose to step out of the pain that I was in to give up or to keep going and I took the mistakes and the things that I went through as a lesson and I conquered.
So I edge you no matter what problem you are dealing with seek help always tell someone what you are going through I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up being alone but it’s not be worst thing in life is letting your emotions control you and loosing that power over yourself. So, beyond my empathy whatever you are going through its just a season hang in there you are able to pull through you have a choice not to stress over.
Realize it’s just a feeling no matter how things are now it’s going to pass. Keep Going
I want you to pay attention to people who matter and I want you to listen to how they feel.
Help them to overcome those suicidal thoughts. I want to help you to keep smiling by connecting to Second Chance Foundation. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, you matter. I have founded Second Chance Foundation, a volunteer organization which helps people with mental health issues and raise awareness of suicide prevention.
