What We Do
project
Mental Recovery International Objectives.
Establishment of a Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center for Young People, Adolescents, adults and people living with disability Facing Mental Health Issues.
Definition: What Is Mental Health?
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry, Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse, Family history of mental health problems. Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.
People with severe mental health issues are treated with an individually tailored combination of medication and Psychotherapy (including the crucial part of Psycho-Education). The main goals include the provision of day-to-day support and treatment while ensuring users enjoy as much independence as possible.
Support mental health practitioners, in dealing with the special issues of young clients with mental health disorders.
Meliorate the skills and competencies of professionals, via a Curriculum dedicated to assessing such clients and assisting those with their rehabilitation, social and labor inclusion.
Reinforce the young clients, by improving their living conditions and aiding them in their integration into the labor market.
Exchange good practices between two continents, Africa and Europe and combine two different backgrounds of assessing mental health and treatment, with the utmost purpose of achieving one common goal: Rehabilitation.
Battle the social stigma of Mental Health issues and raise awareness about the inequalities these people face.
Thus, the target groups of the project include:
- Occupational therapists
- Health practitioners and nurses who have specialist training in mental health conditions
- Counselors and psychotherapists
- Social workers
- Trainers and VET Trainers working within the field of Psycho-Education for mental health users
- Psychologists and psychiatrists
A True Story
Mental Health, Associated Causes, Effects & Recovery/Rehabilitation
Stress/Depression leads to a mental disorder. To seek pleasure, adolescents opt for drugs and substance abuse attacking mental peace—becomes a mind disorder hence deteriorating mental health.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) is a service designed to help adults with psychiatric disabilities increase their functioning so that they can be successful and satisfied in the environments of their choice with the least amount of ongoing professional intervention. This entails psychosocial rehabilitation that aims to promote recovery and reduce the impacts (for example social isolation, loss of employment, relationship problems or elapse) that may accompany a mental illness. In this way, mental health rehabilitation is similar to rehabilitation for a physical condition.
Rutto Kamama Kolem, a reformed/rehabilitated drug addict currently mental health advocate and officer in charge of training and rehabilitation at MRI narrated his story.
Rutto is a well-known personality in Tiaty Constituency, Baringo County and not just because he is a scion of prominent parents. He had to overcome goat obstacles to become a renowned motivational speaker & addiction counselor.
The last born of former teacher Michael C Kolem was a teenager when he started abusing alcohol and drugs—something that adversely impacted on his mental health. It would take a toll on him to a point he could not even complete his University studies in Egerton. Although he has won the battle against drugs, substance abuse and alcohol, he still considers himself a reformed alcoholic and drug addict who fought depression to its end; indeed he suffered a lot in it. He now credits every contributor for saving him from the fangs of alcoholic, drugs and substance abuse—it was a life full of depression and all sorts of mental health problems.
Rutto now has a new passion in a new version of life fighting for the recognition of alcoholism and drug abuse disorders as an illness for which no one should be treated harshly without being given a chance to heal.
“Instead of an alcoholic or addict being fired from their jobs they should be sent for treatment,” he explained
“It got so bad, that on the days that I didn’t have a drink or cigarette, I would feel like I was literally losing my mind. The withdrawals and hallucinations would be quite severe.
I once had a seizure because of too many narcotics Kuber, bhang, shisha and sniffing tobacco in my old addiction time. Then, my irritation levels and paranoia would be at an all-time high. I would feel as if someone was constantly watching me, or talking about me planning things over me I would only stay in my house a small mud house around the old man’s place. I hated interacting with people because I felt they were judging me.
On the days I had booze, I was on cloud nine. Nothing was sweeter than the thought of having my drink and getting into fantasy land. Many cigarettes would accompany my drinking. Also, I would fear going to sleep because I was scared of waking up to the realization that my life was a mess.
My experience in rehab was liberating but difficult. The withdrawals I experienced while in rehab were not exciting and to help deal with that, I was put on some attain and anti-depressants for a month 3 liters of water daily to get rid of the thirst that comes with wanting substances. I also believe praying and journaling helped me a lot. This helped me clear my mind of lot of things.
Within a month, I began to feel like a normal human being. I began to enjoy simple things like going to bed and waking up sober, fresh, guilt-free and energetic.
While in treatment, I learned to deal with my low self-esteem, anger and resentment issues. I had so much baggage that I had carried for years. I learned to forgive those I felt had wronged me, right from my childhood.
The process of facing my pain and fears without any drugs in my body was so painful. I cried a lot, to ask for forgiveness from those I had wronged, my parents while in rehab and I explained everything to them and asked them for forgiveness. There were a lot of tears. It was hard but that moment has helped our relationship with my family is dad and mum were spiritual.
I’m also blessed with a very strong support system. My parents, siblings, and a few mentors continue to walk with me in my recovery journey.
Some days are hard, some days I’ve felt like walking into a bar to have a drink. But then I remember how far I’ve come, the family background, what I cost them and I fight those thoughts.
It’s important to have someone you can be accountable to. It doesn’t matter how old one is, accountability in recovery is crucial. My father has played the biggest role in my recovery journey. He continues to speak into my life. My father reversed my destiny through his unwavering and relentless love, prayers, and support.
He has loved me even when I hated myself for being so wicked and such a failure. He never cursed me but always blessed me with his words.
The power of the tongue is real. Without proper support, it is easy to relapse. Addiction is a disease like any other and should be treated as such. It is possible for an alcoholic and drug addict to recover fully but only in the right environment and with the right support
I have been sober for three years now. Also, I am a Certified Addiction Professional, accredited by the (NACADA, ISSUP) and a motivational speaker. I am actively involved in my community because I know what God did for me, He saved me. I also enjoy spending time with kids, and also take myself out regularly. I saved many souls out there referred a lot of suffering addicts, alcoholics, and other mental health problems to undergo rehabilitation program in my ongoing community social work support hoping someday I would have my own facility ( Reformed Addict Helping Another Addict Project, a Mental Health Facility)”
Special thanks to NACADA, ISSUP, NGAAF-Baringo County, my mentors and the community. With the efforts at, and through Mental Recovery International who are committed to offering quality services toward rehabilitation and wellbeing while treating mental health among the young people as a life-threatening condition.
The New Mind-Set Climate
The “New Mind-set Climate” project focuses on key applicable approaches of mental recovery processes alongside key preventive measures undertaken to curb social and economic issues that may trigger any form of mental disorders in the day-to-day life.
Many interventions have been proposed by mental health researchers and organizations which cumulatively end in disorder treatment, promotion and prevention. Mental health is an area of massive concern across the world and data shows that Kenya is no exemption. A staggering 1 out of 4 persons who seek healthcare in Kenya have a mental health condition; with fewer than 500 specialist mental health workers to serve Kenya’s population of over 53 Million.
