)
Gorgeous NTV presenter Grace Ekirapa has opened up about attempting to take her life as a teenager because she felt that she was a burden.
She tried committing suicide in Class 8 and once again in Form 3.
“A lot of people don’t know this but when I was in class eight, I tried committing suicide. I took 18 pills, I was on Amoxil, some antibiotics. I was unwell and at one time I got to a point and said ‘You know what I’m going to take all the medicine that I had.’ 18 pills.
"Form three again I decided I’m going to do the same and I took 35 pills this time because 18 didn’t kill me so 35 will. People did not understand why a 17-year-old would be committing suicide, why a 14-year-old would commit suicide,” She said.
)
)
)
)
Reasons for attempting suicide
Ekirapa disclosed that she felt like she was surrounded by constant negativity and people thought that she was faking her sickness to avoid school. Factors which made her feel like a burden.
“For me, it was the constant negativity around me. I grew up as a sickly child and people around me always thought I was faking sickness to get out of school. My own parent didn’t believe me and I thought ‘You know what, I am a burden so how about I just take my own life.’ and I tried twice but I didn’t die and I remember countlessly asking God why didn’t I die, why didn’t you take me?” she confessed.
)
Ekirapa then went on to advise her followers against suicide “Suicide will rob you off your potential. Suicide will rob off your opportunities, it will rob you off the many doors head of you. I look at my life and I think to myself ‘If I had killed myself, how many people would miss out on what God has done in my life?’ God has opened doors for me and given me a platform to minister, I wouldn’t have done this if I had taken my life.”
Heavy Emotions
The soft-spoken TV host revealed that doing the video wasn’t easy as it brought back some heavy emotions.
“Doing this video was really not easy. It brought with it a lot of emotions because here I was again unwrapping a past that was not pretty, however, as I let you all in on a little of my life’s journey, I hope somebody finds hope and restoration because there is definitely hope and Jesus is still Lord,” she explained.
)
Ekirapa is not the only TV beauty who has battled with suicide. Joey Muthengi has been through some dark times and was at some point suicidal due to depression and anxiety.
“I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a teenager. I started seeing a therapist at 14 years in high school… It started a long time ago and it’s something you struggle with for the rest of your life. It is not something that can be cured, I have been on medication before, I am not currently,” she said on Radio Jambo.
Read Also: I’ve been through some dark times - Joey Muthengi speaks on being suicidal