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I have tried to commit suicide twice - popular journalist opens up on his struggles with alcoholism
"I am still recovering. I am still fixing my family and social relationships"
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In a well written Facebook Post, Mathenge has narrated on how he contemplated on committing suicide twice due to the life frustrations he was going through.
Mathenge who works as the Digital Editor at Radio Africa Group, reveals that he had suffered uncountable meltdowns and sunk into debts due to his Alcoholism.
“I was breaking down. I messed up family and social relationships. I was messing up my job (until God decided I needed greater responsibilities to keep me in check). I suffered uncountable meltdowns. I sunk into debt (deep - as in deep to hundreds of thousands) as I sought to finance a champagne life on beer money. I tried to take my life twice (again, God had to show me there was still a lot to do on this earth. I lost friends because I could not be there for them unless there was alcohol involved. I also had friends who were cheering me on as I wasted my life, which was seemingly coming to a halt.” Reads Part of his post
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According to the Digital Journalist, he could not survive a day without Alcohol, as he struggled with the urge to get high.
“For two years, I struggled with the urge to be high and since I do not do any drugs, alcohol was a quick solution. I had given up on life in a manner that pushed me to escape reality and seek to avoid everyday challenges. I could not survive a day without alcohol unless I was too hangovered to get out of bed. In between the day in the office, I would go out to have a few shots of whatever drink I thought my system needed. Some Fridays, drinking would start as early as midday and would sometime go on until Sunday (Yes, I would spend two days in bars like that’s all about life)”
In Mid-2017, Oliver decided to take a new path in his life and make adjustments on his drinking habits.
a lot of anger, disappointment and resentment that I was harbouring towards life. It took a while to open up about what I saw was an “unfair” life. At the beginning of November, I was ready to make adjustments but it was the Drinksembar period, as we love calling it. That month, I was back at it. Running away from my responsibilities for the bottle. I was back at it. But this would not be for long as reality started hitting me again that this was what I was supposed to be putting aside. The plan from mid-2017 was to reduce the drinking and partying it was never to stop until that night on December 29th. This decision happened after two beers and a shot of Jager.” Shared Oliver Mathenge.
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He added that he decided to take the 100 days challenge without Alcohol and things are now falling in place.
“Well, I am still recovering. I am still fixing my family and social relationships (and breaking those that are negatively affecting my life). I am still working to ensure I don’t fail in my job. I am still recovering from debt. But I am doing more gigs than I did in the previous two years” Shared Oliver Mathenge.
Oliver Mathenge’s Full Post
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