‘I Silently Battled Depression Yet Graduated With First Class Honours’ — Journalist Lorna Abuga Opens Up on Her Mental Health Journey

Renowned journalist and mental health advocate Lorna Abuga has opened up about her personal battle with depression, revealing that she went through a difficult period of her life while maintaining the appearance of a successful and accomplished professional.

Abuga says her experience with mental health challenges began at a time when she believed she was simply struggling with stress brought about by joblessness.

What initially appeared to her as ordinary stress gradually became more difficult to manage, with the pressure eventually manifesting physically.

Despite the challenges she was experiencing internally, Abuga continued with her life and maintained the image of a strong and accomplished woman.

However, beneath the achievements was a personal struggle that she says she did not fully understand at the time.

During the COVID-19 era, Abuga was clinically diagnosed with depression, a moment that marked a turning point in her life and forced her to confront a reality she had been struggling to understand.

She subsequently began counselling therapy as part of her journey towards recovery.

Abuga says it was difficult to reconcile the diagnosis with the image she presented to the world.

At the time, she had already graduated with First Class Honours in her bachelor’s degree, an achievement that would ordinarily be associated with academic excellence, discipline and success.

Yet, despite the prestigious academic achievement, Abuga says she had slowly lost herself to an internal battle that was largely invisible to those around her.

Her experience has since shaped her understanding of mental wellness and challenged the perception that outward success is always an indication that someone is doing well emotionally.

She says people can achieve remarkable milestones, build successful careers and appear happy in public while privately dealing with struggles that others know nothing about.

For Abuga, the road to recovery involved counselling therapy, intentional mentors and a strong support system.

She credits those interventions with helping her gradually find her way back to herself and begin rebuilding her life.

The experience also gave her a new sense of purpose and eventually became the foundation of her mental wellness advocacy.

Today, Abuga uses her voice and public platform to encourage people to have more honest conversations about mental health and the challenges affecting their wellbeing.

She says some of the pressures people silently carry include joblessness, financial difficulties, toxic work environments, dysfunctional marriages and unrealistic expectations imposed by society.

According to Abuga, these pressures can accumulate over time, leaving individuals emotionally overwhelmed while they continue presenting a picture of normalcy to family, friends, colleagues and society.

She particularly wants people to understand that mental health struggles do not discriminate based on academic qualifications, professional achievements or social status.

Her own experience, she says, demonstrated that someone can graduate with First Class Honours and still experience depression.

The journalist is now encouraging people experiencing emotional or psychological difficulties not to dismiss their struggles as ordinary stress or weakness.

She urges those going through difficult moments to speak to people they trust and, where necessary, seek professional help.

Abuga says seeking help should not be viewed as a sign of failure but rather as an important step towards recovery.

Her journey has also reinforced her belief in the importance of supportive relationships and intentional mentorship in helping people navigate difficult seasons of their lives.

She says having people who listen, understand and provide support can make a significant difference to someone who may otherwise feel isolated in their struggles.

Abuga's story has also brought attention to the hidden struggles behind personal success, particularly in a society where people are often judged by their achievements.

For many people, academic qualifications, employment status, financial success and social media appearances can create an impression that everything is going well.

But Abuga says such outward appearances can sometimes conceal deep personal battles.

She now advocates for a culture where people can speak openly about their challenges without fear of being judged, ridiculed or labelled as weak.

Her message is especially relevant to young people facing unemployment, financial uncertainty and pressure to meet expectations from family and society.

She says it is important for individuals to recognise when they are struggling and take deliberate steps towards getting support.

“Having walked that journey myself, I know how easy it is to keep smiling while silently struggling,” Abuga says in reflecting on her experience.

She encourages people not to wait until their struggles become overwhelming before seeking assistance.

Instead, she wants people to talk to someone they trust, seek professional support where necessary and give themselves permission to heal.

Abuga's story is a reminder that behind some of the most impressive achievements are personal journeys that may never be visible to the public.

Her First Class degree remains a testament to her academic achievement, but her battle with depression has given her a different kind of purpose — using her experience to help others understand that mental health deserves the same attention and care as physical health.

Through her advocacy, Abuga hopes to create more spaces for honest conversations around mental wellness and encourage people to abandon the culture of suffering in silence.

Her journey from silently battling depression to becoming an advocate for mental wellness has become a powerful message to anyone who may be struggling behind a smile: you do not have to carry it alone, and seeking help is not a weakness.