15/10/2025
🫂💚A STORY OF THERAPY AND TABOO💚🫂
Bénédicte was a pillar of composure in Douala, but six months after her father's death, she was crumbling. Grief had mutated into crushing panic attacks, leaving her chest feeling like a concrete box. Her family dismissed it, insisting she simply needed to "pray harder" against a spiritual attack.
Desperate, Bénédicte secretly sought out Dr. Ngando, a psychologist in Bonapriso. In his quiet office, she confessed her fear: "I think I am going crazy. My heart is always running, I cannot sleep." Dr. Ngando gently assured her she was only struggling, teaching her to carry a heavy load. Over the next few weeks, she learned to breathe, ground herself, and accept that her feelings were valid, not demonic.
Her secret, her "Tuesday secret," shattered when her mother, Mami Rose, found a receipt: Dr. Ngando, Psychologist. Session Fee.
Mami Rose’s voice was terrifyingly controlled. "A doctor for what? For foi?" she demanded, using the Pidgin word for madness. You are spending money to tell a stranger our family secrets? The pastor will break this demonic oppression this Sunday!"
The true misconception hung heavy: mental suffering was a curse or a moral failing, never a medical condition.
But Bénédicte stood her ground. "Mami," she whispered, "there is no spirit. There is only me, who missed Papa so much that my body forgot how to be still. Dr. Ngando teaches me how to talk to this. He just gave me tools to carry the weight. It is like teaching me to use a cane when my leg is broken. You would let me use a cane, wouldn't you?
Mami Rose paused. Her anger softened, replaced by a weary fear. "Just… don't tell your uncle about this. Please."
It was a small, fragile compromise not full acceptance, but a crucial beginning. Bénédicte knew the journey to normalizing mental health was long, but she was healing, one breath and one courageous, quiet conversation at a time.
As a therapist we hear stories like this on a daily basis but we are also happy to find that more people are gaining insights and finally breaking the stigma by speaking up and advocating for others.
Book a one on one session with us and let's get you started on your healing journey.