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Home Footprints

The Incredible Story of Doris Appiah – Danquah

Raising Awareness on Mental Health Stigma in Ghana

by Kwesi Owusu
October 3, 2021
in Footprints, Slide Stories
Reading Time: 2 mins read
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RIP. Doris died on 1 December 2021 and was buried on 14 January 2022

The story

Doris Appiah-Danquah dropped out of Ghana Medical School because she suffered from depression, Her parents struggled to find a treatment that lasted 22 years. From Accra Psychiatric Hospital, she was sent to various traditional fetishes and spiritual camps across the country. She was starved, chained and beaten up, as she underwent various humiliating rituals.

Doris was told her mother had cursed her and made her mad. That her condition was because she had not served God well. It was also rumoured she must have taken somebody’s husband. Sometimes she tried to escape only to wander aimlessly. She had neither shelter nor personal protection. She starved. One day, some children bought her food. After she finished eating, they threw away her plate and run away.

Doris never lost hope. She eventually recovered and trained as a nurse but she was never fully accepted due to society’s deeply ingrained misconceptions about mental health. She was also stigmatised but she refused to give up. Doris went on to become a powerful mental health advocate but continued to battle with relapses. These were made worse by society’s general lack of support for recovering mental health persons and misguided beliefs.

Doris’ Legacy

Doris’ life experience reflects a thousand others who continue to be medically misdiagnosed, maltreated, ostracised and seen as second class citizens, simply because of their mental illness.

It was truly humbling to meet her after several decades of enduring humiliating treatment and ostracisation. I still cannot find the right words to describe her indomitable spirit and her willingness to forgive.

Doris’ heroic legacy bestows on us to intensify efforts to create a better understanding of mental health and help mobilise more resources towards better mental health care for all.

 

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Comments 7

  1. Anonymous says:
    4 months ago

    Hi, this is a great piece. As a Social worker, I do come across families experiencing mental ill health but their actions are informed by the stigma and what they’ve learnt in their communities. Great piece. I may however suggest the title is changed to Raising awareness on mental health stigma in Ghana. I run a YouTube project called Black Next Gen, raising awareness in Black communities. Well done.

    Reply
    • Kwesi Owusu says:
      2 months ago

      Subtitle changed as suggested. Thank you so much

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    4 months ago

    I’m really inspired by this story .
    Wow! She still went back to train as a nurse, after all these .

    I agree the topic needs to change to attract more readers . Her story may change the mindset of a lot .

    I thank God for her life . She is at peace now .xx

    Reply
    • Kwesi Owusu says:
      2 months ago

      Thank you so much. Sub title changed as suggested

      Reply
  3. Anonymous says:
    2 months ago

    I have been surfing online more than 3 hours as of late, yet I by no means discovered any fascinating article like yours. It¦s beautiful worth enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made just right content as you did, the net can be much more useful than ever before.

    Reply
    • Kwesi Owusu says:
      1 month ago

      Thank you, my friend!

      Reply
  4. Anonymous says:
    3 weeks ago

    I will immediately grab your rss as I can’t to find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Please allow me know so that I may subscribe. Thanks.

    Reply

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