I tried taking some pills but it didn’t work: Maqbul Mohammed opens up about attempted suicide and depression
Talented actor and former Capital FM presenter Maqbul Mohammed has shared a harrowing experience, opening up on his attempted suicide in a candid interview with Daily Nation’s Thomas Matiko.
Maqbul who made a name for himself in various acting roles and radio recounted that at the peak of his successful career, his personal life was falling apart.
“I would wake up in the morning, get in the car, drive to work and park. I’d then turn on the radio, listen to my co-host (Amina Rabar) then turn off the radio and drive back home. By that time my wife had gone to work and I would get in the room and sleep,” he recounted.
Things only got worse and the depressed Maqbul finally attempted suicide in 2015 after imbibing a few drinks at a party.
“I remember going for a party, got drunk and I thought this is the perfect time to end it. I tried taking some pills but it didn’t work,” he explained.
“I worked from Monday to Saturday. I was dealing with pressure from TV, radio, marriage, children and fans. It was too much to take. It was a difficult point in my life because I couldn’t balance all these,” he stated in the candid interview.
He also acknowledged that he had a supportive boss who stood by him, offering him the needed help by way of counselling and a support system that included his family.
Maqbul is a fighter who has overcome many odds and this was not the first time he was facing challenges.
In 2007, the post-election violence made the production of the Makutano junction show impossible and hit him hard economically to a point where he could not afford diapers for his wife.
“It was super difficult, at one point, my child did not have diapers and we had to use a leso instead. Things were really tough,” he recalled.
