UK-Based Kenyan Woman Opens Up About Mental Struggles, Yearning for Home: "Lost My Spark"
- A Kenyan woman’s emotional confession about the harsh realities of life abroad has gone viral, sparking conversations around mental health in the diaspora
- Janet Bett shared how loneliness, emotional isolation, and suppressed struggles have taken a toll on her well-being
- Janet says she worked so hard to achieve her dream of relocating, but two years later, she desires to return to Kenya and find her cheerful self again
A heartfelt social media post by Kenyan national Janet Bett has stirred a wave of emotional responses online after she candidly shared her mental health struggles while living abroad.
Source: Facebook
In a deeply personal message, Janet revealed that although she had long dreamed of relocating overseas and worked hard to make it happen, the experience has left her feeling unhappy.
How long has Janet lived in UK?
She told TUKO.co.ke that two years after moving to the UK, she is emotionally drained, physically unwell, and spiritually unfulfilled.
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Janet reiterated that she was not ashamed to say she has been struggling mentally to adapt, made worse by homesickness.
“There’s a kind of emptiness, the yearning of being with your loved ones, but you can’t. I feel like I don’t know myself anymore,” she lamented.
Despite masking her pain by travelling, surrounding herself with friends, and staying busy, Janet said the emotional weight became too much to carry.
Janet lost her bubbly character
She described battling chronic migraines and physical numbness, which doctors have yet to explain conclusively.
According to her, she believes the symptoms are tied to suppressed emotions and mental exhaustion.
“I have watched myself fade from the bubbly, cheerful extrovert to a silent introvert,” she confessed, adding, “I lost my spark.”
Janet emphasised the pressure she has felt to keep going for the sake of her family, supporters, and siblings she helps educate.
Source: Facebook
Why Janet wants to return to Kenya
But a turning point came when she heard a quiet inner voice ask: “How about for the sake of you?”
Quoting Proverbs 17:22, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” she acknowledged the need to step back and prioritise her emotional wellbeing.
“Going abroad was brave of me, and also coming home for now is honouring myself and my feelings,” she explained.
Janet disclosed that since opening up, several Kenyans living abroad have contacted her to share similar struggles.
Janet's message to Kenyans at home
Her message resonates with thousands of Kenyans living and working overseas who silently battle homesickness, isolation, and the crushing pressure to succeed at all costs.
She urged loved ones back home to check in more deeply with those abroad, saying: “Instead of asking for favours, try asking if they are okay.”
Janet now plans to return to Kenya to rest, reconnect with family, and seek therapy, in hopes of finding her “cheerful self” again.
Her post has been widely shared and praised for its raw honesty and courage, with many thanking her for giving voice to an often-unspoken reality of the diaspora experience.
Kenyan woman shares 5 culture shocks in US
In an earlier story, a Kenyan woman living in the US disclosed that when she relocated in 2018, she was shocked at how cold, unforgiving, and lonely the country is.
Having been born and raised in Kenya, Anne Waruinge grew up believing that America is a land of opportunity where everything flows freely
She shared five culture shocks that continue bothering her, adding that she would gladly return home if she got a good job.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
