- The Retreat Healthcare Facility in Ikorodu marks World Mental Health Day with powerful accounts of addiction recovery, workplace discrimination and the importance of sustained treatment.
Personal accounts of recovery from mental health conditions and substance addiction took centre stage as The Retreat Healthcare Facility, Ikorodu, Lagos, commemorated World Mental Health Day 2026 with a call for greater understanding, reduced stigma and more patient-centred mental healthcare.
The event, held on Saturday, October 10, brought together inpatients, outpatients, caregivers and staff for a recovery-focused programme built around this year’s theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.”
Participants attended both physically and virtually through Zoom, sharing experiences and reflecting on how listening to people who have lived with mental health conditions can help reshape care and strengthen hope for recovery.
The programme was convened under the leadership of the facility’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Olufemi Oluwatayo, and Executive Medical Director, Dr Olawale Lagundoye, alongside Facility Manager Matron Ayannike Ojo and members of the multidisciplinary clinical team.
It was organised in partnership with the Horse’s Mouth Support Group, whose Circle Coordinator facilitated a structured peer-led storytelling session.
In his opening address, Oluwatayo highlighted the significance of World Mental Health Day, observed annually on October 10, noting that this year’s theme called for a shift beyond clinical definitions towards listening to people with lived experience and recognising them as agents of change in mental healthcare.
Recovery, one day at a time
One of the speakers, a former client who began rehabilitation in September 2024 after travelling abroad for treatment, described how active addiction had affected his resources and ability to care for himself.
Now two years into recovery and pursuing his life goals abroad, he said committing to recovery one day at a time had opened opportunities that addiction had previously shut off.
His account underscored the importance of personal commitment and structured rehabilitation in overcoming addiction.
Another participant, a civil servant managing a mental health condition, described the damaging consequences of workplace stigma.
Following her initial treatment and discharge, she experienced discrimination from colleagues. The experience contributed to her discontinuing medication for six months, after which she suffered a relapse that required readmission for one month.
She has since maintained regular outpatient clinic attendance, changed her workplace environment and reported doing well.
She encouraged others receiving mental healthcare to adhere to prescribed medication and attend follow-up appointments, while commending the supportive and non-judgemental care she received at The Retreat.
Her experience highlighted how discrimination can undermine treatment and recovery, particularly when people return to workplaces that do not understand their conditions.
Turning lived experience into support
A mental health professional who has personal experience of substance use also shared his recovery journey, which began in early adolescence and was compounded by childhood trauma and a dysfunctional family environment.
He explained that early exposure contributed to his interest in substance use and sales as a perceived route to independence.
Having maintained sobriety since 2022, he now draws on his lived experience to support patients who struggle to accept treatment.
He stressed that recovery begins with the decision to seek help and that rehabilitation can provide the insight and support needed for lasting change.
A young adult managing bipolar disorder, who had experienced about four hospital admissions, also shared lessons from treatment and recovery.
He recounted a relapse associated with cannabis use after an initial discharge and highlighted the importance of addiction therapy, the principles of 12-step recovery, self-awareness and maintaining consistent daily routines.
He urged young people to resist the pressure of comparing themselves with others on social media, encouraging them instead to focus on their personal values and remain committed to their individual recovery journeys.
Listening to patients, challenging stigma
The personal testimonies were followed by a facilitated Circle Dialogue in which inpatients, outpatients participating online and staff reflected on the lessons from the stories.
Participants discussed how lived experiences can challenge misconceptions, reduce stigma and influence the way mental healthcare is delivered.
Members of the clinical team offered reflections on coping strategies, hope and recovery capital, connecting professional perspectives with the experiences shared by participants. Outpatients also contributed actively through the Zoom chat.
The programme ended with a collective commitment to listening more closely to people receiving care, reducing stigma and placing lived experience at the centre of mental health services.
The Retreat Healthcare Facility reaffirmed that listening to people with lived experience is essential to meaningful change, highlighting its commitment to patient-centred and recovery-oriented mental healthcare in Lagos and beyond.
For Nigeria, the stories reinforce an important message: access to treatment is only one part of mental healthcare. Supportive workplaces, consistent follow-up, freedom from discrimination and understanding from families and communities can also play a critical role in helping people sustain recovery.
