Tag: Depression

W A L K I N G

Posted on by Escape Global

I remember reading Deforia Lane’s account of her patient who was about to have a bone marrow transplant and because of loneliness and anxiety had trouble sleeping. The suggestion was made to try Music Therapy and she did, she found out that he loved hymns so he decided to sing ‘Oh, how I love Jesus’.

He had his oxygen mask on earlier but because he needed to sing, he removed it. The nurse stepped in and was taken aback by this sight, she noticed the atmosphere had changed and there was something different about the way music made the kid feel, she took his blood pressure and exclaimed that it was the lowest she had seen in him.
To help his insomnia, Dr Deforia had him listen to music on a cassette player and in 20 minutes he slept soundly, first time in a long while…


I had to share this story because I didn’t understand the gravity of what Esther Odeyemi, my guest on this week’s Podcast went through when she had an accident. Her legs were going to be amputated due to the effect of the accident. She shared with me how she found it hard to sleep many times because she was depressed and couldn’t explain why she was in such pain. She found a light in her questioning season, it was music. It was music that gave her feet strength to walk again, it was music that helped her sleep soundly, it was music that gave her wings to fly despite the obstacles, it was music that lifted her head high when all she could see around was shame.


Her legs weren’t amputated, call it a miracle but till date she still limps while walking, she shared how she was able to overcome the depression that came with people jesting using music.
She’s a warrior in every sense and I’m thankful she’s walking.

You can listen to the full episode here👇https://anchor.fm/mercy-kay/episodes/W-A-L-K-I-N-G-Esther-Odeyemi-el0sse

PS: It’s been one year since I started sharing everything Music Therapy and it’s been a rewarding and stretching journey. If you’ve learnt something from this blog, please share in the comment section. It would mean a lot.


Such a joy reading from you.💚

O V E R C O M E R

Posted on by Escape Global

Jesusson shared with us his journey into therapeutic music, how he played the guitar at an annual event tagged ‘PATIENTS’ DAY’, seeing patients in the hospital regain their confidence and joy just by doing music opened his heart to the aspect of Music and he’s been on it.

He’s one of the few people I know who sensed a call into music and told themselves since this is what I’ve been called to do, let me just study it and boom! He went in for music.
He shares Music on his YouTube channel Friday for Originals every week, you can check his music.

The highlight of my conversation with Jesusson Awotu-Ukiri was when he sang the song titled ‘ We shall Overcome’. I have always known this song since I was in secondary school and there’s this nostalgic feeling I had listening to him sing again.
That’s not even his story, he used to be a victim of depression, he was broke and so many other things were happening to him. Jesusson took to music in that season of His life as a companion, I find that music keeps us company when life’s journey feels too lonely a path to tread on, music is a place to find solace but not just any kind of music will do that. Jesusson and I shared how important it is to discern songs that are for us, some songs make us sink back into depression while certain songs awaken us and pull us from the pit of darkness we find ourself in.

As I always know, reading this story is not as good as listening to it from the one who owns the story, so click the link below to listen 👇
https://anchor.fm/mercy-kay/episodes/O-V-E-R-C-O-M-E-R-ekbt8u

Thank You and it’s always a joy reading from you.💚

G R I E V I N G W I T H H O P E

Posted on by Escape Global

Olayemi Afees Akanni has a strong Muslim background so the possibility of being immersed in music was quite slim, his background in music is one from learning lots of songs by listening to the radio. The radio and his school assembly ground was a major influence in his music life, then when he eventually went to church.

He shared how he felt cheated being the last born of the family for over 10 years until he was displaced😅, he always felt unloved because he wasn’t pampered. He started having thoughts of death in such moments, he’d somehow begin to hum a tune when those thoughts surged in, it helped him bounce back from such state.
He didn’t understand how music was helping him walk through dark questioning seasons until he got into the Tertiary institution.

In His words ‘I used to fear calls from home’, things weren’t okay at home and he tried to avoid receiving calls except if it came from his Father and this was because he knew that his Father had the ability to manage conveying a critical situation in speech.

His sister and Father were challenged health wise, His father had issues at work and his sister’s marriage was close to falling apart. Everything came falling like a pack of cards, he had to skip tests, was thinking of committing suicide at the thought of everything happening but thankfully he didn’t.

It was first his elder sister who died on New Year’s day and it felt like everything came crashing, he was numb and just couldn’t understand what was happening. You’d think that was just it, his father was ill and his leg was about to be amputated, his father didn’t want it, he backed his Father who once carried him, such painful sight to behold and that was the last he saw him. He died!
Olayemi had to walk through the season of losing two loved ones, he grieved with hope with music that reassured him and made him see the bigger picture.

He also shared with us how Songwriting helped him through tough seasons.

I think his story is one worth listening especially if you are walking through grief. Kindly click the link below to listen 👇👇

https://anchor.fm/mercy-kay/episodes/G-R-I-E-V-I-N-G-W-I-T-H-H-O-P-E-ek17qf

I always look forward to reading from you.
Thank You 💚