Maje Ayida, a fitness entrepreneur and media personality, has openly discussed his struggle with depression following his highly publicized divorce from Nollywood actress, and media personality, Toke Makinwa.
Speaking at a church in the UK, a video of which began trending on Tuesday, Ayida shared the emotional turmoil he faced after the separation.
He revealed that the intense public scrutiny left him feeling overwhelmed with shame, prompting him to withdraw from society. The emotional strain he experienced significantly impacted both his mental health and professional life; he stopped working, lost business opportunities, and struggled with daily activities.
“I will be honest about the fact that I went through a divorce that resulted in my depression. It was a very publicized divorce,” Ayida said. “That left me feeling very alone. I withdrew from society and felt deep shame regarding my situation. Not only did my self-esteem take a hit, but my family’s legacy is very important to me, and I was ashamed of what I felt I had done to that legacy. As a result, I went into hiding.”
He added, “I didn’t want to interact with anyone. I preferred to stay home and withdrew completely. I stopped going to work and found it extremely difficult to maintain any motivation or focus. Each day felt harder. I began to question why I should get up in the morning when everyone already had a negative perception of me. Consequently, I started losing work, and that was when it truly began to affect me.”
Ayida also expressed that losing his professional identity was especially challenging. “As a man, your work is your identity, and when I began to lose business deals, it became a significant problem for me,” he explained. “That was when I made the decision to prioritize my own survival because I was living in hopelessness. This feeling persisted for weeks.”
He revealed that his struggle with depression lasted for a year, during which he dealt with insomnia and feelings of paranoia.