Dr. Sumeiya Ahmad on Burnout and the Reality of Modern Mental Health

In a world that rarely slows down, exhaustion has quietly become part of everyday life. People are showing up to work, responding to messages, attending family gatherings and meeting deadlines, all while emotionally drained beneath the surface. Conversations around mental health have become more common, yet many still struggle to recognise when stress has crossed into something deeper.

For many people, the challenge is not simply recognising when they are struggling, but knowing when to seek help and how to protect their wellbeing before reaching a breaking point.

Dr Sumeiya Ahmad, a consultant psychiatrist at Chiromo Hospital Group, offers insight into burnout, self-care, emotional exhaustion and the growing mental health challenges shaping everyday life.

Based at the Westlands branch, Dr Sumeiya’s work involves helping people navigate depression, anxiety, burnout, relationship struggles, psychosis and the overwhelming pressure of modern adulthood. Beyond the clinic, she is also a mother, a reader, a traveller and someone who intentionally makes space for joy and balance in her own life. These habits, she notes, help her stay emotionally grounded.

Understanding the Difference Between a Psychiatrist and a Psychologist

One of the biggest misconceptions around mental healthcare is the assumption that psychiatrists and psychologists perform the same role.

According to Dr Sumeiya, while the two professions work closely together, their training and responsibilities differ significantly. Psychiatrists are medical doctors trained in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions, including prescribing medication such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, while psychologists primarily focus on therapy and psychological interventions.

“We work together. Sometimes a patient starts with the psychologist and later needs medication support, so they are referred to a psychiatrist. Other times, a patient sees a psychiatrist first and is then referred for therapy.”

She emphasises that effective mental healthcare is rarely isolated to one professional. Treatment often involves collaboration between different mental health specialists to ensure patients receive both medical and emotional support.

A Personal Journey Into Psychiatry

For Dr Sumeiya, psychiatry was not simply a career choice shaped by academics. It became personal long before it became professional.

While she was still in medical school, one of her closest friends was diagnosed with a mental illness. She accompanied her friend to appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists, witnessing the journey first-hand—an experience that quietly shaped her early understanding of the field and later confirmed her interest in it.

“That was my first real impression of psychiatry. By the time I studied it formally in school, I already knew this was something I genuinely connected with,” she recalls.

She also points to a troubling reality within Kenyan society where mental illness is often only addressed once it has reached an advanced stage, with many patients moving from one healthcare provider to another before receiving an accurate diagnosis, a delay often driven by persistent discomfort around early acknowledgement of mental health conditions.

What Self-Care Actually Looks Like

Few concepts have been as heavily commercialised as self-care. On social media, it is often packaged in soft aesthetics; scented candles, luxury getaways and expensive wellness routines. While Dr Sumeiya acknowledges that such moments can be restorative, she argues that true self-care is far less glamorous and far more intentional.

“Real self-care is making sure you get enough sleep, drink water, take breaks when you are tired and have honest conversations with yourself,” she says.

For her, self-care is rooted in consistent daily practices rather than occasional indulgence. It involves setting boundaries without guilt, learning to say no when necessary and recognising emotional limits before reaching burnout.

She emphasises that mental wellbeing is not synonymous with constant happiness.

“Mental wellbeing is not about being happy all the time. Even mentally healthy people struggle sometimes,” she explains.

To illustrate the concept, She compares mental health to charging a phone battery.

“If you never recharge your phone, eventually it dies. Humans are the same, except we do not receive notifications warning us before burnout.”

The Burden of Guilt and the Pressure to Always Perform

Dr Sumeiya believes many people, particularly women and mothers, have been conditioned to associate self-sacrifice with goodness.

She highlights the weight of maternal guilt and the unrealistic expectations placed on mothers to remain endlessly patient, emotionally available and productive at all times.

“When mothers go back to work after childbirth, many struggle deeply during that period. You feel guilty when you leave your child at home, guilty when you rest and guilty when you feel exhausted,” she explains.

Social media, she argues, has only intensified the pressure. Perfectly curated images of motherhood create unrealistic standards that leave many women feeling inadequate.

“You cannot pour from an empty cup. A depleted parent does not become more giving. They become more reactive, resentful and emotionally absent.”

Emotional Exhaustion Does Not Always Look Dramatic

One of the key points Dr Sumeiya raises is that burnout does not always present itself in obvious ways.

She notes that modern life often normalises constant busyness, where exhaustion is masked by caffeine, routines and sheer survival instinct.

Emotional exhaustion can manifest in quieter ways. Constant irritability, reduced patience, emotional numbness, difficulty sleeping, endless scrolling on social media or a growing sense of detachment from daily life all are warning signs.

According to Dr Sumeiya, many people confuse functioning with thriving, pointing out that showing up to work, caring for children and attending social obligations does not automatically reflect emotional wellbeing.

The Silent Mental Health Impact of Social Media

Dr Sumeiya describes smartphones as both useful tools and major contributors to modern emotional exhaustion.

She explains that endless scrolling overstimulates the brain, disrupts sleep, shortens attention spans and increases unhealthy comparison.

Platforms filled with carefully selected moments of success, beauty and luxury can leave users feeling inadequate, anxious and emotionally depleted. Constant exposure to bad news and unrealistic lifestyles also further deepens emotional fatigue.

Her advice is not to abandon social media entirely, but to approach it with intention and discipline by establishing healthier digital boundaries, reducing unnecessary scrolling and comparison, and prioritising meaningful real-life connections.

Knowing When to Seek Help

The signs that someone is struggling mentally are often present long before complete burnout occurs.

Persistent anxiety, sleeplessness, emotional numbness, exhaustion, loss of appetite, trouble concentrating, crying spells and feeling constantly overwhelmed are some of the common warning signs that should not be ignored.

“That is the point where you need to be honest with yourself. Acknowledge that you are not okay and reach out for support,” she advises, noting that many people avoid mental health facilities because of fear, stigma or anxiety around medication. Yet early intervention can often prevent conditions from becoming more severe.

“If you seek help early enough, sometimes you may not even need medication,” she explains.

Breaking Mental Health Stigma in Kenya

Despite growing awareness, Dr Sumeiya says stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to seeking mental healthcare.

Many people still associate mental illness with the most visible and extreme cases, often overlooking the reality that conditions such as depression, anxiety and burnout can affect anyone, regardless of age, income, profession or religious background.

She also challenges the common belief that mental wellbeing is solely tied to one’s faith or spirituality, noting that mental illness can affect anyone irrespective of their religious beliefs, background or level of devotion.

At the heart of the stigma, she argues, is the tendency to treat mental health differently from physical health, even though both deserve the same level of attention and care.

“When you break your leg, you go to an orthopaedic surgeon. So why should it be different when the brain, which is also an organ, is not functioning well?” she underscores.

Are Men Finally Opening Up?

For years, conversations around mental health have highlighted the challenges many men face when it comes to expressing vulnerability. However, Dr Sumeiya says she is beginning to see encouraging shifts, particularly among millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z).

Younger generations are increasingly challenging long-held expectations around emotional suppression and are more willing to engage in conversations about their mental wellbeing.

Practical Ways to Protect Mental Wellbeing

Beyond therapy and medication, Dr Sumeiya emphasises simple daily practices that can significantly improve mental wellbeing.

She encourages people to identify and name their emotions rather than suppress or dismiss them, explaining that putting feelings into words helps reduce their intensity and makes them easier to manage.

She also highlights the importance of adequate sleep, regular physical activity, reduced screen time, meaningful human connection and intentionally setting aside time for activities that bring joy and restoration.

A key part of her advice is also the need to carve out space for oneself daily, even if in small ways, as a form of emotional maintenance outside work, family and other responsibilities.

Why Boundaries Matter

Dr Sumeiya says many people struggle to create boundaries because they fear disappointing others or missing out socially.

However, she believes boundaries are necessary forms of self-preservation rather than acts of selfishness.

Whether it is declining an invitation, resting instead of overcommitting or telling a boss that one is emotionally exhausted, Dr Sumeiya says people should stop feeling guilty for protecting their mental wellbeing.

“You do not have to justify your exhaustion for it to be valid,” she says.

She hopes that as conversations around mental health continue to grow in Kenya, more families, workplaces and communities will create safe spaces where honest conversations can take place, particularly within homes where children feel safe enough to open up.

And perhaps her most important reminder of all is one many people desperately need to hear:

“Mental health is just as important as physical health. Be kind to yourself.”