Too much to bear - Mother who suffered mental breakdown in viral video speaks out

When a video of a Kingston woman standing on a rooftop in visible distress went viral earlier this year, the online response was harsh.

Strangers mocked and speculated, never knowing the silent battles that had brought the woman there. Months later, Marcia* and her daughter Tanya* say the incident marked the breaking point of years of hidden struggles and the start of a slow path to recovery.

"I fought inside and didn't want my children to see me at breaking point, because I'm their hero," Marcia told THE STAR. "At night, when everyone was asleep, that's when it hit me."

For years, she had worked as the family's main breadwinner. When her small shop closed, the financial strain collided with relationship problems, community pressure and memories of past trauma. By day, she kept a brave face. At night, she cried alone.

"I pretended to be strong," she admitted. "But inside, I was crumbling. There were days I didn't even know where the next school fee or meal would come from."

Her children's father, she said, could not provide, and she shouldered the burden quietly. By 2015, after the birth of her youngest child, she began experiencing mental-health struggles but kept them hidden. One night, overwhelmed, she finally reached out.

"I went to my daughter, lay down in her lap, and fell asleep. That was the first time I asked for help," she said.

Today, her children are 26, 24, 16 and 10. Each has witnessed different sides of her battle. Her older daughters saw their mother carry the family through hardship. The younger two, still in school, often saw her put on a brave face.

"I didn't expect it, because my mom was always the strong one," said Tanya. "When she came to me that night and just rested in my lap, I realised she needed me in a way I had never seen before. That's when I knew I had to step up as her support system."

The rooftop incident, which ended with police intervention, was the most public sign of Marcia's crisis. But it also became the moment that turned her toward recovery. Since then, she says she has been attending counselling, leaning on her faith, and finding strength in her children.

"My children are my anchor," she said. "Every time I look at them, God reminds me I have to live."

For Tanya, speaking publicly is also about shifting the narrative.

"People only saw a viral clip," she said. "They didn't see the years of stress, or how much she sacrificed for us. I want people to know that she is more than that one moment."

Marcia hopes her story will push Jamaicans to rethink how they treat those in distress.

"Don't judge," she pleaded. "Sometimes all we need is someone to listen."

Clinical psychologist and president of the Jamaica Psychological Society, Dr Paul Smith, says Marcia's story reflects a wider reality.

"It's more than just checking in," he explained. "People need some mental-health literacy, to notice changes like withdrawal, appetite shifts, or unusual behaviour, and then respond with empathy." He added that family systems play a critical role.

"When families acknowledge a loved one's struggles without judgement, it reduces the sense of shame. That's one of the strongest protective factors against suicide," he said. Stigma and language, he stressed, remain some of the most damaging obstacles.

"The words we use matter. When someone is labelled 'mad' or 'crazy', they may withdraw and refuse help. That can turn a treatable crisis into a prolonged one," he cautioned. He also opined that access to counselling in communities is still limited.

"Too often, people wait until a crisis lands them in the hospital. We need early, ongoing interventions," he said.

Despite her struggles, Marcia says she is determined to hold on.

"I don't ever want to be in that place again," she said firmly. "But if someone hears me, I want them to know there's a way back. You are not alone."

*Names changed to protect identity.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Helpline at 888-NEWLIFE (639-5433).