A society that thinks wealthy and educated individuals do not battle mental health strongly highlights misperceptions and the lack of understanding of the disorders.
These assumptions also drive stereotypes, stigmatise and push people into a dark corner, deepening their silence and reluctance to seek help.
Contrary to the misperceptions, experts say mental health disorders do not discriminate.
They say more education drives are needed to raise awareness about mental health and the roles each of us can play in our families, circles and communities.
“Our mental health determines our self-esteem, how we think, connect with others, deal with stress, and our performance in many other daily activities. The same person will function and respond to stressful situations very differently depending on whether they are optimally well, both emotionally and physically, or if they are feeling overwhelmed or straining under the burden of depression, anxiety, or substance use, to name just a few examples,” Dr Lerato Motshudi, medical manager at Netcare Akeso defines mental health.
SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) call centre supervisor Olwethu Khwaza says that our mental health also affects how we act, handle stress and circumstances that we come across in life.
“Mental health is an integral part of overall health. It's quite dynamic because it changes over time with life circumstances and sometimes it can be on the good or critical end of the spectrum. In essence, it involves resilience and how we balance out adversity or how we cope with adversity, and that means how we function in our lives and how we aid ourselves in getting into the good end of the spectrum.”
Friday is World Mental Health Day.
Who is at risk of being affected?
“Anyone can be affected by mental health challenges although some individuals may be more vulnerable due to genetics, trauma, chronic stress, or other health conditions. Mental health disorders affect people regardless of age, gender, financial status, or background. Even those who appear to have it all externally might be quietly facing challenges,” says Bestmed Medical Scheme marketing and communications manager Denelle Morais.
Mental health disorders affect people regardless of age, gender, financial status, or background. Even those who appear to have it all externally might be quietly facing challenges
— Denelle Morais, Bestmed Medical Scheme marketing and communications manager
“Regardless of a person's successful career, financial security, or material wealth, they can still experience conditions such as depression, anxiety, or burnout. Employees or high achievers often experience immense pressure, making them especially vulnerable. Mental health challenges do not indicate personal shortcomings – they are medical conditions that can impact anyone.”
Motshudi says that “it’s easy to want to believe that mental illness could never happen to us, our loved ones, or our valued colleagues”.
“But, the truth is it can happen to anyone and an estimated one in five people has suicidal thoughts in their lifetime,” she says.
“Many more people silently struggle with mental health issues that hold them back from fulfilling their true potential in all spheres of life. Also, a mental health crisis such as a panic attack can suddenly occur in someone who has been fully functional, yet without the necessary support, sometimes this may ultimately impair their ability to continue to cope in future.
“Our society continues to struggle with stigma and misperceptions around mental health. Unfortunately, this can also prevent people from recognising when they or their loved ones may need professional support. Mental health should never be stigmatised and we need greater awareness of mental health to promote a culture of understanding and openness without fear of judgment.”
Morais says assumptions drive stereotypes and silence individuals who might already feel embarrassed or misinterpreted, adding that safer spaces for open conversations on mental health must be created.
“Mental health can affect everyone, and seeking assistance is a sign of strength, not weakness,” she says.
“Family, friends, and communities play a significant role in helping those affected cope with mental health, as well as fighting the stigma. This starts with listening without judgment, being supportive and encouraging open discussions about mental health. Individuals can also challenge stereotypes when they hear them, share credible information, and support loved ones in seeking professional help. Compassion, empathy, and understanding go a long way in breaking down barriers.”
Khwaza says there must be use of real stories to humanise mental illness.
“We can also challenge the stigma very actively [by] calling out harmful statements, conversations, jokes, and dialogue about mental health. We need to call out such behaviour and say, 'this is not the right way to address it', foster inclusive policies in workplaces, schools, and institutions to protect mental health and support people who are in distress,” she says, adding that there must be increased access to care and support.
“It's to reduce barriers such as cost, distance, stigma, as well as waiting times to access mental health assistance. It is also to provide psychological first aid, counselling, and peer support, and this needs to be all rounded within societies and communities to ensure that any– and everyone that you reach out to and speak to can provide a form of counselling that helps one to look further for help and to ensure that their mental health is taken care of.”
Quick Take:
Khwaza shares signs to look out for:
Emotional and psychological signs: When we realise that someone is persistently sad or is very tearful, you might want to ask if they are okay and if they need to speak about something. Being very irritable, having mood swings or outbursts of anger can also show us that someone is experiencing mental health challenges, so feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and guilt, having panic attacks, excessive worry about something, the loss of interest in pleasure and in previously enjoyed activities, as well as withdrawing from social interactions.
Cognitive signs: They might be a bit difficult to see but are definitely there, so it is difficulty in concentrating and making decisions, which is a part of mental health, confusion and slow thinking, self-criticism and negative self-talk, or recurrent thoughts of death, as well as suicidal ideation.
Behaviour: How we behave, our physical changes in signs, as well as our social signs, which includes changes in appetite or weight, changes in the way that we sleep and our sleeping patterns, feeling very fatigued and no energy, being restless or being very agitated, and then there's an increased usage of substances and the dependency thereof. It's also avoiding a lot of things, like isolating from your friends, isolating yourself from work or even just teamwork where needed.
Physical signs: Aches and pains without a clear medical cause or direction as to what this may be caused by. It's digestive issues, headaches, neck pain, back pain, that we cannot explain. Then there's the weight change that can explain that there might be a mental health challenge.
Conflicted relationships: Where we're irritable with loved ones and with the ones that we are close to, withdrawing from family as well as social groups, and difficulty coping with normal life stresses, so something that we would be able to deal with, such as load-shedding, becomes an arduous task for us to deal with when there's a mental health challenge that has been posed.
If you or someone you know is having difficulties, contact Sadag on 0800-56-75-67 or WhatsApp 076-882-2775 for help.
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