Regarding mental health challenges as a passing phase would be catastrophic for SA

The most catastrophic thing that can happen in our country right now is for society to regard mental health challenges as a passing phase which needs no attention when, in fact, it should be a conversation for the present and future.

According to Statistics South Africa, a report on profiling health challenges faced by adolescents (10-19 years) in SA revealed about 20% of teenagers have detected or untreated mental health disorders. While the stigma surrounding mental illness seems to have decreased in recent years, it still much exists in society and influences the way people think about mental health.

Among the most influential people in our lives, who serve as major contributors to navigating and shaping our understanding of the world, are parents. However, parents struggle to understand the ideology of mental health.

What happens if our families never grasp the concept of mental health and its disorders? It is also important to note it is not our parents’ fault for not knowing or understanding about mental illness and its impact.

It goes back to their upbringing, when they most probably also struggled with mental and emotional difficulties, but there was no one to define them as such, or assist in tackling them.

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Parents need to be encouraged to educate themselves on different mental health issues in order to take care of themselves and, ultimately, be able to care for the people they are responsible for. Some parents, especially due to the influence of culture and religion, do not believe in mental disorders, leading to an inability to provide the support adolescents need.

There was a time in my life when my relationship with my mother hit rock bottom and I was dealing with the challenges of anxiety. I was in a state of worry, constantly overwhelmed and trapped in the agony of overthinking. Little arguments triggered the most unexpected reactions and emotional breakdowns.

The lack of understanding between my mother and I was reflected in the disagreements we would have. Eventually, we talked things through. I explained to her the struggles I encountered mentally and emotionally which required her to be a bit more lenient to me.

Growing up as the only girl in a family of boys required always being strong and it was not easy trying to establish a sense of understanding especially when in a fragile state. My mother did her own research on causes of anxiety and only revealed to me months later that she understood.

In her words: “It is something I am not used to but I will learn to understand, especially for you.”

Hearing this was like finally breathing after holding your breath for so long. I could finally be comfortable with opening up to her – we’re talking about a strict woman here, by the way. We have grappled with finding ways to deal with the aspects concerning mental illnesses.

Do our parents even know mental illnesses consist of emotional disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, psychosis, school phobia and the underrated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

So what do we do, or where do we start? All members of society and communities need to start working together to create more awareness of such issues. And there is a need to establish constructive educational programmes and systems to help parents, in particular, comprehend mental health and mental disorders.