End the stigma against mental health – Sadag

Having more open conversations about mental illness will go a long way debunking the stigma surrounding mental health.

This was according to Dr Samke Ngcobo, a general practitioner, who has lived with mental illness since the age of 14.

Ngcobo recently sat down with the South African Anxiety and Depression Group’s Kayla Phillips to unpack how the stigma around mental health affected her in her day-to-day life as well. The discussion was held in support of July being Mental Health Awareness Month and this year’s theme End the Stigma.

According to the Phillips, stigma often comes from a lack of understanding or a fear of one thing or aspect that is different from us. “This often has a negative effect on those living with a mental illness and those that have recently been diagnosed with a mental illness.”

Ngcobo added that when her journey with mental health start over 21 years ago, it was a difficult time for a young girl as mental health was not very well understood during that time. Because of this, there was a great stigma around mental health; Ngcobo faced this across religious, cultural and social capacities.

“It took me 16 years to get to a level of acceptance where I was fully able to accept that I have a mental illness. I started becoming better well-rounded and I am grateful for that.”

She added that a significant amount of stigma was also self-inflicted as a result of her environment and perceptions of those around her. “I am proud to say that I am grateful to have overcome because I would not be having this conversation today.”

Ngcobo admitted that her perception and relationship with mental illness improved over time, as she got older and that was mainly due to the fact that she actively took charge of it. “I would like to encourage people living with mental illness to peruse the necessary help and I encourage others to proactively educate themselves about mental illness so that they are better equipped to understand someone’s journey. Yes I can explain it to people, but it is their responsibility to pursue that knowledge,” she said.

If you or a loved one needs any assistance, or someone to talk to, please call 0800 21 22 23 or SMS 31393 and receive free telephonic counselling, support and other resources.
For more information on mental health and other resources visit www.sadag.org

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