Our Mzansi is a beautiful country. It is also riddled with a lot of challenges. Let’s put some things into context. South Africa as we know is only 31 years old. A year before that, this country was literally in a war. It took a toll on the entire country and Black people in particular went through the most! There was no CODESSA for mental health. So many of the elders in our families and communities are deeply traumatized and it seeps out through the way they behave and communicate.

Enter the born frees, the generation that acknowledges their feelings in a community with much older people where being overwhelmed by your own life challenges may be viewed as weak, matepe, uku tetema, because “hayi suka, what do you mean your life is hard? In my time there were bullets flying at children, at us! You are just spoiled.” What is very real is that both the youngsters and elders are under mental duress.

Then there is the not so tiny matter of epigenetics. That means trauma, anxiety, depression and other conditions relating to and affecting mental health can be passed down genetically from the parents to children, it can even be passed down from great, great grandparents and much farther back. While you may not have bullets flying at you, you could be terrified of loud sounds. So being aware of your emotional and mental landscape is anything but weak!

So please, mntase, don’t ever believe the hype. Mental Health is real and seeking support for your mental health and wellness is not weakness or crazy, it is in fact – necessary. How you speak about your mental health needs can set the tone for your mental health journey. Use #NameItToTameIt in the comments to describe those challenging feelings.

When you're ready to take the steps to healing and get support for your mental health:
📞Call the Big Sis Helpline: 08000 12 84 55

💬Chat with the Big Sis AI Chatbot on WhatsApp/Moya: 060 074 7837

☎️Or call SADAG (toll-free): 0800 567 567

#NameItToTameIt, #BreakTheSilence, #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, #MentalHealthIsReal, #JiKiZinto, #BigSis, #IronSharpensIron