Q. Why did you start Advocacy4MentalHealth and what do you hope to achieve with it?

It all started in 2017 when I was exposed to psychiatry during my undergraduate studies. I'd go home and tell everyone about mental health and what we’re learning. I was met with blank faces – they’ve heard terms like depression and schizophrenia but didn’t fully understand what they were is. Then I realised that the first time someone hears about mental health can't be when they're admitted or when they reach breaking point. I started sharing what I was learning about mental health, taking care of yourself and more on my WhatsApp status, and that grew into the Instagram page. It was my personal page, that I transformed into Advocacy4MentalHealth. My hope is to create an inclusive community that realises that mental health can be the high-performer, capable of doing daily activities successfully. 

Q. What made you decide to be an occupational therapist (OT), and what does an OT do?

I just wanted to be in the health space and this profession chose me because it wasn't something that I knew about before I applied. As I was learning about it, I realised this is exactly where I'd say my personality is. Someone who's creative, someone who enjoys having fun, but also likes logic and science. In OT, we combine the scientific aspects of your diagnosis, but then we also get creative in coming up with ways to effectively manage your diagnosis to live a fulfilling, satisfying life. 

An occupational therapist helps people get back to their functioning regardless of their disability. Say that you are in a car accident, and have some lasting effects whether it be a physical injury or develop anxiety, how do you get back to normal living? How do you drive again? How do you make new friends despite your anxiety? How do you take care of your children if you're a mother? We help you get back to the things that are meaningful to you, and help you find purpose again despite your disability. In the mental health space, an OT will help you get back to functioning by working with you to find ways to regulate your emotions so that you're able to communicate effectively with those around you. 

Q. Should employers give mental health leave days in your opinion?

No. I believe that further stigmatizes mental health, it makes it seem as though mental health is separate from physical health or separate from wellness in general. A person should be able to use their sick leave days and shouldn't have to prove that they're sick. With mental health, you should be allowed to look well, but still feel unwell on the inside and take your leave days. 

Employers should promote mental well-being at work, rather than employees having to take days off when things get difficult as mental health is continuous. Too much absenteeism because an employee is struggling with their mental health might disadvantage them in the long run, especially if the company isn't promoting wellness in general. People should be allowed to take sick leave whenever they don't feel well and shouldn't be questioned on whether they look well, or they look sick or who deserves it or who doesn't. 

Q. What unique challenges do we face in South Africa when it comes to openly discussing mental health?

There are several challenges we face in South Africa when it comes to discussing mental health and seeking help. The first major one is lack of awareness. Although more insight has been raised, we are still not at a place where people living with mental illness are safe. I recently read a news article where two elderly women were killed for suspected witchcraft. This case is not uncommon in SA. My first thought was that dementia is most common in the elderly and some symptoms of dementia are being confused, personality changes and behaving inappropriately, but due to a lack of awareness of what dementia is, the community gets scared and takes matters into their own hands.

Another unique challenge we face as a developing country is that many people attribute wealth to happiness. This makes it difficult for someone who looks healthy and seems to have it all, to reach out for help if they battle with mental health illness. The opposite is also true, someone might seem lazy, but in actuality, are clinically depressed and become crippled by their illness, making it difficult for them to get out of bed to achieve their goals. 

Lack of resources is another challenge South Africans face. We don’t have enough mental health practitioners, time or funding to combat the growing mental health crisis. We also need more culture-conscious practitioners because language is a tool that the patient uses to communicate their experiences. Our country is a very diverse one, where ethnicity, culture, language, and race play a role in getting effective treatment when they need it.

Q. What’s your advice to all of us to help destigmatise mental illness in our own environments?

It starts with you. Ask yourself what you believe about mental health. Do you believe mental illness exists? Do you believe people are faking it for attention? Watch the language you use when watching the news and movies with mental illness in them, because your loved ones are listening and will know whether they can reach out to you or not in times of struggle. Realise that someone living with mental illness doesn’t necessarily have a look, it’s not always the person who is fidgeting and unable to hold a conversation, it can be someone who looks well put together. It can be someone who's always laughing, keeping the life in the party. Mental illness doesn't have a face and it doesn't discriminate. 

Q. What should people do to get the help they need, when they feel their mental health is taking a dip?

As with physical health, you have to take care of your body when you feel unwell. We need to take care of our mental health, but it’s important to know that not everyone needs to consult. There’s a difference between depression and sadness for instance, and how you differentiate between them is based on the continuous feelings you have. Listen to other people when they do say you've been withdrawing, you're not dressing up as you usually do, or that your appetite has changed. Check in with a health professional when you realise that you're unable to express yourself or function the way you used to.

Q. What tools would you give someone who is recovering from a mental health episode?

I would say that look at your journey as unique, as individuals. See yourself as holistic outside of the diagnosis. What is important to you right now? If you've just had an episode, think of right now. What am I supposed to be focusing on now? Is it making myself a cup of coffee? Is it meeting up with that friend? 

Q. What area of mental health do you wish more people knew about?

Learning how to set healthy boundaries in their lives. Some think boundaries mean putting up walls, but healthy boundaries actually promote relationships and protect love from that which destroys it. Boundaries define who you are and who you aren’t. To set healthy boundaries, you need to know yourself and your values to promote healthy relationships in your life.

Q. What does change for women look like in 2024?

When I think of change, I think of a solution to a problem. That solution is usually the answer to a question asked. I think as women, change in 2024 looks like us being the answers to the questions we keep asking. Maybe we are the answers we are looking for. Answers to the questions we keep asking about the environment around us. We may not directly solve the problem, but reaching out and not keeping quiet about the solutions we have.

Q. Give us some tips for those days when you just don’t feel like you can face the world?

We all have bad days, and we all don’t have the same thresholds and that’s okay. Don’t compare your bad day to someone’s highlight. Remember, not everything you think is fact and true - thoughts are merely mental occurrences that need to be backed up by evidence. Challenge your thoughts, because what you think affects how you feel and how you behave and show up in the world. Evidence proves that you go further with self–compassion than you ever will with self-criticism. It could also be useful to take a break from social media and realign with yourself by doing activities that bring you joy.

Q. A book that changed your life and why?

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus! That book helped me complete my Master’s Degree, which was specifically in the philosophy and ethics of mental health. This book by Nabeel Qureshi is about two best friends who seek out truth by using sound arguments and logical reasoning to respectfully engage in such a sensitive topic. I was so inspired by the way they presented their arguments that I used this format in my thesis too. 

Q. What’s next for you and your mission?

There are two women’s conferences I will be speaking at in August, which I am excited about. I am also launching a Therapy Centre called Body and Mind Wellness Centre in my hometown, Phalaborwa, I am looking forward to bringing group therapy there alongside a physiotherapist. I am also hoping to get my PhD admission soon so that I can continue academic research on mental health.