Health & Wellness

My desire to study to become a doctor was largely fuelled by my interest and curiosity to understand human behaviour and my special interest in mental health because of the challenges relating to my own mental illness. I believe that my life would be completely different had it not been for the various interventions that were applied to my life in order to secure a good quality of life, of which I’m immensely grateful for.

Health is not only about physical wellbeing but is holistic and includes mental health. A holistic approach to wellness is very important because we are layered, complex and multifaceted beings. I believe in the importance of attending to our mental health in the same manner that we see the importance of prioritising our physical wellbeing through diet and exercise. We often take our mental health for granted and overlook its importance, until it is compromised.

It is important to be brave and unapologetic about this topic in order to tackle discrimination and stigma surrounding the mentally ill and individuals who struggle with their mental health.

Dr Brock Chisholm said it best when he famously stated that “without mental health there can be no true physical health”