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.

I believe that the topic of mental health does not need to be sombre and intimidating but should be in environments which are conducive to pleasant and exciting interactions. For this reason, I founded an organisation called Sisters For Mental Health (www.sistersformentalhealth.co.za) because I believe in collaboration and ease of accessibility of resources related to supporting people in need of information and help relating to their mental wellbeing. Outreach plays an integral role in my life as I deem it important to provide psycho-education to communities which are disadvantaged and in desperate need of education in order to address religious, cultural and social stigma relating to mental illness.

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”