We are smashing all stigmas! Going to therapy is cool, talking about your fears and anxieties is encouraged, seeking help and empowering yourself and others about mental illnesses are all no longer taboo. And even if you do not suffer from mental illness, overall wellness and happiness is important too with self-care being a buzzword.
October has been declared Mental Health Awareness month and as we celebrate National Nutrition week this week, we will look at various wellness centres in and around Woodstock – from health stores, yoga schools, urban gardens, spas, meditation centres as well stockists of healthy food that’s good for the body.
As many as one in six South Africans suffer from anxiety, depression or substance-use problems (and this does not include more serious conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia), according to statistics released by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). Cassey Chambers, Operations Director at SADAG says that because “people don’t know where to go to get help, or are too scared to seek it, the stats we have are still not a true reflection of what is actually happening on the ground.”
Stigmas surrounding mental health pose a major stumbling block when it comes to treating the disease in South Africa, explains Chambers. There is still the perception that someone with a mental illness is crazy, dangerous or weak. Because there is often an absence of physical symptoms with mental illness, it is considered ‘not real’, or a figment of the imagination.”
Begin your journey of self-care with the list of places we have put together for you here.
