October has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month to not only educate the public about the scourge but to also reduce the stigma and prejudice associated with it. To encourage understanding and reduce the stigma associated with mental health, the City’s Library and Information Services (Region C) hosted a tea and inspiration session at the Weltevredenpark Library, featuring local speaker Tracy Prince.
Prince spoke about her personal experiences with bullying and suicide before moving on to discuss ways to heal that allow one to speak out and be affirmed in today’s fast-paced society.
Depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and work-related stress are all common mental health issues that affect individuals, their families, coworkers, and society as a whole. Most people experience stress, worry, mood swings, burnouts, or other forms of emotional distress at some point in their lives. The causes of these can vary, and there are times when it appears impossible to overcome them on your own.
When people experience unpleasant emotions and are unable to get themselves back up or when they develop bad habits that they are unable to overcome, it is important to understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
An inspiring speaker, Prince alluded to the reality that when people do not understand mental illness, don’t know what to expect, or where to turn to for support, it creates anxiety, fear, and misconceptions.
“We must learn to know, love, and accept ourselves as a lifelong process of discovery. Loving yourself isn’t always easy, but it’s a worthy goal; and it’s also important to realize that nothing on the outside — no substance, person, job, or amount of money — can make you feel comfortable with yourself because happiness is an inside job, and you can thrive with self-compassion,” she said.
The first step to putting your life back on track is obtaining the support you need when you need it.
“Mental health issues are a big menace to our society. It is no longer a hidden reality that depression has become one of the most serious illnesses that adds to the global disease burden,” said one local community member.
“We must create awareness about mental health to help people undertake damage-control mechanisms,” he added.
Gwyneth Perry, a senior librarian at Weltevredenpark library, said she was overjoyed they could host the community over “tea and inspiration”.
“It is lovely to be able to allow members of our community to come together and share their thoughts and insights in this manner,” said Perry.
“My vision is for Weltevredenpark library to continuously evolve into a community hub where people can gather to learn, interact, network, and connect. We want to do more programmes such as these in the future,” she added.
Written by Ntombifuthi Junerose Nkosi
21/10/2022