Christmas is over, now what? SADAG offers a lifeline to those with depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts

While the festive period is a happy time for many South Africans, it also brings financial strain, family tensions and pressure to plan for the coming year. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) offers a lifeline of hope to community members who are grappling with depression and anxiety as the New Year approaches.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, SADAG’s call volumes have increased dramatically. The organisation received about 600 calls a day before the pandemic, a number that doubled overnight in March 2020. Now, almost 20 months later, it receives more than 2 500 calls each day. What’s more, SADAG l, which runs the only suicide crisis helpline in the country, noted that up to one in five calls are suicide related.

SADAG board member and clinical psychologist, Dr Colinda Linde said many people are dealing with anger.

“One of the dominant feelings at the moment is anger, and with that comes disappointment. We have two options – we can release the anger and disappointment and channel it safely and find a way to pivot our attention or get stuck in the anger and despair and keep feeling awful,” she said.

According to SADAG, many people are afraid to speak about their issues due to stigmas. These issues include: depression, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma, grief, work stress and financial issues.

Cassey Chambers, the SADAG operations director, said it is important for everyone to be intentional about mental health, whether they have been diagnosed with a mental illness or not.

“Everyone can benefit from doing something each day to look after their mental health. Learning coping tools and helpful tips to look after your mental health these holidays can help with burnout, depression, anxiety and trauma. You can also model this behaviour for your family, children and friends,” said Chambers.

For counselling queries email zane@sadag.org. To contact a counsellor between 08:00 and 20:00, from Monday to Sunday, call 011 234 4837. For a suicidal emergency, contact SADAG on 0800 567 567. For more information, visit its website at www.sadag.org.