Clewer residents gathered at the KwaMthunzi Vilakazi Community Hall on October 10 to mark World Mental Health Day at an awareness event hosted by the Phoenix Support Centre.

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Organiser Martha Shongwe, a psychotherapist and NVR accredited practitioner, said the event aimed to promote mental well-being and encourage people to reflect on how they treat each other.

“We are trying to teach people to understand and reflect on their behaviour,” Shongwe explained. “Do we listen to each other, and do we support each other in relation to mental health?”

Speakers link mental and physical health

Speakers included psychiatrists, counsellors and a life coach, who discussed links between mental health and chronic physical conditions, and explored ways to live a normal life with HIV.

“People living with chronic diseases can struggle with mental health,” said Shongwe. People living with HIV struggle a lot with mental health. They are vulnerable and often face discrimination.”

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Shongwe said Phoenix encourages people to have empathy and listen to others with willingness to support: “If we can talk about physical conditions like diabetes, we can also talk about our anxiety; it is okay.”

Early support is essential

Ward 9 councillor Anna Mtshweni attended the event and praised the initiative.

She said it is valuable for people to understand that that mental illness does not only affect people with severe psychiatric conditions, and that everyday mental health challenges also require care.

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“My encouragement is that people must go and get help at an early stage, so that you can prevent any further damage,” she said.

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