Dineo Ranaka says she has a new outlook on mental health as she manoeuvres through it.
In late May, the media personality shot up social media trends lists when she revealed she was battling with suicidal thoughts. She has since made headlines when she took a break from her duties at KayaFM and when her family assured fans she was getting the help that she needs.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Dineo shared her thoughts about depression from her experience and reading up on the subject.
Dineo said she believed she had been living with temporal lobe epilepsy (an enduring brain disorder that provokes seizures) since her mid-20s, which had worsened over the years.
“Imagine having seizures in your sleep. So I experience seizures in my sleep. My fear is, what if I never wake up? It's not my body that goes into a seizure. My brain has a seizure. It's scary,” she wrote.
In the series of posts, Dineo said she believed depression had been explained thoroughly, and she was doing more research on the matter.
“I'm a happy, fulfilled high-functioning person with depression and figuring myself out. A little weird 'cause depression is associated with sadness. I know that depression is misunderstood largely because it is associated with feelings of sadness, but it is not the absence of happiness either. I'm honestly not sad. I've got so much to be glad about. To be excited and to look forward to, but I'm diagnosed with severe chronic depression.”
'I'm honestly not sad' — Dineo Ranaka decodes her mental health journey
Image: Instagram/ Dineo Ranaka
Dineo Ranaka says she has a new outlook on mental health as she manoeuvres through it.
In late May, the media personality shot up social media trends lists when she revealed she was battling with suicidal thoughts. She has since made headlines when she took a break from her duties at KayaFM and when her family assured fans she was getting the help that she needs.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Dineo shared her thoughts about depression from her experience and reading up on the subject.
Dineo said she believed she had been living with temporal lobe epilepsy (an enduring brain disorder that provokes seizures) since her mid-20s, which had worsened over the years.
“Imagine having seizures in your sleep. So I experience seizures in my sleep. My fear is, what if I never wake up? It's not my body that goes into a seizure. My brain has a seizure. It's scary,” she wrote.
In the series of posts, Dineo said she believed depression had been explained thoroughly, and she was doing more research on the matter.
“I'm a happy, fulfilled high-functioning person with depression and figuring myself out. A little weird 'cause depression is associated with sadness. I know that depression is misunderstood largely because it is associated with feelings of sadness, but it is not the absence of happiness either. I'm honestly not sad. I've got so much to be glad about. To be excited and to look forward to, but I'm diagnosed with severe chronic depression.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE:
WATCH | Dineo Ranaka welcomed by loud cheers at festival in US
LISTEN | From Dineo Ranaka to the drama of Netflix's Young, Famous & African — Top stories for the week
EDITORIAL | In the depth of our despair, we find our true South African spirit
Tswyza explains why he recorded a song showing support for Dineo Ranaka
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos