She had the entire country worried when she announced her struggles with "staying alive" recently. Sangoma, radio and TV personality Dineo Ranaka received an outpouring amount of support from fans, friends, and colleagues after opening up about her mental wellness. The mother of three shared how she understood people who are suicidal, before admitting herself to a mental wellness hospital. In less than a week, she left the hospital after she suspected a patient had been taking videos of her during recovery. Dineo has since opened up to say that she has been diagnosed with Severe Chronic Depression.
SEVERE CHRONIC DEPRESSION
Opening up with her fans, Dineo says she is no longer suicidal and she is grateful for the calls, the texts, the prayers and the well wishes. "Thank you. I've recently been diagnosed with Severe Chronic Depression," she says. "I feel like I need to allow myself to reintroduce myself to myself because I've been a high-functioning person with depression and this is dangerous! Very dangerous."
FEELING SICK
She adds that she has been physically sick. "Really physically sick. I've suspected myself to not be well for a bit over two months now. And eventually, I know why! What a relief!" she says. "My symptoms have been in-sleep seizures, trouble waking up, trouble controlling my bladder, confusion, thoughts of harming myself, trouble with energy to do anything and meaningful deep empathy/sympathy with those that have taken their lives." But she is grateful to be alive. "At the end of it all, I am here now. Trying to learn how to move forward without thinking I'm a fraud. It's really hard on me, and if you knew half of the judgement I'm dealing with, you would probably want to have yourself admitted and never discharged! But I have faith in me. I believe in me. Depression is curable."
NO LONGER SUICIDAL
During the time of her breakdown, she said, "I completely understand souls,spirits, people that commit suicide. I get it. I get them. Because I'm trying my best to not commit suicide, my mind is so loud of late and life is fu*&&ng hard and I'm trying my best, but it seems my best is not enough. My children, God. Abantwana bam!," Dineo said. "The biggest question is, is Dineo suicidal? The answer was yes but is now No! It is No because to break the curse I have to believe and say that I'm not!" she said adding that, "Does Dineo empathise with those that have committed suicide? The answer is 'Yes' because the ultimate symptom of depression is suicide, so I get it now. Have I thought of taking my own life? The answer is yes. But I reverse the curse by declaring I am not suicidal! If at all you relate, I have faith in you. I believe in you. I hope you believe in yourself too. I hope you are willing to do the work to be ok. Mental health is so insanely misunderstood because depression is not the absence of happiness so essentially, it is not sadness. It is the absence of vitality. Vitality is the zest to live!" Dineo says that right now she is taking time to herself to sort out the mess in different areas of her life.
