She was fired from her breakfast show on Kaya 959 after declaring that she was diagnosed with severe chronic depression. After months of leaving Kaya 959, Dineo Ranaka reflects on how being dismissed has been a blessing in disguise.

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

"Remind me, who are you competing with again? No one," she says. "Why do you care who's criticising your journey? Why do you care who's gossiping? Why do you care so much who says what? Focus is more important than intelligence so just focus. Focus on your day-to-day! Not anyone else's but yours! And whoever said Rome was built in a day? No one. To all my entrepreneurial fam, this business journey has no balance that's why it's one foot in front of the other." Dineo says it's not easy and requires hard work. "It's hard and your well-being will take strain but let me tell you something, if you're willing to focus, isolate, work hard/smart and reflect? you'll be healthy. You'll be ok. There's not a single human who has all their s*** together so just focus on yours, mate. Stay trying. Thank God Kaya fired me actually, it wasn't Kaya that fired me, God did."

FIRED

Dineo co-hosted the morning show ?959 Breakfast' with Sol Phenduka. When she returned on air after an emotional breakdown that led to her being hospitalised and diagnosed with severe chronic depression, before being dismissed, Dineo and Kaya 959 were still discussing whether she should return to the airwaves or let Sizwe Dhlomo continue to hold down the slot as he had been when she was on sick leave. She was given time off after she started opening up about her mental wellness. She shared how she understood people who are suicidal before admitting themselves 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.

NO LONGER SUICIDAL

Dineo recently admitted to no longer being suicidal. "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." 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."