Author and suicide survivor Nthabiseng Ngoepe has finally summoned up her courage to speak about mental health issues.
She wants to put the spotlight on mental health issues and help others who are struggling with suicidal thoughts.
“Suicide is not a once-off attempt. Once you have been in a dark corner and you were comfortable to try to commit suicide, it’s easy to go back to that place when things feel overwhelming,” said Nthabiseng.
According to her, for a person to avoid suicidal thoughts, they must constantly renew their mind and feed it with positive thoughts.
She recently launched the #Choosetolivemovement at the Fusion Boutique Hotel in Polokwane, Limpopo.
The movement was inspired by her life experiences and suicide incidents reported by the media.
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“Some prominent people have died at the hands of suicide and those are the few that are known. There are many others that we don’t know about in our communities. Every day there’s someone who commits suicide or attempts it.
“We need to take action and extend a helping hand,” said Nthabiseng.
Her movement intends to offer a platform where people can reach out and feel safe to share their struggles.
“ I’m creating a space whereby patients can take the first step and say I’m ready to fight for my life,” said Nthabiseng.Besides sharing her story
Her launch was attended by health experts such as Dr Mandu Selepe, a clinical psychologist, and a life coach, Cathy Mphirima, who gave insight and insight on the issue of mental illness and encouraged people to seek help.
Cathy encouraged people to find what is that they are passionate about and start doing that.
“It is said that living a purposeful life is
fulfilling and can help when you find yourself at a helpless stage of your life,” said Cathy.
Mandu said that suicide can be
brought into one’s life for several reasons.
“It can be depression, stress, or other life factors. I’d encouraged people to
seek help because mental unwellness is a serious challenge,” said Mandu.
Nthabiseng is planning to spread awareness and offer s upport. “My plan is to host more events and offer people the platform to share their stories or for them to come and listen to find some answers and help. Our movement will be working with professionals as we aim to save lives and we can do that when we arm people with the right tools and information,” said Nthabiseng
