Treat depression transparently and without judgement after death of HHP

THE nation was shocked this week by the news that iconic local musician HHP had taken his own life after losing a long battle against depression.

The fact of the matter, though, was that for Jabulani Tsambo it was only a matter of time. He’d famously told radio host Gareth Cliff that he’d unsuccessfully tried to kill himself three times in 2015 alone.

Sadly, this week he succeeded. Poignantly, it occurred in the middle of a month set aside to focus on mental health. South Africans are not good about opening ourselves up when it comes to mental health.

We will have no qualms seeing a doctor for a stomach ache or seeing a specialist for a broken bone, yet we’d rather die – sometimes literally – than even consider seeing a therapist or a psychologist.

It’s a wasteful and pointless vanity, prolonging unnecessary pain for the patient and causing unimaginable suffering for their loved ones who are left with more questions than answers.

If nothing else, as we remember the life, times and legacy of an incredible musician who delighted us all across class, colour and creed, we should commit to making a difference this October – and beyond.

Let’s stop this ridiculous stigma around mental health. People do suffer from it, mostly through no fault of their own.

Let’s start handling it like any other ailment and treating it as such, transparently and without judgement.

Let’s be aware of the triggers and the signs that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Let’s act resolutely when we see what are really silent pleas for help.

Let’s stop the heartache.

Most of all, let’s create a society that really cares at a time when the world – and all the pressures associated with it, not least of all social media – seems hell- bent on pushing us in the opposite direction.