Dineo Ranaka Gets Candid About Stigmas Surrounding Mental Health

• Dineo Ranaka has been open about her battle with depression and mental health and she is urging others to open up
• The seasoned broadcaster who made headlines after having a mental breakdown on her Instagram page shared her thoughts on the common misconceptions about mental health
• Dineo said people must do away with the thought that mental health is a burden and read and research more about

Dineo Ranaka shared her story with the public, despite knowing the stigma, judgement and comments that would come after. The multi-talented radio and television presenter has been open about her journey with depression and mental health.

Dineo Ranaka chats about the stigmas surrounding mental health

Mental health is a topic that is often not spoken about enough in South Africa. A lot of people suffer in silence because of the fear of being judged.

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Dineo Ranaka recently proved she is cut from a different cloth when she opened up about her struggles. The star has been an open book, sharing good and bad updates with her social media family.

Ranaka recently spoke exclusively to Briefly News about the misconceptions surrounding mental health. She said society tends to dismiss genuine mental health problems thinking people are pretending to be sick or chasing clout. She said:

"I think the common misconceptions or stigmas surrounding mental health are that people with mental health issues are attention-seeking, dramatic, bewitched, pretending to be sick, crazy and all these hurtful statements.

"What is sad is that mental illnesses are so disruptive to the lives of the people living with them. Sometimes they completely disrupt their ecosystems. Some of us struggle with comprehending our own mental illnesses, so imagine how much more stress and shame we endure having to deal with public judgment for merely being sick."

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Dineo Ranaka stresses the importance of reading and researching about mental health

Dineo Ranaka believes people should seek more information about mental health. She told Briefly News that it is important for people to read, study and understand what mental health is and what can be done to help those suffering from it.

"I'd like for society to read, read, read. Nothing beats reading in life, absolutely nothing. Reading is so empowering. I'd like for people living with mental illness to do the same. It's important for us to learn as much as we can about our diagnosis so we can make better life choices and changes to our lives that positively impact how we live and relate to our communities.

"It also rewards you with the capacity to educate your echo system/community about your illness and in turn they will be empowered to support you better. As for initiatives, I'm still in a meeting with my thoughts and research about what can be done at a macro level."

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Sonia Mbele opens up in Dineo Ranaka’s podcast about finding love again after divorce

In more entertainment news, Briefly News reported that actress Sonia Mbele stripped her soul bare in Dineo Ranaka's adult-themed podcast on Tuesday, 25 July.

The Real Housewives of Johannesburg producer was Dineo Ranaka's latest guest in her podcast show, S*x 'n Stuff, joined by co-host Prudence.

Source: Briefly News