Springboks Captain Siya Kolisi Opens Up About His Mental Health Struggles, Encourages Men To Seek Help

• Bokke skipper Siya Kolisi has moments when he struggles with his mental health and relies strongly on his inner circle for support
• He called on men to take care of their mental health and explore helpful ways to do so
• Netizens stood behind him and appreciated him for being open and honest about his inner struggles

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi opened up about his mental health struggles.

He said that while he is a strong man on the outside, he realises how hard it is on his mental wellbeing to be at the top of his game.

He called on men to care for their mental health and find ways to overcome mental struggles.

Siya Kolisi talks about his mental health struggles

Kolisi poured his heart out on his Instagram account, @siyakolisi. He shared a short reel, which was part of an interview he did about the mental health programmes and advice Dove gives to men. Kolisi talked about the importance of men seeking mental help and shared some moments where he struggled. Kolisi alluded to two games the Springboks lost last year.

He said that it is difficult for men to hide from themselves when they are alone.

"I realise that I struggle when I'm by myself, especially if we've had a tough week. When we lost two big games at the end of last year, I was sitting alone and realised how tough it was. I called my wife and told her that I'm struggling."

Kolisi mentioned that one of the ways he deals with mental health issues is by opening up to his wife and close friends. He felt he could always talk to her, and she always told him she wanted him to be vulnerable and reveal his emotional side to her. He challenged men to take their mental health seriously.

“People must not look at you and think you have it all together because we don’t. My wife always says that Instagram always shows the nice stuff. Men go through a lot, and realising something is wrong takes courage. I think it’s important that, as men, we must find ways to help us deal with our mental health issues. It’s also important for people who have platforms and can help men’s mental health come forward and teach them these things,” he added.

Watch the reel here.

South Africans stand behind Koli si's mental health talk

Netizens agreed with Siya and called for men to step forward.

Altheafarmer said:

“Showing vulnerabilities is needed. This is great.”

Guslamperformanncenz remarked:

“Skipper, it takes a real man to speak up about your feelings and what you’re going through.”

Lifestylephoto1 showed her support.

“Yes, yes, yes, to creating spaces for men to be who they are, be allowed to feel what they need to feel, and feel supported.”

Mamncosh wrote:

I love the statement you made about being alone. When you’re alone, it is when you feel things.”

Siya Kolisi reunites with family in London

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that Siya Kolisi recently reunited with his family in London.

He shared a picture of himself with his beautiful family in London, and netizens fawned over one of their favourite athletes.

Source: Briefly News