Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida
launches mental health initiative #MindfulMondays in partnership with SADAG
Miss South Africa 2020 Shudufhadzo Musida launches her online mental health initiative #MindfulMondays hosted in conjunction with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), launches on Shudu’s Instagram platform @shudufhadzomusida on Monday, February 8, at 19h00.
Musida – who announced that she would be focusing on raising awareness around mental health when she took the Miss South Africa crown in October last year – will speak to various experts on a diverse range of topics related to the subject on Instagram on Monday evenings at 19h00.
SADAG is proud and honoured to have a platform with Miss SA to have these important conversations around mental health, and to help break the stigma around mental illness in the country. By using her powerful platform and her compassion towards mental health, we hope to debunk myths, encourage people to seek help and share practical self help tips for people to use as part of their mental wellness.
Musida’s first guest will be Clinical Psychologist and SADAG Board Member Zamo Mbele whose conversation focuses on mental health. Their discussion will include the difference between mental health and mental illness; mental health stats in South Africa; how it impacts people; what are some of the different types of mental health issues; who treats them; what resources are available and how COVID has impacted mental health.
On Monday, February 15, the focus will be on teen depression to mark Teen Suicide Prevention Week. Shudu’s guest will be GP and social media influencer Dr Sindi van Zyl who will talk about teen depression, its causes and symptoms; are boys and girls affected differently; how does one identify the warning signs for suicide; how to start the conversation with a friend or child about depression or suicide and how does one get help if you, or someone you know is thinking of suicide?
Topics going forward include (dates will be confirmed shortly):
Dr Colinda Linde and Shudu will discuss the difference between anxiety, stress and worry (and how mindfulness can help people cope). They’ll look at a wide range of issues including panic attacks; what happens when you don’t treat anxiety; medications and self-help tips.
Charity Mokoene and Musida’s subject is understanding depression and its causes and symptoms; how is depression linked to the body; what treatment is available and what you can do if you believe a friend or family member is suffering from it.
Going forward Musida will tackle other vital mental health issues including:
Bullying, grief and loss, men and depression, social media and mental health, substance abuse and the impact on families, the power of support groups, understanding the highs and lows of bipolar disorder and sleep and mental health.
Musida has always been candid about how bullying affected her mental health: “The bullying happened when I moved to a new school. Before the age of nine I was a bubbly little girl but then people found it okay to bring me down at a time when I was only trying to discover myself. The ramifications were enormous,” she says.
During the bullying, Musida started to dress like a boy.
“It got to the point where I thought if I covered up and didn’t draw too much attention to myself, maybe it would stop. I developed low self-esteem and it took me a long time to realise that it was actually never about me but about the people who were doing the bullying.
“For me personally, mental health is something that is not really spoken about. Unfortunately, it is considered a taboo subject that is often engaged with, not to rehabilitate but to shame, so I want to bring that conversation into the open. It’s time our society stands together to confront this.”
Musida will host the open, live and frank discussions on Instagram. Her conversations will also be available at a later stage on the Miss South Africa social media platforms, YouTube, misssa.live and as podcasts.
“I have been working on this since I was crowned Miss South Africa while also completing my honours in International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand. I am thrilled with the result and cannot wait to reveal the end product. I have put my heart and soul into it,” she says.
Go to:
https://www.misssa.co.za
Facebook: facebook.com/MsSouthAfrica
Twitter: @Official_MissSA
Instagram: @official_misssa
YouTube: youtube.com/TheMissSAPageant
Instagram: shudufhadzomusida
Twitter: @abigailmusida
Facebook: Shudufhadzo Musida
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Recordings
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 1: Mental Health 101
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 2: Teen Depression
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 3: Mental Health and the LQBTQI+ Youth
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 4: Anxiety, Panic & Stress
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 5: Depression
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 6: Anxiety
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 7: Trauma & PTSD
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 8: Mental Wellbeing with Vitality
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 9: Bipolar Awareness
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 10: Mental Health Discrimination & Stigma in the Workplace
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 11: Bullying & Mental Health
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 12: Gender Based Violence
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 13: Mindfulness for Stress & Anxiety
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 14: The Power of Breathing
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 15: Mentally preparing for the Third Wave
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 16: Sexual Abuse in Children with Shudufhadzo Musida
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 17: How to Support a Loved one with a Mental Health Issue
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 18: Young Doctors on the Front Line
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 19: Stories of hope for mental health awareness month
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 21: The Life Esidimeni Inquest
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 23: How is Covid-19 & Lockdown Affecting Children in South Africa?
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 24: Women and Mental Health!
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 25: The Impact of Covid-19 on Relationships!
#MindfulMondays with Shudufhadzo - Episode 26: Exam Stress!