It seems as if the number of women choosing to end their lives and those of their children, due to different challenges, has increased in the Eastern Cape from last year.
Nomboleko Simayile (32) bludgeoned her four children to death with a hammer in November.
She later died in hospital, while still attending her case in Ngcobo Magistrate’s Court.
In another incident, Bongeka Buso (38) from Tholeni Administrative Area in Butterworth was found hanging from a rope inside her rondavel, while her two children were found dead on the bed, and her first born was found lying on the floor next to the bed with a knife in her neck.
Recently, Ntombizanele Mntsizelwa (35) from Jabavu locality in Port St Johns poisoned and strangled her three children to death, and her body was also found not far from where she killed them.
The fourth child survived by pretending to be dead.
There is help available
Express talked about these challenges to Pinky Gqeba-Tshuta, a Specialist Wellness Counsellor in private practice (Umtata), in order to request advice for those facing different challenges in life.
Gqeba-Tshuta said that unresolved issues or stressors may lead to depression.
She said that most common issues include financial stress, relationship issues and family issues.
“By addressing the underlying unresolved issues, seek assistance from mental health practitioners, i.e social workers, counsellors, and psychologists. These services are readily available in all public health facilities (hospitals) in South Africa,” she said.
She added that mental health-related illnesses may affect anyone across all ages. However, statistics have proven that young people are prone to mental health illnesses.
According to her, 20 percent of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year.
“Fifty percent of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75 percent by age 24. Ten percent of children and young people (aged five to 16) have a clinically-diagnosable mental problem.”
She said signs to look out for include the loss of interest in things previously enjoyed, feeling worthless, sad, suicidal thoughts, disrupted sleep pattern, loss of concentration, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain, and feeling very tired or low in energy most the time.
Gqeba-Tshuta said that mental health illnesses can be very dangerous when untreated.
She said that a person who is mentally unstable does not think logically. According to her, all they care about is to ease the pain they are feeling.
She said that those who might be struggling with these challenges, should seek assistance from mental health practitioners for proper diagnosis and treatment.
“A mental health illness is not a life sentence. Many prominent people live with different kinds of mental health-related illnesses.
“With proper diagnosis, therapy and treatment all mental health illnesses become easier to live with. All they need is proper management.”
