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Keith Mlauzi
FORMER Studio 263 actress and radio host Tinopona “Tin Tin” Katsande says her mental health issues are not a new thing but something she has grown with.
Speaking to B-Metro after she was admitted at a Harare hospital, the radio personality said she was teased when growing up and it affected her.
“When I was young I was emotionally ridiculed for having a long neck and long nose. My physical appearance made me a laughing stock from childhood,” said Katsande.
The now ZiFm stereo radio presenter had a black-out at the weekend while driving. She was then rushed to avenues clinic where she was diagnosed with a condition known to be an anxiety attack.
She told B-Metro that openly talking about her situation helps. “Regardless our celebrity status life is not as perfect as people think it is, I admit I have issues and I will go get help,” she said.
Katsande said she gets flashbacks from her childhood.
“I’m turning 40 this year but at times some childhood memories come, but that doesn’t bother me much anymore because those are my genes (long nose and neck). There’s nothing I can do about it,” said Katsande.
She added that she has a lot of pressure on her plate.
“I really don’t know if all these stresses are from work or from home because I have a lot of pressure from all angles of life,” she added.
She admitted to have been having sleepless nights but she never thought it was a sign of a major illness.
“I have been having sleepless nights lately but I never thought that could be alarming for anything, to me it was normal since I hustle a lot so I would be thinking of my deals, little did I know it could lead to such a nasty condition,” she said.
Talking about it has never been easy, she said.
“It has always seemed to be a taboo for us to talk about mental health issues because we fear being stereotyped by society but this to me was a wake-up call. Many are suffering silently, I will use my platform to tackle issues to deal with mental health awareness,” she said.
She added that it’s high time Zimbabweans embrace the reality of mental health issues and work on overcoming the conditions.
“People are depressed left right and centre, as Zimbabweans we should stop thinking mental health conditions are only for white people, rather we must start working towards overcoming the conditions because most people are going six feet under because of these conditions,” she said.
Katsande will attend some therapy sessions. An estimated 20 percent (3 million) of Zimbabweans suffer from any mental illness.
derick.khumalo