In light of rapper Riky Rick’s recent death which is allegedly due to his depression, the topic has become a talking point, with more and more celebrities sharing their voices.
Recently, media personality and cookbook author, Somizi Mhlongo added his voice, saying that he, too, has been depressed and had suicidal thoughts in the past.
The “Idols SA” judge took to Instagram to tell fans how moved he was by watching two other inspirational videos on the application.
The first was posted by South African award-winning songstress, Kelly Khumalo, where she talked about finding the source of what is causing the depression, while the other post was by @fentselite_ (Ofentse Mogotsi) where he reposted a video titled “Something had to die, but it wasn’t me”.
The video talked about killing the belief system that people attach to themselves and letting go of emotions that make them feel depressed.
Listening to these video inspired Somizi to take a new direction in life, and in his video he said he was releasing himself from the “prison of his thoughts”.
“I am detaching, something is dying today, it is that belief system that ’I am.. because of’. I am freeing myself from that. I am living, I am going to live, they are dying today,” he said.
“If you are thinking of suicide today, I plead with you to think the way I think because I also do have suicidal thoughts, I did have suicidal thoughts, I have never attempted it, but I’ve had because of the s*** going on in my life, but today after seeing those videos I’ve realised I don’t want to die, I want to live, but the things causing me pain have to die,” he continued.
His advice to depressed people is to look deep within themselves and see that they are bigger than their problems.
“You will realise that you are bigger than those things, your God is bigger than all those things. Something has to die and it is not you,” he said.
Somizi’s fans said that they felt like he was speaking straight to their hearts.
@chilli_queen_za_2 said: “Yoh Somgaga you spoke directly to me today...ngiyabonga 🙇🏽♀️🙏🏽😰😥😨💔.. I posted a reel this morning to remind myself to have faith & to fight my enemies..and then I open my Instagram later & you post this! Ja ne God gave you a job today to talk "LIFE" into me.. dankie Somgaga 🙇🏽♀️🙏🏽🖤🖤✊🏾 #Somizi #Somgaga”.
While Nozipho Ndlovu wrote: “Come on now 🙌🙌🙌 I hope someone out there who might be going through the same can realize the power in this message 🙌🙌🙇♀️🙇♀️”.