I break down the stigma and silence enveloping depression, sharing my own experience and the results of my extensive research into mental health, while writing a book on the affliction.

As a best-selling author, (Joost: The Man in the Mirror), freelance writer, (Daily Maverick, Business Day, BizNews, The Star, Financial Mail) and raconteur, I tackle the topic with sensitivity, understanding, and affable humour.

Depression is a silent pandemic. Sufferers don’t or won’t talk about it, because for many people there is a stigma attached to the disease. Too often, victims are seen as self-preoccupied, malingering, hypochondriacs, rather than as individuals suffering from an illness. Yet depression is as real as a gaping wound; because it can’t be seen, it is considered a character flaw.

After the doctor who resuscitated me when I had a heart attack at gym, took his own life because of depression, I knew I had to do something to break the silence. It was a shattering experience that hit home as I too had to deal with my own depression.

I am passionate about creating spaces where others are comfortable to acknowledge their experiences be they family or friends or even themselves, and where information about the illness can be shared.

I have spoken to SADAG’s, (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) counsellors, not because I am a psychologist; but because I’m not.

I bring a realistic, relatable, refreshing slant to a disorder that world-wide affects 300+ million people.

As the silent pandemic spreads exponentially through society, depressed employees do not productive workers make, costing companies countless less-than-optimum work-filled hours.

I have spoken to corporates, foundations, and societies, among others, and combine the topic of depression with down-to-earth, proven recommendations to combat this debilitating condition.

The statistics are devastating. Around the world an estimated 700 000 people commit suicide every year. That is 1 every 45 seconds and the biggest risk factor for suicide is depression. SADAG alone, among many other health organisations, receives an astonishing 3 000 calls a day from people suffering with mental health issues, and the number is increasing monthly.

As I like to remind people, “there are no depressed people on a sinking lifeboat”.