Having been booked and busy, hitting the clubs, hosting radio shows and MCing at prestigious events for over a decade, little did people know that one of Mzansi’s top female entertainers, DJ PRULUV, had been diagnosed with Clinical Stress, Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety and ADHD.
DJ PRULUV – A multi-award winning Radio & Club Dj, MC and Motivational Speaker – has taken the bold decision to no longer hide her mental ailments from the public, after she initially feared the stigma attached to them. It’s still rather taboo for people in the public eye, who have enjoyed much success, to come out and say “I’ve struggled with Clinical Stress, Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety or ADHD.” Another factor is that people believe that one has to be a public failure to affirm their struggles with mental ailments, which is not always the case.
Now, as a Cell C See Youth Ambassador, where she conducts mental wellness and career motivational talks in schools, DJ PRULUV has decided to formalise her mental wellness advocacy and launched PRULUV WELLNESS to reach a wider audience in various spheres, including adults that are unemployed, the work force, parents and any individual who will find her content to be of much benefit. Seeing the prevalence of people across various age groups struggling with mental ailments, DJ PRULUV felt the need to create a safe space where people can heal without the judgement and stigma attached to mental ailments.
According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), a U-Report South Africa poll in 2022 found that 73% of children and young people felt they needed mental health support. Also, conservative research by Employee Assistance Professionals Association of South Africa shows that as many as one quarter of South African employees will be diagnosed with depression during the course of their employment. Unfortunately, only between 15% to 25% will seek and receive help.
When DJ PRULUV was diagnosed with Clinical Stress, Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety and ADHD, she didn’t know of anyone who had struggled with these mental ailments, leading her to a place of isolation and obscurity, where she was overcome with shame, leading her to suicidal thoughts. DJ PRULUV was eventually hospitalised for one month in a wellness ward, where she was also put on anti-depressants for 4 months. She learned valuable coping mechanisms in hospital that have enabled her to survive and keep going even under emotionally destructive conditions. Also, DJ PRULUV notes that her hospital stay was very costly, bringing her to the realisation that the average South African cannot afford the same treatment. For this reason, she wants to share and equip others with these coping mechanisms, which can be used as tools in their effort of finding healing.
This is what DJ PRULUV had to say “It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad we’re finally here. When I was put on antidepressants after being diagnosed with clinical stress, depression, bipolar and anxiety in 2010, God told me that it’s not about me, but it’s about all the people that will heal through my journey. I didn’t get it then. Now, after spending a month on yet another mental wellness journey which I called Adullam, loosely translated to “A place where you find yourself after God fixes all your brokenness,” I finally get it! Trust me, I’ve been apprehensive about sharing information about my journey for the longest time because of the stigma attached to mental ailments but I realised that it would be the greatest injustice to die and take the information and experiences of my journey of healing to the grave, when they could have helped someone else. I am still healing and made peace with the fact that it may be a lifetime of healing but we strive for wholeness. That’s why I’d like to invite you on this journey for us to Heal Together through @pruluvwellness.”