Run4You – Mental health awareness run

In June I participated in a fun run to raise funds for a lady who was in a serious cycling accident.  People showed up in numbers their support by running five kilometers.  Watching them I thought to myself wouldn’t it be great if people could show their support for mental health by being part of such an event?  After thinking and praying about it I concluded that it needed to be done and my home town, Vanderbijlpark, would be perfect place to start.

On many occasions people asked me where they can get help or just ask questions about mental health.  This is where fun run comes in.
The idea was to create a safe environment for people to get out of the shadow of a mental illness, without being judged or looked down upon because of it or reaching out for help.  Whether the people has an illness or have a family member or friend that they want to support.  This was an event for mental awareness so people don’t need to be afraid to ask questions, because they weren’t the only person there with depression or bipolar.

This is also the reason for the name: ‘RUN4YOU’.  It is based on the act of people stepping out saying that mental health is a reality and it should not be characterized as people who are crazy.  At the same time people with an illness would see that there are people who care and that they’re not alone.   Vista Clinic joined us on the day.  They brought a gazebo and with qualified staff to assist people who have questions about it.

We are responsible for our well being and that includes our health.  No one understands it better than we ourselves.  So it’s our responsibility to step out and ask for help so that we can live a full life which is possible if you get treatment and stick to it.

My wish is that people will get educated in mental health and see that a mental illness is not a death sentence.

By Deon Labuschagne
Vista Happiness HELPS Ambassador