Dawn Thandeka King opens up on struggle with depression

Dawn Thandeka King’s recent hospitalization has left her drained and desperate for her depression cycle to end. She has come out stronger and more determined to speak about it.

“The environment‚ anxiety‚ exhaustion- you name it. My body fell apart and I was back in hospital again. Even though I was doing well in my career‚ my body needed rest and so it shut down. I couldn’t move. It was a difficult place to be in (mentally). I was in hospital for a week and a half.”

This has made her want to speak about her condition openly.

“Every time I was hospitalised and not moving away from the fact that it could happen again‚ I wondered if people understand this condition called depression. You need to admit to yourself that you are struggling so that you can accept help. I chose to talk about it because talking about is the best way to heal.”

For Dawn, depression is something that is not clearly understood.

“It is not understood. You think you can pray it away or just change your thinking. I remember lying in hospital and the cleaning staff would come past and say ‘be strong. Think positive thoughts.’ I thought: ‘do you even know anything about what I am going through? You can’t pray it away. You need to face it head on and prayer can help‚ but it is not just going to fix it.”

Dawn treats the condition by meditating and speaking to those close to her. Acting too has helped her deal with her emotions.

“It is an incredible place and they are so supportive of me. Being on the show has its challenges but these keep me focused.” she added.