Ghanaian skit comedian SDK Dele has opened up about his battle with depression and how he had to seek help.
The comedian, whose real name is Sadik Sulley, shared his personal story in a live studio discussion on 3FM on February 26, where he revealed how losing both his parents affected his mental health and his work.
SDK Dele said he often experienced bouts of sadness and hopelessness, which he compared to having malaria.
"Yeah, I do get it more often, and that's been crazy since I lost both parents. It really eats into me.
"So I'm like, let life go on. But honestly, it's like you getting malaria. You can be like, 'Oh, it's just malaria.' Let me just leave it, but then it gets worse. So now I had to seek the advice of a therapist," he said.
Opening up about his experience, SDK said he tried to cope by putting on a smile and a laugh when he was in public and on set, but he always had to deal with the pain when alone.
"When you come outside, you have to smile; you have to laugh, just as you say. When the camera goes off and the lights go out, when you go to sleep, it's a whole lot," he said.
He also admitted that he lost his inspiration and motivation to work, and sometimes, he could not do the tasks assigned to him. He said he got into a zone where he could not think of anything.
"I think it got to a point where I was not inspired. Sometimes, the work will be there, but you can't do it. You get into some zone where you can't think of anything," he admitted.
He said he decided to seek the help of a therapist, and he has been in therapy for a while. He said therapy works for him and encouraged others facing similar challenges to seek professional help.
"I've been in therapy for a while, though. I'm still on it. It works," he said.
SDK Dele thanked his fans and friends for their support and love and said he hopes to overcome his depression and continue to make people laugh with his skits.
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