AKA Opens up on Battle with Clinical Depression

[Image Source: SowetanLive]

By Kinyua Mwangi

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South African Hip-hop artist Kiernan ‘AKA’ Forbes has spoken up about his struggles with depression and anxiety. The rapper recently announced on his Instagram stories that he had been diagnosed with depression several months ago.

“I need to let this be known, especially for so many people out there fighting every day. I was diagnosed with clinical depression many, many months ago,” he wrote.

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AKA also revealed that he quit taking prescribed medicine; when asked why he opted to quit taking prescribed medication for his illness, the rapper said it interfered with his ability to feel, which is at the foundation of his artistic expression.

“I was put on meds but couldn't handle them. They made me feel like I couldn't feel anything so I got off them. Plus my whole job is to feel,” he opined.

 His mother, Lynn Forbes in a separate post on Instagram detailed how she pushed his celebrity son to open up about his battle with clinical depression.

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 “Last night Kiernan spoke up about being diagnosed with clinical depression and living with depression for many months,” she wrote. She added that for AKA to open up, it took up a lot of courage to do so. Lynn shared her highlights from her research on depression and how to open up about it.

The mental illness affects women and men of all ages, regardless of their gender, she said, adding being sad or weak doesn't make you depressed; it just makes you overestimate the severity of your feelings.

AKA’s mother said that depression affects many people, but a good number choose not to seek help. However, even individuals who are severely depressed can be helped by the right treatment.

“It’s never easy to start openly discussing your feelings. Make it a priority to actively speak about your symptoms and emotions,” she advised.