Thembelihle Zwane
5 October 2026
Njalo ngobusika, uDkt Seleme Melato, udokotela wezengqondo osebenza eSandton, eGoli, ubona iphethini efanayo iza emnyango wakhe. Iziguli zifika zizichaza ngokuthi “zikhathele nje”. Zilala ngokwedlulele, zinenkinga yokugxila emsebenzini, futhi zihoxa ukuvakashela abangani. Kwabaningi, lokhu akuyona into engaphezu kokubanda nezinsuku ezimfushane zobusika. Kodwa kwiqembu elincane, isimo sengqondo asikhululeki – siyaqhubeka nokuba nzima.
“Emasontweni amabili, ababi ngcono kuba kubi kakhulu,” kusho uDkt Melato ekhuluma ngaleli qembu elincane, lapho izimpawu zabo zibonisa ukusuka esimweni esijwayelekile sobusika kuya kokunye okunzulu kakhulu: I-Seasonal Affective Disorder, noma i-SAD.
Olunye uhlangothi aliphinda kaningi leziguli zakhe ngelowesifazane oneminyaka engamashumi amane, manje osebusikeni besibili esibona ngaso lesi simo. Ngonyaka odlule, wakwedlula lokhu futhi wazizwa engcono uma intwasahlobo ifika. Kulo nyaka kwaba ngokwehlukile. Cishe emasontweni amathathu ebusika, wayelala amahora ayisishiyagalolunye kuya kwelishumi ebusuku futhi engakwazi ukuphuma embhedeni. Wagcina engaphumeleli emisebenzini ngoba engakwazi ukusebenza, futhi wayeka ukuphendula abangani. Kwaba udadewabo owabona ushintsho futhi wamkhuthaza ukuba afune usizo.
I-SAD iwuhlobo lokudangala olulandela iphethini yesizini, futhi ihlanganiswa neminye imikhuba yesimo sengqondo. Okwehlukanisa lokhu nokudangala okujwayelekile kobusika, kuchaza uDkt Melato, akulona uhlobo lwezimpawu kodwa isisindo sazo. “Ubumnyama bobusika buncane futhi buyadlula. I-SAD inzima, iyakhubaza, futhi iqhubeka isikhathi eside.”
Lesi simo asifiki sodwa ngokuvamile. Sithinta kakhulu abantu abadala abangaphezu kweminyaka engamashumi amabili kunezingane, futhi abesifazane kunabesilisa, futhi sithinta kakhulu abantu asebehlushwa eminye imikhuba, njengokukhathazeka, i-bipolar disorder, noma i-schizophrenia. I-bipolar disorder iyisibonelo esicace kakhulu: ekupheleni kobusika, abanye baguqukela ku-mania noma i-hypomania, baphazamiseke futhi baphithizele, kanti abanye bawela ekudangaleni okunzulu okufinyelela ekungabi nathemba nasemicabangweni yokuzibulala. “Inselelo ayisagcini kulesimo esisodwa, kodwa izimo ezimbili ezihlangene okudingeka zilashwe ndawonye,” kusho yena.
Ngaphambi komsebenzi wokwelulekwa ojulile, uDkt Melato uqala ngezisekelo: isikhathi esihlelekile sokuvuka, ukuzinweba embhedeni bese uvula amakhethini, ukuphuma ngaphandle – ngisho nangezinyawo uhambe otshanini – ukudla ukudla okunomsoco, ukunciphisa ikhafini, nokuxwaya utshwala nezidakamizwa. “Akukho kulokhu okushintsha isimo ngokwaso,” kusho yena. “Okukunikezayo ukwelulekwa okuncane, lapho inqubekelaphambili ingakhiwa kancane kancane.”
Ubuthongo buthola ukunakwa okukhethekile, njengoba ukukhathala kwe-SAD kuyakhohlisa – isiguli singalala amahora ayisishiyagalombili futhi sivuke sisakhathele. Amafoni, uyaphawula, angesinye seziphazamiso ezijwayelekile zesimanje zokugcina isikhathi sokulala. Kusukela lapho, i-cognitive behavioural therapy futhi, lapho kufanele, i-light therapy – ekwelashweni kwengqondo nasemithini, kuqedela ukwelashwa.
Imindeni ithwala ngaphezu kwalokho okuvame ukubonwa. “Uzwelo lubekwa kuqala, kulandelwe ukufunda,” kusho uDkt Melato, njengoba iziguli zingase zingasiboni isimo sazo sesishona phansi – ukudangala kungase kube yisimo esivamile sazo. Idayari yesimo sengqondo elula, ngisho negcinwa umlingani esebenzisa izilinganiso zezimoji nsuku zonke, ingaveza ukwehla isiguli esingakwazi ukukubona.
Ezigulini eziningi, izimpawu ziyaphela lapho isizini ishintsha. Kodwa iphethini ephindaphindayo ebusika nobusika iyisexwayiso ngokwayo – lapho ukwelashwa okusheshayo kungcono kunokulinda. Uma kubonwa ngesikhathi, uDkt Melato uyaphawula uthi, i-SAD ayivami ukuqhubekela ekudangaleni okukhulu noma ekukhathazekeni okuhambisana nakho.
“Uma kukhona umyalezo owodwa kubasebenzi bezempilo neziguli, ukuthi kukhona ithemba futhi kukhona usizo njalo olutholakalayo,” kusho yena. Amakliniki omphakathi nezinhlangano ezifana ne-SADAG zisenamathuba okufinyeleleka kulabo abangakwazi ukukhokhela ukwelashwa kwangasese. Njengoba uDkt Melato ekusho, isinyathelo esinzima kakhulu ngokuvamile yiso esilula kunazo zonke: ukushaya ucingo lokuqala.
