Parusnath – We’re Not Allowed To Party In Public

Sekhukhune United midfielder Seth Parusnath believes there is no room for athletes to be human and to take care of their mental health because of the stigma attached.

A few weeks ago Vodacom Blue Bulls and Springbok winger S’bu Nkosi disappeared without the knowledge of the Gauteng rugby franchise for three weeks.

As the club was on the lookout for the player, he was discovered at his home in Mpumalanga, with reasons reported that he was suffering from mental health issues. Bok and Sharks prop Ox Nche said sports stars should regularly check up on each other to fight the mental battle.

But Nkosi is not the only sportsman suffering from mental health issues, with depression far more spread among footballers than many of us know.

Parusnath is one of the first local players to speak out on his own mental battles since suffering an ACL injury during the off-season, while also talking about the pressures on sportsmen to put on an upright citizen act in public as they cannot even unwind without being scrutinised. 

“It is reality and it is becoming more and more frequent in this modern day that we are in, in terms of mental health and breakdowns that sportsmen in general or players go through,” he told Robin-Duke Madlala in the latest edition of iDiski Times.

“There is a stigma attached to all of us that we are not allowed to party, we are not allowed to have a life outside of the soccer fields, always portray the image of being upright.

“It is always like putting on the mask when you are out in public yet it’s hard to be the perfect role model all the time.”

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Parusnath also opened up about his own mental struggles, which have come to the fore due to his most recent injury.

“I use him (my twin brother) as a guide to help me get over the mental battle I have faced at the elite level,” he added.

“Sometimes you wake up, you are feeling good and ready to go to training, go to physio and push, you get there, ‘Eish, (you start to ask yourself) why I’m feeling this way, why I’m doing this, I’m supposed to do this every day?’ and I have questions in my head.

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“But I just have to stay mentally strong – finding out and seeking information from people around me who have gone through the same stuff is helping me a hell of a lot.

“But I have my good days and my bad days. But having a good support structure is everything.”

Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).

You can read Parusnath’s full chat with Robin-Duke in edition 84 of iDiski Times available for free at all Shoprite stores in Gauteng.