When 38-year-old Phakisa started acting out of character, preferring to be alone and participating less in family activities and chores 26 years ago, his family, in particular his wife, got concerned and contacted his family.
What would follow was months of visits to doctors, and then a diagnosis – depression. He lost his accountancy job due to being unreliable and failing to meet targets.
Doctors in Pretoria West referred him to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital where, for the first few months, he was an outpatient.
“But, after almost a year they called the family in and suggested he be admitted,” his nephew Abel said.
“He had completely withdrawn into a world of his own, would be aggressive sometimes, and this unsettled his children,” he said, requesting not to reveal the family…
