Newly crowned Mr Gay World SA Louw Breytenbach shares mental health battle – CapeTalk
Weekend Breakfast host Sara-Jayne King chats to actor, TV presenter and entrepreneur Louw Breytenbach.
- Local TV personality Louw Breytenbach was crowned Mr. Gay World South Africa in May this year
- Breytenbach battled with his mental health from a very young age and was diagnosed with multiple conditions
- The mental health advocate says his mission is to help inspire other young children who feel they don’t fit in
- Listen to Breytenbach chat about his personal journey on Weekend Breakfast in the audio above
“You can come from the worst background and still have something to live for”, says newly crowned Mr Gay World South Africa Louw Breytenbach.
Breytenbach was named Mr Gay World SA 2021 in May this year. The 31-year-old mental health activist says his mission is to inspire young people to be confident in themselves and what makes them different.
Breytenbach hails from Boksburg on the east rand of Gauteng and has become an accomplished actor, TV host, and entreprenuer. He founded a theatre school in his hometown to help make difference in the lives of other children.
Breytenbach came from a poor family and struggled with his mental health from the age of 10. He also suffered three suicide attempts, the first of which took place at the of 12.
The TV star tells CapeTalk that enrolling in drama classes was a defining moment in his life and credits the sixth-grade teacher who believed in him.
Breytenbach has been being diagnosed with eight mental disorders, including, depression bipolar disorder, and body dysmorphia.
He chats to CapeTalk host Sara-Jayne King about his career, embracing his sexuality, his difficult childhood and his battle with mental health.
I think my message of mental health, looking after yourself spiritually, mentally, and physically, is so important because I live with this mission that if I can make life better for one other child to know that different is okay. Different is not that bad.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
You can come from the worst background and still have something to live for, and still reach your highs despite those lows.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
I was diagnosed with my first spell of depression when I was already at the age of 10 and my first suicide attempt was at the age of 12.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
There was a lot of hardship and a lot of difficulties in terms of coming to grasp with the fact that I am different and I do see the world different.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
Between the ages of 10 and all the way through to my adulthood, I was eventually diagnosed with several mental health disorders.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
Body dysmorphia was a big part of my life and self-harm was most of my life in high school, despite being an overachiever and gaining massive results in sports and cultural activities.
Louw Breytenbach, Actor, TV host, and entreprenuer
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