‘Overwhelmed, down’: Natasha Joubert on mental health struggle

Despite being booked and busy –  and having a wedding to plan for – Miss SA Natasha Joubert has shared her struggle with mental health

The beauty queen has been open about suffering from depression and seeking counselling and treatment.

Natasha recently shared the happy news of her engagement to longtime partner Enrico Vermaak. The couple will wed once her reign ends later this year.

Her current reign marks her second stint in the competition after placing in the Top 3 in 2020. During that time, she also represented South Africa at the Miss Universe pageant.

NATASHA JOUBERT SHARES MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLE

In an Instagram Story, Natasha Joubert shared her state of mind with her followers.

She posted: “I have been feeling so overwhelmed and down the past two weeks. I don’t feel like myself, on edge, negative, and like the worst version of myself”.

The 26-year-old added that she wanted to be “transparent” about her mental health struggles in the hopes of encouraging others.

She continued: “You never know what someone might be going through personally. Let’s also respect that we don’t have to show everything to the world. I’m sending a lot of love to everyone who is feeling similar.

“We all do our best and try. Even when you don’t feel motivated.”

‘I FELL IN A DEEP DEPRESSION’

Natasha Joubert – who was crowned Miss SA in August 2023 – has been vocal about how her stint at the Miss Universe in 2021 left her feeling disappointed and depressed.

Natasha – runner-up to Shudu Musida – represented SA at the global pageant. However, she did not place in the Top 21.

The brunette beauty sought professional help through a psychologist and life coach, which she believes helped her get back on track.

In an interview with Morning Live, she said: “I had to mentally keep working on myself, because I fell in deep depression.

“The result of Miss Universe left a sense of, not being worth it, not being good enough. To not be placed as highly as Demi, Zozi or Tamryn, was really hard to comprehend.

“When you represent South Africa, you know, it’s you carrying the people of the country, and you obviously have to represent them well, and with that result, I just felt like I didn’t do it well.”

“It took time for me to get to a point and tell myself, I need to come to terms and at peace with what has happened in the past in order to move forward.

She added: “It’s been two years of therapy, and I’ve been seeing a life coach because I wanted to focus on how I could evolve as a woman.”