South Africa is ethnically diverse, and the experience of poor mental health is mediated by different cultural understanding. In some settings, Western models of mental health do not adequately distinguish between so-called normal and abnormal behaviours. As a result, there are misdiagnoses and culturally unsuitable treatments for many Black Africans. Consequently, feelings of shame, anger, guilt, disgust and fear are often felt which heightened during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is qualitative and utilised a case study approach. Four African individuals, two females and two males, gave their understanding of mental illness and their accounts of how being diagnosed with one affected their lives. The sample was small, as it aimed at gleaning in-depth and rich information. Semi-structured interviews underpinned by positive psychology were utilised to collect data. This, helped participants understand how they could utilise their internal competencies in focusing on making the best of their present reality. The participants provided researchers with reports they had received regarding their diagnosis. Themes analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA) were: 1. Self-disgust; 2. Stigmatisation when Diagnosed with a Mental Health Illness; 3. Mental Illness as Shameful; and 4 Understanding my Reality as Othering. Overall, it was found that understanding of mental illness was poor amongst participants and was negative in nature. Positive psychology, used to underpin interviews, did seem to help participants’ understanding of how and why they were diagnosed with a psychological illness but their experiences were heavily influenced by the negative perceptions of mental health in their respective communities.