Johannesburg - The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) has found that in South Africa, nine out of 10 people with a mental health condition do not have access to mental health treatment.
Sadag said it had filled the gap in the lack of mental health care resources and support for over 29 years through their services including toll-free 24-hour helplines, the country’s only suicide crisis helpline, WhatsApp help chat, SMS helplines, counselling containers, support groups, and vital community outreach and training workshops.
"These support services are all easily accessible and free for anyone in crisis or in need of emergency mental healthcare, anywhere in the country, seven days a week. Currently, we receive between 2 500 and 3 000 calls daily, and as the numbers increase, so does the need for more funding.“
"We depend greatly on donations and the generous support of people and companies. For as little as R67, Sadag will be able to cover the call costs of up to three incoming toll-free counselling calls," said Sadag.
Sadag founder Zane Wilson said the organisation encouraged every individual to participate and challenge each other in our 67 seconds to create an impact with R67.
The organisation said the essence of Mandela Day was to create a collective effort to make an impact for a cause people feel passionate about through the legacy of Madiba.
Sadag has also dedicated this week to focusing on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) awareness.
Clinical Psychologist and Sadag board member Shai Friedland said the term "I am/you are so OCD" has become a part of everyday language and vocabulary, and it seems to be something that Friedland hears regularly.
"The term often depicts someone who likes things to be ‘neat’, ‘clean’, and/or ‘in order’. However, despite this term being thrown around, much of the population does not know what OCD really is or how severely debilitating it can be for an individual who has a diagnosis of OCD," said Friedland.
People with OCD may have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Obsessions are repeated thoughts, urges, or mental images that can also cause anxiety.
Some of the symptoms of these are:
• Worries about yourself or other people getting hurt.
• Constant awareness of blinking, breathing, or other bodily sensations.
• Worries about germs and dirt touching your body.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours that a person with OCD feels the urge to do in response to an obsessive thought.
Compulsions may manifest in some of the following ways:
• Excessive cleaning and handwashing.
• Ordering and arranging things in a particular way.
• Repeatedly checking on things, such as checking to see if the door is locked or the oven is off, over and over again.
• Mental compulsions such as counting, undoing “bad thoughts", and compulsively praying.
The Star