Foundation hosts Mental Health Night Seminar at The Capital Mbombela

The Mental Health Awareness SA Foundation (MHASAF) hosted its fourth annual Mental Health Night Seminar at The Capital Mbombela on October 26.

The event’s programme, directed by Kedibone Mkhabela, focused on raising awareness on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as a mental health issue and how to identify and manage it.

MHASAF’s founder and chairperson, Conny Ntshane-Legong, explained how people may be living with OCD without realising it’s a mental health disorder.

“Compulsive behaviours are repetitive actions or mental acts that individuals feel compelled to perform in response to an obsession or according to a set of rules that must be applied rigidly.

“You might have someone close to you who is obsessed with being clean or cleaning, or an individual who prefers to organise their space in a very specific way. You may take it lightly, but when you dig deeper, you may find their compulsive behaviour stems from mental issues,” said Ntshane-Legong.

A clinical psychologist, Dr Percy Taruvinga, gave the attendees a broader perspective on OCDs.

Anxiety and uncertainty, trauma, stress, fear of germs and contamination, neurobiological factors such as imbalance of serotonin and personality traits such as perfectionism were cited as the factors that cause them.

The overall message was for people to seek help once they notice symptoms of this disorder.

“Seek support from loved ones and support groups,” said Ntshane-Legong.

The seminar featured stellar musical performances by Simmy D, Bonga Damans, Tshepo Price, Expresso and Phumla Music.

The guest speakers, Kelly Manzini, Dr Sibongile Sithole and Shirley Ngutshane engaged the audience in a question-and-answer session.

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“I am extremely happy about the event’s success. I would like to thank all those sponsors who contributed to its success,” said Ntshane-Legong.