This is an epidemic that is growing among young people. For many, it becomes a way of escaping emotional pain as it provides temporary relief. However, due to the release of pain-relieving chemicals in the brain, this process leads to addiction. Thirty to forty years ago, medical doctors and therapists were largely caught up in the search for answers to anorexia and bulimia and the development of treatment strategies. Currently, we are in the midst of a similar process regarding self-mutilation. Psychiatrist Joshua Weiner describes this problem as “… the anorexia and bulimia of the new millennium.” In this course, we especially focus on pastoral counselling of those who have gotten stuck here.
- Onderwyser: Wentzel Coetzer