Pastor to host Covid survivor therapy sessions
The pastor is a qualified counsellor and has worked with distressed persons for many years.
Dr Pieter Oldewage, the senior pastor at the AGS Lewende Waters Church in Casseldale, has started a Covid-19 survivor support group.
Covid-19 and the lockdowns have adversely affected the lives of countless South Africans, directly and indirectly since 2020.
Oldewage, a survivor of the virus, said the lingering effects still hamper his everyday life and has lessened his quality of life.
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“I still haven’t fully recovered. I have insomnia, I’m losing weight every day and I have mood swings.
“I know I am not alone in this and I have spoken to many survivors who suffer from the same symptoms,” said Oldewage.
The pastor is a qualified counsellor and has worked with distressed persons for many years.
When Oldewage was seriously ill with Covid-19, the doctors told him his chances of survival were slim.
“When the doctors told me it was likely that I would die from Covid, my wife went through a stage of immense emotional stress and there are thousands of people who have experienced that and are currently experiencing that,” he said.
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Oldewage went to see a therapist who told him that Covid has created a mental health crisis in the country.
“People have lost loved ones and have no one to help them through that trauma.
“With my personal experience and the stories I have heard, I decided that I must use my experience to help people battling with this,” he said.
Oldewage will be hosting group therapy sessions at his home at 14 Womble Street in Rowhill.
If you or someone you know needs emotional support, contact Oldewage on 082 899 9179.
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