Dear Pastor,

I have a problem that is bothering me greatly. I am 14 years old but since age six I noticed that I have the tendency to eat soap. I have not told my mother about this.

When I do not eat it, I don't feel at my best. At other times, when I do eat it, I feel as though it will kill me, but I just cannot stop. It seems as if it is in my blood. Please give me your fatherly advice. Can you give me the number of a doctor?

A.S., Clarendon, Jamaica

Dear A.S.,

The eating of soap suggests that the person is suffering from a disorder and it can affect your health. Some people do not only eat soap, but dirt. And they dig out old concrete from walls of houses and eat it. They can poison themselves or suffer from an infection.

My understanding is that soap may not be poisonous but can cause certain health problems. When one eats soap and dirt and so on is doing so because the body lacks certain nutrition. Therefore, you need to seek the help of a doctor.

Pastor