Sunny Side Up- The Funny Side Of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

Akashi has this funny habit of washing her face with a face wash, even after taking her bath. Not that she does not wash her face while taking bath, but it is just that she is so used to washing her face with a face wash, even after a bath and she is so obsessed with it. It is a ritual that she has been following ever since the age of 15 and now she is 32! Probably she is trying to wear out the melanin from her face!

Rupesh has this habit of eating everything in pairs. It HAS to be two french-fries, two gems or two biscuits. He just cannot eat one or three. It always has to be two.

For Protima, the newspaper always has to be neatly arranged and stacked under the table. There should be no fold and no dog ears. If her husband was going to leave it on the chair or the sofa  even for  a few seconds, she would come running like Milkha Singh and place the newspapers under the table not bothering to give a thought whether her husband has finished  the reading or not.

Payal is so obsessed with brushing her teeth. She brushes her teeth once when she gets up in the morning, after eating her breakfast, again in the evening and once again at night before going to bed. She has to brush her teeth immediately after eating anything. If her teeth were to have eyes, they would have probably cried.

 Niharika treats her house like a museum. For her everything has to be kept at the right place.   The centre table, the modahs, the cushions on the sofa should not be placed an inch this side or that side. Even before the guests can leave, she will arrange the table and the cushions back in position. Her family used to feel embarrassed because of the funny behavior of hers.

Sachin has the habit of replaying his conversation in his mind over and over again. He will pace around the house or the office or sit inside his car and replay the conversation in his mind for around ten to twenty minutes.

Jignesh is so obsessed with washing his hands. He has to wash his hands before a meal and after a meal, which is quite common. However, he will wash his hands after reading the newspaper, working on the laptop/computer, after touching the table, after reading a book or after touching the water bottle. He is paranoid that he will catch some infection if he was not going to rigorously wash his hands after all these activities. Pity his hands; they would have become small by now.

Lavanya is obsessed with combing her hair. She will diligently comb it when she gets up in the morning, before taking her bath, when she gets ready to go out, after she comes back and before going to bed at night! Surprisingly she is still left with some hair to comb.

Jokes apart, I am sure that all the above-mentioned instances will definitely ring a bell in our head. Almost all of us are obsessed with doing something repeatedly many times a day. It is almost like a ritual, which we never forget to practice.

Some acts of ours may seem hilarious to some people and may cause great irritation to others.

Now what is this? It is called in medical terms as ‘Obsessive Compulsive Disorder’.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a disorder of our mind where we are obsessed with a particular thought or action and feel compelled to perform it like a ritual. These thoughts and actions are uncontrollable, unwanted and irrational. Although we are aware that these thoughts are irrational, we are compelled to perform them. The brain is stuck with particular thought and is unable to control it and come out of it.

There are many who would check more than twice to ensure that the stove has been turned off because they are worried that the house may catch fire.

Some people have the habit of pulling the lock to check whether it has been locked tight. They keep tugging at the lock. They are paranoid that their house may get burgled.

These are some of the lighter side of OCD. However, there are some extreme cases as well where the person with OCD is constantly worried about the health of the family members lest they fall sick or that somebody in the family might meet with an accident while travelling to some destination.

I am not going to get into the serious side of OCD because the title in this article itself suggests that it is about the funny side of OCD. For further awareness and medical help, please log in to the following website www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/‎

Now let me tell you how to overcome OCD naturally.

1.      First, understand the fact that you are suffering from OCD. Denying it will actually worsen the problem and cure will become more a complex process. Remember, OCD is just a disorder and NOT a mental illness.

2.      Try to postpone the activity and do not follow it like a ritual. If the newspaper is left on the sofa or on the table just let it be. Try to do some other activity, which will help you to deviate your OCD thoughts.

3.      Pursue a hobby or an interest so that the mind is preoccupied with some activity and will have less time to think about the compelling OCD thoughts.

Take the extra effort and go that extra mile to overcome the problem because the remedy ultimately is in your own hands.

Once I wake up early,
Twice I fold the sheets,
Three times I look in the mirror,
Then my flat iron heats.

Let the water run four times,
And five times comb my hair,
Six turns of the toothpaste tube,
Then find something to wear.

Spin around the seventh time,
Eight times do a chore.
Nine times, flicker all the lights,
Tenth I am out the door.

Perfection at its worst,
Not easy as 1, 2, 3.
Sometimes I feel I am cursed,
With this thing called OCD.

Courtesy: Author Unknown

As an ending note I must say that I have read and re-read this article almost twenty times and am compelled to do read it more. Now, isn’t that weird. Damn this OCD!

In Pursuit of Happiness- Nurturing our Interests and Creativity.

“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and intelligence transform a yellow spot into sun.”- Pablo Picasso

“There is creative reading and also creative writing.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Imagination is everything; it is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

Vansh holds a very good job with a Big 4. He carries home a handsome and a fat pay packet. Vansh has nearly forty employees reporting under him. He owns a car and a posh apartment, in the heart of the city. His wife is a home-maker and why not? Her husband is earning the best salary in the industry. She is under no compulsion to slog her day in an office, doing the monotonous work that Vansh does and is so used to doing all these years. Their children are studying in the most prestigious school. What more can one ask for? Vansh makes it a point to take his family for a holiday every year, to the best tourist destinations in the world.

The above situation is typically what everybody would dream of, the perfect job, a fat salary, children studying in the best school, a car if not a sedan, an own house if not a bungalow and a yearly vacation.

Everybody is a Vansh. All of us are sailing in the same boat. We go through the monotonous task of getting up and going to the workplace day after day, facing the same situations, doing the same work, month after month, year after year, meeting the same people, clients and facing the same problems. This monotony is not stuck only with Vansh but also with his wife. Being a typical homemaker, she does the same tasks every day, getting the children ready to school, doing the household chores, going to the market and so on, not that she would not like to pursue her interests but just that she does not find time for herself.

How many of us would like to pursue our long lost interests? There is an artist inside many of us, but we do not find the time to paint or sketch. There could be a William Wordsworth or a P.B.Shelly hidden inside many of us, but we do not find the time to write poetry.

Some of us could have become a Chetan Bhagat or an Amish Tripathi or even better still a Rudyard Kipling, but how many of us have the time to sit down and even pen our thoughts?

There are so many beautiful things happening around us ever day, but do we spare a moment to even notice them? Some people are so passionate about photography, but where do they have the time to click amazing photographs running behind a butterfly or a sparrow, when they are busy running behind business targets.

Life is short. It is full of pressures and challenges. Every day is a gift to us. What is the point in earning a fat salary when you do not have the time to grow your interests? Be creative. Nurture your creativity. Creativity needs constant care and feeding. Pursue your interests and hobbies.

If you are good at painting spare some time to paint, maybe during the weekends when you are free and have some space for yourself. Have a ‘My space’ schedule when you have all the time only for yourself. Devote the entire time to yourself. You need not be a Michelangelo or an M.F.Hussain to have people appreciating or criticizing your work. It is ‘Your Time’. You never know, maybe someday your paintings may get exhibited in an Art Gallery

Read. Develop the hobby of reading. It is said that a book is a man’s best friend. There is nothing like sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee and some hot bajjiyas to eat, with a good book for company. Those who are into the habit of reading can definitely relate to the euphoria. You can learn new words and improve your imagination.

Pen down your thoughts. Express your feelings and thoughts by writing them down in a book or diary. Better still, open a blog page. Let the world know that what a good a writer you are. Do not have any inhibitions. It is not a rule that, only if you are the best writer with an unfailing command over the English language that you can publish your thoughts. I would not want people reading my blog, to run for the dictionary every time they come across a difficult word that they fail to comprehend and understand.

Take as many photographs as you like. There are so many interesting things happening every day. You do not have to be a Brian Duffy or a Yousuf Karsh to take photos of wildlife or warfare. You may win a newspaper contest for your photo.

Write a book if you have that inkling in you to write one. Even Chetan Bhagat left his handsome bank job to become a writer. Amish Tripathi was in the financial services industry for 14 years before starting his writing career.

Just do anything that will make you feel happy doing it,  Clay modeling, Paper quilling, Poetry writing, Singing and Dancing, Gardening, anything under the Sun.

Get creative. Do not get trapped in the monotony of life. Pursue your interests and hobbies. Do not get sucked into the infinite numerical targets. Creativity is like a nourishing food to your otherwise redundant mind. You will never be able to satiate your creative hunger. You can never be at loss with your creativity. We have one life. Not the best of occupation or the best of designation can equate to the satisfaction that we derive from pursuing our creative talents in an otherwise monotonous world. Get creative and paint the world red with your interests and creativity.

As Henry Van Dyke said, “Use the talents that you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang the best”.

My Cuppa Tea!!!

I have never really been a ‘Tea Person’ except, for the occasional Ginger Tea and the Masala chai that I make at home. It was on one such occasion, when I had gone to a Nuts and Spices store that I came across a packet of dried lemon grass. Now I knew that lemongrass was an integral part of Thai cuisine and the all time famous Thai Green Curry, got its distinct flavor from this wonder ingredient. I decided to buy it and cook up something awesome using this new find of mine.

Lemongrass

However, as days passed I couldn’t really cook anything using lemongrass. Either the recipes were not suitable for our palate or I couldn’t figure out how to go about cooking them. I have never been a great cook and many a times my experiments in the kitchen, have turned out to be a disaster. I was now stuck with this packet of lemongrass not knowing what to do with it. That’s when I came across an article that read ‘Benefits of Lemongrass’. Now before listing out the benefits, let me tell you what I did with it. I thought why not try making lemon grass tea.

I boiled a teaspoon of dried lemon grass, in a cup of water for about 3 mins and then let it simmer again for another 1 min and then strained the water using a tea strainer. The color was almost like that of green tea. Then I added some cinnamon powder, a pinch of ginger powder and a teaspoon of honey instead of sugar for the sweetness. For those who are not calorie conscious, you can add sugar as per taste. But I would suggest that you skip the sugar and add honey because honey is good for health and you can avoid those extra calories. Cinnamon and ginger powder also became a part of the ingredient because they add better taste to the tea and also because of their additional health benefits. Now what I had in hand was a cup of lemongrass ginger tea which looked just perfect and tasted so different. To some it would taste like your green tea, but the flavor of lemongrass just cannot be missed.

Now let me tell you the health benefits of this lemongrass ginger tea.

Lemongrass is known to have antifungal properties and ginger is a powerful digestive agent.  Additionally, lemongrass ginger tea is believed to contribute to the elimination of cancer-causing free radicals.

Lemongrass-ginger tea has a calming effect on the nerves.

Lemongrass-ginger tea helps to cope with fever, cough and cold.

It makes coping with blood pressure easier and controls the cholesterol.

It helps to cleanse the body by eliminating toxic substance and also  manage the body weight.

Lemongrass-ginger tea improves blood circulation and also digestive system.

Apart from the lemongrass and ginger powder, the addition of cinnamon and honey enhances the flavor of the tea and their combination has amazing potential to cure many illnesses.Honey and Cinnamon is a perfect match for the palate.

So enjoy your cuppa today and lead a healthy life!!

Life is what you make it- Health

Life is what you make it.

Recently I had read a book written by Preethi Shenoy ‘Life is what you make it’. Preethi Shenoy is also the author of ’34 Bubblegums and Candies’. ‘Life is what you make it’ is the story of a girl, Ankita who is suffering from Bipolar Disorder.

I am not going to write a review about the book neither am I going to comment on it.  I am going to discuss about the problem which caught my interest to read the book, around which the story has been weaved- Bipolar Disorder. I also happened to watch a Tamil movie, which was based on the same medical condition. Now why this sudden surge of movies and books on this condition? What is Bipolar Disorder? Is the problem as critical as it seems, in the books and in the movies? What if somebody whom we knew or is close to us, is suffering from this condition and not aware of it? I thought let me just write an article, giving an overview about this medical condition and bring some awareness. There is a lot of information available in the web about Bipolar Disorder.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is a manic- depressive illness, which causes unusual shifts in the mood, activity level and energy. Everybody goes through the usual mood swings, where at times we all feel happy for some unknown reason and would just love to sing or dance or do something crazy. Maybe cook up a great meal or do anything that we feel happy doing. There are days, when we feel low and something is just not right. There is nothing that we can fathom and point at a reason. These are the usual ups and downs of the mood.

However, the symptoms of bipolar disorder can be severe.  Just imagine we experience the urge to run for miles one day and just not want to get up from bed on some other day. Such may be the severity of this condition. This example might sound funny, but we have to realize that it is not something as simple as that. It can lead to poor performance at work, school or even damage relationships.

What causes Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder could be Genetic:

Some research has suggested that, Bipolar Disorder could be because of the genes running in the family. Children with a parent or sibling, who is suffering from this medical condition, are likely to suffer from Bipolar Disorder.  However the research has also suggested that, most of the children with a family history of Bipolar Disorder are not likely to suffer from the illness. 

Apart from the fact that Bipolar Disorder is determined by the genes there are also other factors which cause this medical condition.

Hormonal problems: Hormonal imbalances are likely to cause Bipolar Disorder.

Brain- Chemical imbalance: The nerves play a very important role in the functioning of the brain. There are some neurotransmitters imbalances which are likely to trigger this condition.

Biological traits: Patients suffering from this condition, often experience physical changes occurring in the brain. However nobody is sure as to why these changes trigger a disorder.

Outside/Environmental factors: Physical/verbal abuse, mental stress or the loss of someone dear, may also lead to a bipolar condition. Each of us reacts differently to different situations. Some people can cope with the loss of someone and come out of the trauma in a very short span of time, while there are some individuals to who even the loss of a job is immeasurable.

Now let us look into the signs and symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.

Signs and symptoms during hypo manic episodes:

1.       High levels of energy

2.       Over self confidence

3.       A feeling of being on top of the world

4.       The individual talks a lot and more rapidly

5.       The sufferer is likely to engage in dangerous risky activities

6.       The person may lack concentration and gets distracted very fast

7.       There is the feeling of euphoria where the individual believes that there is nothing that he/she cannot achieve.

Signs and symptoms of depressive episodes:

1.       Low energy levels  where the person tends to underperform

2.       Extreme sadness and a feeling of despair

3.       Sleeping problems: Either difficulty in falling asleep or sleeping too much

4.       Feeling anxious and getting worked up over even small issues

5.       Extreme tiredness

6.       Getting irritated over small things like the noise of children playing etc.

7.      Change in the eating patterns, sometimes the patient binges on food and sometimes     will starve

8.      Does not enjoy in doing any of the activities which he/she earlier enjoyed doing                                                                                                

 However, the good news is that Bipolar Disorder can be treated with proper medical help from professionals and also from the support of family and friends.

Medical help:

Almost everyone who has been diagnosed with this medical condition will have to seek the help of a medical professional or a Psychiatrist. Medicines alone cannot cure Bipolar Disorder, although they help to manage the symptoms.

 How to cope with Bipolar Disorder and Self help Therapies:

Self help means; first the patient needs to fully understand the illness. It is necessary to look out for the mood swings and control them at an early stage. Self management can be tiring, but it will make life much easier and reduce the constant need to rely on medicines and professional help.

Complementary therapies like reflexology and massages may also help to control the mood swings. It is necessary to engage in activities like swimming and yoga which will help to relax the body and calm the mind.

Remember, Bipolar Disorder is not a disease. It is just a mental condition which can be managed with proper medical treatments at the right time and from the support of family and friends. At the end of the day- Life is what you make it.

Relationships- Guaranteed until Expiry!!!

Ouch!!! It terribly pains.

The above statement of expression is not from a fall, but comes from the misunderstanding of relationship between two people.

Relationship- that one word around which the whole world revolves.

What is Relationship?

The dictionary gives the following definition for Relationship: Relationship is a connection between people, being related by blood, dealings or kinship.

Relationship exists with parents, siblings, spouse, children, relatives, friends, colleagues and even with the outside world.

Relationship with parents and siblings is by blood. Relationship with spouse comes from marriage. Relationship with friends comes from bonding. Relationship with colleagues is through dealings and acquaintance.

There can be no individual in the world who can claim that he/she has or has had no relations. Relationships are the primary essence of one’s existence.

Relationship and the Solar System:

In a book written by Mahatria Ra comprising of 11 series and in one of the series, which deals with Relationships, he has given an analogy where the individual and his/her relationships are compared to the Sun and the planets respectively.

Mahatria Ra says that the individual and the relationships are like the Solar System. The bondage and time that you invest in a Relationship, will determine the status of the Relationship.

The greater the time and bondage closer is the Relationship. The lesser the investment of time, the farther is the Relationship from you.

It is just like the Solar System. The closer Relationships are like the planets Venus, Earth and Mars which are closer to the Sun. The Relationships that which have distanced themselves from you are the Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

 The longer it takes to build a Relationship; it shall always withstand the tests of time. Relationship should be nurtured like the Banyan tree, which lives for centuries.

 Relationship in the modern society:

Relationships in the modern society have undergone dramatic changes over the years. Many relationships do not function the way people intended them to be. These changes have been positive changes and not so positive changes.

Lack of compatibility, communication, tolerance, patience and time are some of the factors that affect a good relationship.

There are instances, where the parents feel alienated from their children as they grow old. This is because, as parents grow old, the son/ daughter lack the tolerance and the patience, to take care of their ageing parents. This affects the relation between the parents and the children.

Compatibility is one issue, which affects the relationship between the husband and wife of the younger generation.

Misunderstandings topple the bonding between friends.

Expectations from Relationship:

In this life, we come across many people with whom we maintain relationships. Some relationships give us happiness and some give us pain. The degree of happiness or pain that we experience from a relationship can be attributed to the degree of expectation from that relationship. For instance, parents expecting too much from their children and being unrealistic in their expectations.

Marriages turning sour, is one of the most common issues in this modern age where having spent one year or a good twenty five years together does not make any difference,  when quarrels begin and the relationship begins to see tough times ahead, because of unrealistic expectations set by both the partners.

Unrealistic expectations sabotage a relationship. How many times have we been hurt because we assumed that the other person understood our expectations? It is important that in a relationship both the individuals take responsibility for the relationship to survive.

Apart from the lack of compatibility, tolerance and patience which can upset any relationship, effective communication is very important for any relationship to succeed.

Communication and Relationship:

 Communication is critical for any relationship. The key to a healthy relationship is to keep communication in flow. It plays a very important role, in the exchange between people. Lack of communication, can cramp the relationship and hinder its growth. Only communication will help to exchange our opinions, feelings and disagreements to the other person. A good communication can resolve all problems, be it at home or at the workplace. There is nothing like a good chat at the end of the day.

Listening and being heard is very important for communication. Listen to the other person’s views and opinions. Give a lending ear. Never be inconsiderate to what the other person has to say. Present your views and justifications.

As somebody said,” For a Relationship to thrive we need to talk to each other instead of about each other.”

Forgiveness and Relationship:

Forgiveness is an important element, for any relationship to grow and cherish. Forgiveness is not something that you are doing, for the benefit of the relationship but, for your own benefit. It means that you truly value the relationship. The man who seeks forgiveness is human, but the man who forgives is God!!!

Remember, Relationships are built on trust, faith, and love. To sustain any relationship, one has to face many trials and tribulations in life. There is no relationship, devoid of misunderstandings, but at the end of the day, to gain something one has to lose something in life. To cherish a wonderful relationship, man has to forego his ego and recall, the hundred special moments that the relationship has given him and not think, about the few disturbing moments.

In short RELATIONSHIP as somebody quoted is: “In Relationship being faithful is never an option but a priority. Loyalty is everything.”

Here are some tips to maintain and enjoy a healthy Relationship:

1.       Value the Relationship. Never make the mistake of taking the Relationship for granted.

2.       Have realistic expectations from the Relationship.

3.       Learn to forgive and forget. Nobody is perfect. Relationships are more important than giving undue importance to trivial mistakes and issues.

4.       Learn from your mistakes which threatened your Relationship. Don’t repeat them.

5.       Relationships are built on trust and faith. Never break them.

6.       Spend quality time with your near and dear ones. Sometimes it is necessary to prioritize your Relationships over work.

7.       Make it a point to call up loved ones to let them know that you still remember them in spite of the everyday busy life.  Let them know that you are there for them.

8.        There is nothing like connecting with a long lost friend.

9.       Meeting up often with friends and relatives help in strengthening the bond.

10.   Last but not the least, Relationships are like seeds. The more you water them with love and care, the stronger they grow into huge trees. You reap what you sow