OCD Obsessive compulsive disorder in Marathi

ओसीडी

एखाद्या दिवशी एखाद्या गाण्याचे सूर आपला पिच्छा सोडत नाहीत. पण एखाद्या गोष्टीविषयी अकारण विचार मनात सुरू झाला आणि तो गोष्ट कितीही मनातून हुसकावून लावण्याचा प्रयत्न केला तरी ती गोष्ट मनातून जात नसेल तर मात्र ती एक मनोविकृती होते. याला "ऑबसेसिव्ह कंपलसिव्ह न्यूरॉसिस' किंवा "ऑब्सेसिव्ह कंपलसिव्ह डिसऑर्डर' (ओसीडी) असं म्हणतात.

उदाहरणार्थ, घराला कुलूप लावल्यानंतरही सारखं आपण नीट ते लावलंय की नाही हे बघण्यासाठी फिरून पुन्हा पुन्हा ते कुलूप ओढून बघणं किंवा गॅस बंद केला की नाही, नळ बंद केला की नाही हे वारंवार बघितलं जाणं, किंवा हात स्वच्छ असले तरी वारंवार धूत राहणं, इत्यादी. पण ओसीडीमध्ये यांचा अतिरेक होतो. म्हणजे या सगळ्या गोष्टींत काहींचे तर दिवसातले 8, 10 किंवा 12 तासही जातात! अर्थातच या सगळ्या गोष्टींचा त्याच्या आणि सामाजिक संबंधांवर, कामावर आणि एकूणच दैनंदिन आयुष्यावर प्रचंड परिणाम व्हायला लागतो. इतका, की नॉर्मल आयुष्यच जगणं हे स्वतःला आणि आजूबाजूच्या इतरांनाही शक्‍य होईनासं होतं. ओसीडी झालेल्या व्यक्ती आपल्या नादिष्टपणातच जास्त काळ रमत असल्यामुळे त्यांचे वैयक्तिक संबंध धोक्‍यात येऊ शकतात. ओसीडी झालेल्या व्यक्तींना त्यांच्या काही सवयींमुळे बऱ्याचदा भयंकर शारीरिक त्रास भोगावा लागतो. उदाहरणार्थ, साबणानं किंवा गरम पाण्यानं वारंवार हात धुतल्यानं हाताची त्वचा रखरखीत होऊन जखमही होऊ शकते. यामुळे चिंता किंवा भीती/ भयगंड वाढतो, ही गोष्ट पुन्हा निराळीच! आणि हे त्या रुग्णाला कळतही असतं.

ओसीडी हा इतिहासात खूप पूर्वीपासून असला तरी त्याचं पहिलं वर्णन फ्रॉईडनं 1909 मध्ये त्याच्या प्रसिद्ध "रॅटमॅन' केसमध्ये करून ठेवलं होतं. ऍर्न्स्ट लॅन्झर नावाचा माणूस सैन्यात काम करत असे. सैन्यामध्ये कोणाला शिक्षा द्यायची झाली तर त्याला विवस्त्र करून उंदीर असलेल्या खोलीत सोडतात आणि हे उंदीर त्या माणसाचं ढुंगण फाडून खातात, असं लॅन्झरनं ऐकलं होतं. अशी शिक्षा आपल्या वडिलांना आणि मैत्रिणीला होईल अशा आणि इतर अनेक विचारांचं लॅन्झरला ऑब्सेशन झालं होतं. यामुळे लॅन्झर काही गोष्टी चित्रविचित्र तऱ्हेनं करत बसे. फ्रॉईडनं त्याच्या पद्धतीनं ही केस बरी केल्याचा दावा केला असला तरी एकूणच या केसबद्दल अनेक वादविवाद झाले.

एका मुलीवर लहानपणी तिच्या आजोबांनी लैंगिक अत्याचार केले होते. तिला या प्रकाराची इतकी घाण आणि किळस वाटली, की त्यानंतरच्या आयुष्यात तिला कुठेही घाण दिसली की हात स्वच्छ असले तरी ते तास न्‌ तास धूत बैस, सतत केर काढ, असं ती करे! ओसीडीच्या या विकारात काही वेळा माणसं गोष्ट अचूक करण्यात बराच वेळ घालवतात. इतका, की सर्वसामान्य माणसांपेक्षा त्यांना प्रचंड जास्त वेळ लागतो. उदाहरणार्थ, अशा व्यक्ती सकाळी ब्रश करत असतील तर त्यासाठी त्यांना एक-एक, दोन-दोन तास लागतात. कधी कधी हे ऑब्सेसिव्ह विचार अगदीच निरर्थक असतात. एका रुग्णाला वस्तू मोजायचा नाद इतका लागला, की तो घरातले बल्ब, खिडक्‍या, दरवाजे आणि रस्त्यावरून जाणाऱ्या बस, टॅक्‍सीज, छत्र्या मोजत बसे.
काही लोकांना जुगार खेळणं किंवा वाजवीपेक्षा जास्त खाणं अशा गोष्टींचं व्यसन असतं. पण याला "ओसीडी' म्हणत नाहीत. कारण जी गोष्ट ती व्यक्ती वारंवार करते तिच्यामुळे त्या व्यक्तीला थोडा तरी आनंद आणि सुख मिळत असतं. ओसीडीमध्ये मात्र तो मिळत नाही. उलट चिंता प्रचंड वाढते. या चिंतेचे लैंगिक परिणामही होतात. ओसीडी असलेल्या पुरुषांपैकी 50 टक्के पुरुषांत काही ना काही तरी लैंगिक विकार हा असतोच. त्यातल्या 37 टक्के पुरुषांना तर लैंगिक उत्थापनच होत नाही. ओसीडी झालेल्या काही व्यक्तींना एकसारखे लैंगिक विचारच मनात येतात, किंवा सतत तशीच स्वप्नं पडतात. आपण कोणाला तरी स्पर्श करतोय, कुरवाळतोय, चुंबन घेतोय किंवा चक्क सेक्‍स करतोय, असं या मंडळींना सतत वाटतं आणि त्यांच्या या काल्पनिक सेक्‍समध्ये त्यांचा जोडीदार कोणीही असू शकतो, ओळखीची/ अनोळखी व्यक्ती, वडीलधारी माणसं, लहान मुलं, घरातल्या मंडळींपैकी कोणी, मित्र/मैत्रिणी, ऑफिसमध्ये बरोबर काम करणाऱ्या व्यक्ती, तर काही वेळा चक्क प्राणीदेखील!

ओसीडी आणि स्किझोफ्रेनिया यांच्यात एक मूलभूत फरक आहे. तो म्हणजे हे सततचं विचित्र वागणं हे आपल्या मनातल्या खेळांमुळेच होतंय, हे ओसीडी झालेल्या माणसाला पक्कं ठाऊक असतं. पण स्किझोफ्रेनिया झालेल्या माणसाला आपल्याला बाहेरून कुठूनतरी आदेश येताहेत आणि त्या काल्पनिक माणसाच्या किंवा संस्थेच्या किंवा गोष्टीच्या इशाऱ्याप्रमाणे सतत वागतोय, असंच वाटत राहतं आणि त्यामुळे त्याला जाणीवच नसते!

दर 100 मागे 1 असं ओसीडीचं प्रमाण आहे. पण संपूर्ण आयुष्यात ओसीडी केव्हातरी होण्याचं प्रमाण शंभरामागे 1.6 ते 2.5 आहे. हे प्रमाण मधुमेह आणि दमा यांच्याइतकंच मोठं आहे. बेकार आणि घटस्फोट झालेल्यांमध्ये हे प्रमाण जास्त सापडतं. स्त्री आणि पुरुष यांच्यात ओसीडीचं प्रमाण सारखंच असतं. साधारणपणे लहानपणी किंवा पौगंडावस्थेत हा विकार हळूहळू सुरू होतो, पण एकदा तो गंभीर झाला की तो विचित्र स्वरूप धारण करतो. वयाप्रमाणे तो कमीही होऊ शकतो. गंमत म्हणजे ओसीडीच्या रुग्णाची बौद्धिक क्षमता ही सर्वसाधारण बौद्धिक क्षमतेपेक्षा जास्त असल्याचं आढळून आलंय.

ओसीडीबरोबर इतरही व्याधी उद्‌भवू शकतात. उदाहरणार्थ, ओसीडी झालेल्या रुग्णांपैकी 80 टक्के लोकांना नैराश्‍याचे झटके येऊ शकतात. कित्येक जणांना तर आपल्याला ओसीडी आहे हे जाणवल्यामुळे नैराश्‍य येतं. ओसीडी झालेल्या रुग्णांना नैराश्‍य येणं बऱ्याचदा धोकादायक ठरू शकतं. कारण ओसीडी झालेल्या 50 टक्के रुग्णांमध्ये आत्महत्येचे विचार सतत येत असतात, तर 15 टक्के रुग्णांनी आत्महत्येचा प्रयत्नही केलेला असतो, असं एका पाहणीवरून दिसून आलंय.

ओसीडीचे रुग्ण काही वेळा स्वतःच्या नादिष्टपणातून सुटका करून घेण्यासाठी इतर कोणत्या तरी गोष्टीच्या मागे लागतात. उदाहरणार्थ, दिवसातले 12-14 तास व्हिडिओ/ टीव्ही बघणं. पण मग ते याच्या इतके आहारी जातात, की वेळ घालवण्याच्या इतर गोष्टींचा त्यांना विसरच पडतो. ओसीडी झालेल्या काही मंडळींच्या मनात देव, राक्षस किंवा एखादा भयानक आजार अशा गोष्टी एक तर त्यांना स्वतःला किंवा त्यांच्या जवळच्या आवडत्या व्यक्तीला प्रचंड त्रास देतील, असे विचार सतत येतात.

या ओसीडीचे अनेक चित्रिविचित्र प्रकार आहेत. प्रत्येक गोष्टीत सिमेट्री बघणं, धर्माविषयी, लैंगिकतेविषयी किंवा आक्रमकतेविषयी टोकाची मतं आणि वागणूक असणं आणि नादिष्ट असल्याप्रमाणे किंवा मंत्रचळ लागल्याप्रमाणे वागणं, हेही ओसीडीत बऱ्याचदा होतं. एका बाईला आपला नवरा आपल्याला विष देतोय असंच सतत वाटायचं. तसंच आपण आपल्या आईला जिन्यावरून ढकलून देतोय, असंच एका मुलीला सतत वाटायचं. एक मुलगी जेव्हा तिच्या बॉयफ्रेंडविषयी विचार करायची तेव्हा तो मरून जावा, असाच विचार तिच्या डोक्‍यात यायचा. जेव्हा तिची आई जिना उतरायची तेव्हा ती त्यावरून पाय घसरून पडावी आणि तिची मान मोडावी, असंच तिला वाटायचं. पण नंतर या विचारांनी तिला हिस्टेरिकल व्हायला व्हायचं. याचं कारण तिचं या दोघांवर प्रेम होतं. मग असं आपल्याला का वाटावं, या भावनेनं तिला आत्महत्या करावीशी वाटायची. एक अत्यंत देवभक्त असलेला रुग्ण तर रडकुंडीस आला होता. देवाच्या पूजेच्या वेळी देवाविषयी अत्यंत हिडीस आणि अश्‍लील विचार त्याच्या मनात येत आणि ते का येत, हे त्याला कळत नसे.

कुठल्याही गोष्टींचा उगाचच साठा करून ठेवणं (होर्डिंग) हाही एक ओसीडीचाच प्रकार आहे. हा विकार असणाऱ्या एकानं अनेक वर्षं सगळी वर्तमानपत्रं, मासिकं, वह्या, पुस्तकं, कच्ची टिपणं, कागदी पिशव्या, वेगवेगळ्या याद्या, बाटल्या, जुनी टीव्ही गाईड, कॅटलॉग्ज, लहानपणापासूनचे सर्व जुने कपडे, चपला, बूट, जुनी पत्रं या सगळ्या वस्तू जपून ठेवल्या होत्या. यातल्या कित्येक गोष्टींना तो वर्षानुवर्षे हातही लावत नसे. अशा असंख्य गोष्टी जमवून ठेवल्या नाहीत तर त्याच्या मनाचा तोलच बिघडे. हा प्रकार नेहमीच्या ओसीडीसारखाच जरी असला तरी त्यासाठी ओसीडीची औषधं चालत नाहीत.
कित्येकदा ओसीडीचे रुग्ण ती कृती प्रत्यक्षात न करता त्याचे विचार मात्र मनात सतत घोळवत असतात. म्हणजे हात धुणं किंवा कुलूप लावलंय की नाही ते सतत तपासणं, अशा गोष्टी त्यांनी जरी प्रत्यक्ष केल्या नाहीत तरी त्या गोष्टी त्यांच्या मनातल्या मनात असंख्य वेळेला चालूच असतात. असे रुग्ण ओसीडीच्या एकूण रुग्णांच्या 50-60 टक्के आढळतात. अशा रुग्णांना मानसशास्त्रात "प्युअर ओ' असं म्हणतात.

अल्बर्ट आइनस्टाइन आणि चार्लस डार्विन यांच्याप्रमाणेच अमेरिकन रेडिओचा प्रसिद्ध निवेदक हॉवर्ड स्टर्न याला ओसीडीचा विकार होता असं म्हणतात. स्टर्न तर कुठल्याही पुस्तकाची पानं उलटताना फक्त गुलाबी रंग लावलेल्या बोटाचाच वापर करे. डेव्हिड बेखम या जगप्रसिद्ध खेळाडूला गोष्टी एका सरळ रेषेत ठेवण्याची किंवा जोड्याजोड्यांनी ठेवण्याची खोडच आहे. त्याच्या टेबलवर जर तीन पुस्तकं असतील तर तो त्यातलं एक काढून किंवा त्यात आणखी एका पुस्तकाची भर टाकतो. प्रसिद्ध अमेरिकन इंजिनिअर, उद्योजक, चित्रपट निर्माता आणि दिग्दर्शक हॉवर्ड ह्यूजेस, अनेक पारितोषिकविजेत्या लिओनार्डो रिकॅपिओ, हॅरिसन फोर्ड, पेनेलोपी क्रूझ, कूमेरून डायझ अशा अनेक नट/नट्यांनाही ओसीडीचा त्रास आहेच. कॅमेरून डायझ तर दर वेळी दरवाजातून जाताना त्याचं हॅंडल जोरात घासते आणि दिवसातून ती स्वतःचे हात तर असंख्य वेळा धुते! डोनाल्ड ट्रमडल जंतुसंसर्गाच्या भीतीनं लोकांशी हस्तांदोलन करायला घाबरतो. निकोला तेस्ला या ग्रेट पण उपेक्षित वैज्ञानिकालाही ओसीडीनं त्रस्त केलं होतं.

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6 Things that will make your love life better

No matter how great your relationship may be or how well you might have mastered your play in the game of love, there is always room for improvement. You can make anything and everything about yourself and your life, a tad better, including how you love. Confused? Consider these things that can make your love life better.

1 HEAL PAST WOUNDS


Moving on to a new relationship is not always indicative of having healed past wounds. Also, note that our past wounds don’t always come from past relationships. They can come from childhood experiences, failures in our career, abusive friendships or former lovers. It is not possible to heal all the wounds; some of them leave scars that may be permanent, and some may take a long time. What is important is that you cultivate awareness of your inner life, and where necessary, begin the process of healing.

2 STAY IN THE PRESENT

Let go of the fights that happened yesterday, last week or last year. Don’t pin hopes on a future together or a specific kind of a future together. Stay in the present moment, and learn to enjoy it thoroughly. A lifetime of togetherness is no more than an accumulation of moments spent together.

3 FIGURE OUT YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE

People communicate and express their love differently, and part of the problem in relationships (at any stage) arises from not understanding this. According to psychologists, there are five different love languages. Take the time to understand these, and figure out what is yours, and what is your partner’s.

4 HAVE A HEALTHY SEX LIFE

What is the difference between an intimate friendship and a romantic relationship? Sex! What is the difference between a satisfactory romantic relationship, and an exciting relationship? Mind-blowing sex!

5 FORGET GENDER ROLES

Strict gender roles may have worked to keep marriages intact for generations before us. But now, we look for more than a lasting marriage or relationship. We want a happy relationship. In this regard, fluid gender roles seem to work better. One of the reasons why gender equality works better in love is because it is conducive of honest, open communication, which is the bedrock of a happy relationship.

6 DON’T BE ALOOF

In the recent years, the millennial idea of staying ‘chill’ has taken over, and silently destroyed relationships. We are expected to be aloof and not care too much, but what’s a relationship without caring about it, and each other? If you want a better relationship, learn to care, and show it!

5 Signs that suggest you’re ready to ditch the single life

Settling down is something we all desire, at any given time in our lives. It could be when we need more stability and prominence in everything we stand for and it could also be a reminder that it’s time to share your life with a significant other and not spend it all alone.

But sometimes, you’re confused whether or not you’re ready to make such a commitment. It’s a big commitment alright. Only because you have to spend your entire life with that one person and that should be carefully considered!


If you’re a little lost about making that decision, here are certain things that can help you decide whether or not you’re ready for marriage.

1 YOU SEEK STABILITY Yes, you’ve had your fun and done things you probably have no regrets about but off late you’re trying to seek stable grounds and find someone you want to be with, without making a fling out of it. If you already have someone in your life, you’re thinking of becoming a little more serious and stable with the person. That’s the first prominent mark towards being ready for marriage.

2 YOU’RE MORE FASTIDIOUS ABOUT YOUR SAVINGS

You’re at a point in your life where you’re earning a good amount of money and are also saving some. Even if you’re not earning what you wish to, you’re still making small savings. You’re looking at future investment plans and securing your future, knowing it’s going to come in handy soon.

3 YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE

If you’re with someone and absolutely smitten by them, then you know marriage is definitely on the cards and it’s getting you ready to take things more seriously. You want to have the ‘serious’ talk with her and you can’t stop thinking about your future together. This is when you know you’re ready and that she’s the one!

4 YOU’RE DONE WITH DATING

You feel absolutely exhausted in the dating game and want to give up on casual dates and flings, and look for something more serious. You want to give up on one night stands and hook ups just to find the perfect fit for you. You subconsciously want to find someone who can be with you forever. That’s also a mark of a mature man and you know maturity when you start thinking about life a little more seriously.

5 YOU ACT COMFORTABLE AROUND YOUR COUPLE FRIENDS

A lot of people either avoid or cringe around their couple friends. Specially people who are single or just casually dating. If you are ready for marriage you don’t mind their company at all. In fact, you want to hang with them and learn all about relationships if you’re not in one already. If you are in a relationship, you hang a lot more with your married friends, just so you get into that zone too! Many times, you’d also like to ask your couple friends to look for a probable match for you.

There are a lot many signs that you’re probably ready for the biggest commitment of your life. If you’re with someone, these signs are more visible and if you’re not with someone, you’re looking for the one person you can start something serious with. Whatever it is, there is a right time for every man to feel like he’s ready for marriage and if you feel any of the things mentioned above, you probably are!

People must wait three months for a glimpse of penguin chick

It Will Stay With Parents In Partly-Secluded Nesting Area

The newly born penguin chick at Byculla zoo is being fed by its parents, Flipper and Molt, who have been taking their feeds regularly of fish like Bombay duck, eel and tarli, Dr Madhumita Kale, head veterinarian for the penguin enclosure, told TOI.


The chick is yet to be named. Its sex is unknown and the zoo authorities will determine it using DNA analysis in due course.

On Wednesday evening, the chick started hatching as Flipper was incubating it. Her partner, Molt, also appeared distracted and nervous, and kept moving in and out of the nesting area. “At 4pm, the parents had their last feed on Wednesday and continued incubating the egg. There is an internal air cell in an egg that had started pipping and we realised it could hatch any time. We kept constant watch and a couple of hours later the external pipping (cracking) also started,” said Kale.

The eyes of the chick are shut and it cannot swim yet. “It will take around four months before it can be introduced into the shallower waters. We may even place a swim tub for them if required (see box),” said an official of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan va Pranisangrahalaya. The officials described Flipper and Molt as very good parents.

A team of four doctors are monitoring the penguins round the clock. The zoo-keepers are surprised the egg hatched exactly on the 40th day. “It’s such a coincidence the chick hatched on Independence Day. We are keeping it under close observation and special care is being taken to ensure it is not exposed to any infection,” said Dr Sanjay Tripathi, the zoo director. Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter to cheer the new arrival. “Our penguin parents have delivered a freedom baby! The parents and the chic (sic) are doing well,” he said.

But the public will have to wait for at least two-three months for its first glimpse of the chick. “We are following the best practices to ensure the chick grows naturally and so, for the next few months it will remain in the nesting area within the enclosure which is partly barricaded,” said Tripathi.

The zoo authorities said after the egg was laid, they were fully prepared in case the parents did not incubate the egg. “An artificial incubator and an ICU had been kept ready. However, the parents were extremely dedicated; a few days ago Flipper incubated for almost 48 hours at a stretch. Flipper, being the eldest of all the seven penguins in the enclosure, is extremely dominating, and her partner, Molt, though the youngest, is very aggressive. So none of the other penguins came close to the egg as the parents took turns to incubate it,” said Tripathi. Fears of the egg being infertile were discarded early since parents generally discard such eggs.

Delicious fondue treats

Mumbai Fondue Project @ Out of the Blue

Every time you open your social media accounts whilst at work, are you flooded with pictures of friends holidaying in Europe? And does the thought of Swiss chocolates and yummy French cheese upset you? If your answer is in the affirmative, then it’s time to beat the blues and head to Bandra right away. This monsoon, Out of The Blue presents the Mumbai Fondue Project. The festival celebrates the indulgent Swiss specialty in all its forms, including a few of our own interpretations. Talking about the festival, Rahul Bajaj (Owner, Out Of The Blue) said, “The Mumbai Fondue project is very close to my heart as fondues are the signature dish at Out Of The Blue. With this festival, we plan to re-introduce fondues and add this wide variety on our menu.”


Try the Jack’s Melting Pot or the zingy Adobo Fondue that features Emmenthal and Monterey jack cheeses. Vegans can tuck into a convincingly good Vegan Fondue. The Fondue Feast doesn’t end with the savouries, though. Make sure to save room for the Dessert Fondues — whether gooey Salted Caramel, boozy Amarula Nectar or dark Ghana Cacao, there’s no way to go wrong. Since you’re indulging, go all the way with their curated wine pairings to round out the experience.

Where: Out of the Blue, Le sutra hotel ,14 Union Park, Road No. 3, Khar (W).

Call: 9324839393.

When: August 5 to 25.

Giving hope to couples affected by infertility issues

With an increasing number of couples giving topmost priority to their work and professional lives, planning a pregnancy takes a backseat. Today, there is a significant rise in the number of couples struggling to conceive. Earlier, two to three children per family was the norm, which came to one to two children. Today, many couples prefer to have only one child.

The knowledge of fertility and technologies to overcome infertility has advanced significantly in India. There is a rise in expectations among couples after the first test tube baby in the world was successfully born. Today, there are lakhs of pregnancies in India through this technology. However, other simpler treatments and fertility enhancing endoscopic surgeries have also resulted in an equal number of pregnancies. Total Woman’s Health Care Hospital and Aakar IVF Centre offer various state-of-the-art facilities under one roof not only with regards to IVF infertility but also for female endoscopic surgeries as per global standards.


Says Dr Prakash Trivedi (Director, Dr Trivedi’s Total Health Care Pvt. Ltd), “A modern woman’s gynaecological health needs the services of a competent gynaecological endoscopist, infertility IVF specialist, embryologists, andrologist, urogynaecologist, sonologist, updated obstetrician and classical Indian vaginal surgeon.”

In cases of infertility, it is important for the doctor to make the couple undergo proper evaluation, take down their detailed history, examine, investigate, perform a sonography and most important, counsel the couple about the line of treatment. Many couples conceive with a simpler form of treatment i.e. timing ovulation and also confirming timed relation to make the husband’s sperm available in the uterus.

“Patients with tubal block, endometriosis and fibroids which affect fertility can be treated laparoscopically, whereas uterine cavity problem by hysteroscopy. This enhances fertility and pregnancy outcome. Issues with advanced age, low fertility factors and markers of either of the couple, uterine lining problems, repeated abortions, males with zero or very low sperm count, blocked vas deferens would need IVF-ICSI -testicular sperm extraction or advanced test tube baby treatment,” adds Priti Trivedi (Chief Embryologist, Aakar IVF Centre).

These treatments have become patient-friendly and with availability of ICSI, blastocyst formation, freezing sperm, embryos, oocyte by vitrification techniques have broadened the hopes of women aged between 21 to 51 as well as men with an advanced age. Also, in cases of cancer treatment, fertility preserving prophylactic techniques is a boon. Donor oocytes, sperms or indicated surrogacy is a new chapter.

Total Woman’s Health Care and Aakar IVF Centre has thousands of success stories and so do many established centres from all over India, who offer facilities under one roof to treat infertility. Ends Dr Prakash, “There is only one requirement — self-belief in the couple, understanding relatives, trust in the infertility experts in India, patience and God’s kindness, which helps make infertility reachable, approachable and affordable.”

Where: Total Woman’s Health Care and Aakar IVF Centre, 501/502, 5th Floor, Sai Heritage, Above Axis Bank, Near Balaji Temple, Tilak Road, Ghatkopar (E). Call: 022-61480707, 21022875. Consultation timings: 5 pm to 10 pm (Monday to Saturday). Only by prior appointment: 9833272076/ 9699273973/ 9930757302/ 9821055198 Email: dr.ptrivedi@gmail.com

(*Procedures given are based on the expert’s understanding of the said field)

Let the odour go of Pets

No matter how much we scrub, shampoo and house-train our furry friends, we simply cannot escape pet hair strewn over the sofa and a distinct smell in the house that screams ‘POOCH’. While dog lovers hardly mind it, it may deter some guests from visiting you. Here’s how to keep your home clean and odour-free.

CARPET CARE


Try your best to keep pets away from carpeted rooms as carpets tend to soak in odours. If this does not seem like a practical option, keep your rugs rolled up and lay them out only at specific occasions. Wall-to-wall carpets need daily vacuum cleaning when you have pets around. Sprinkle some baking soda, leave it overnight and vacuum clean it the next day – this will help neutralise carpet odours.

CHOOSE POOCH-FRIENDLY FURNITURE

Velvety upholstery attracts hair, dandruff and smell. When you have dogs indoors, switch over to easy-to-wipe surfaces like leather or rexene. These materials do not soak in drool or odours and since they are not as cosy as cloth or velvet, your pet is not very likely to perch on them regularly. Moreover, you can easily clean them using a duster and a deodourising spray. Also, don’t forget to provide your pooch with a chewing toy so that he does not attempt to gnaw on furniture. You can consider rubbing quinine or neem oil on wooden furniture to deter him from chewing on it.

BED AND LINEN CARE

If you happen to allow your pet on the bed, choose a smooth fabric like glazed cotton or thick satin for bed sheets. These are easier to dust off and will suffer lesser damage as compared to fancy, embroidered covers. Opt for low-maintenance fabrics that do not require expensive dry-cleaning or specialised laundry services. Get your bed sheets/covers washed frequently. You can also add baking soda to your regular detergent for fresh smelling clothes.

BE SWIFT WITH THE MOP

If you happen to encounter an ‘accident’ like poop, vomit or pee, don’t let the mess sit around for long. Scoop it up pronto and wipe the place with a floor-cleaning liquid or vinegar before the stench begins to spread.

CREATE YOUR PET’S OWN SPACE

Place your pet’s bedding at a location where he has some privacy. A daily dusting /cleaning /brushing of his bedding is a must. Also you can put his bedding in the sun for sometime. Ensure that you wash his bedding at least once a week.

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A dog can be loyal, loving, sweet as well as aggressive

Anger management
A dog can be loyal, loving, sweet as well as aggressive, one of the leading reasons of abandonment. But dog aggression can be prevented. Here’s how...

Aggression is one of the most dangerous and misunderstood of all dog behaviour. It is also the leading reason why so many dogs end up in shelters or are euthanised each year. But aggression can be prevented if you start early socialisation and basic obedience training for your dog. However, aggression can be controlled at a later stage as well.

WATCH OUT FOR…


If your dog shows aggressive tendencies — usually displayed through growling, bared teeth, biting and lunging — you need to determine the root of the problem.

AGGRESSION ACUMEN…

There are many reasons a dog may become aggressive, and the solutions to each are unique. Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to your dog’s environment, when he behaves aggressively, to determine the most appropriate course of action. A dog may become aggressive for any of the following reasons:

• Dominance: Normally displayed towards other dogs, your pooch might become aggressive towards humans if he views them as part of his pack. He is actually trying to establish himself as the ‘Alpha’ dog or pack leader.

• Territory: Many dogs consider their homes and families their possessions and will defend them vigorously if they feel they are being threatened.

• Fear: Fear will trigger the “fight or flight” response pre-programmed into all living beings. If he cannot flee, he will fight.

• Predatory: Hunters by nature, dogs with a high hunting instinct may view children, cats, and small dogs as prey.

• Redirected: A dog which cannot assert his aggression on the trigger of fear, protectiveness, or anger may take it out on a nearby dog or human.

• Medical: A female dog’s maternal instinct may trigger aggression when she is nursing, pregnant, or in heat.

• Sudden aggression: Medical causes such as hypothyroidism and brain tumours can trigger sudden aggressive behaviour. If your dog suddenly becomes aggressive, consult your veterinarian immediately.

A TRAINING TUNE-UP…

Fear and dominance are the two most common causes of aggression. Consistent positive training will do wonders for dogs in these situations:

• Training the dominant dog: With the dominant dog, you must assert yourself as the ‘Alpha’ in the pack, having control over everything in his life. He must understand the need to ask for permission. Food, treats, walks, toys and affection are all under your careful control. Make your dog sit before being given any of these items, and praise him tremendously when he behaves. He will quickly understand he must mind his manners to get what he wants.

• Training for the fearful dog: If fear is your dog’s trigger, slowly and carefully desensitise him by exposing him to his fear in small increments. Reward him with a treat or toy and praise him when his behaviour warrants it. Gradually increase his exposure to the stimulus and he will learn not to lash out. Avoid crowded places; always keep your dog on a leash. Don’t let others tease your dog, and slowly introduce new people to him both at home and in public until he readily learns to accept strangers.

• Feeding alone: At feeding time, ensure your dog has his own bowl and does not feel that he has to compete for food. If necessary, feed him in a separate room.

• Spaying/neutering: Spaying or neutering your dog can eliminate hormonal fluctuations that could trigger aggression.

With patience and training, the aggressive dog can be reprogrammed to make him your loving and well-behaved companion. Since aggression is a serious behaviour issue that is difficult to overcome, enlisting the assistance of a skilled dog trainer is recommended.

The writer is an avid dog lover

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My Lab is 8 months old and is eating everything

PET QUERIES
Q. My Lab is 8 months old and is eating everything - from grass to stones to droppings of other animals to mud. What can be done to stop this behaviour? Also, we are giving her vitamin tablets and deworming her every month as advised by the vet. We want to neuter her. What would be the best age to do it?

A. Most chewing behaviour is seen in young puppies due to their strong desire to explore. This type of behaviour may start after a change in the dog’s routine or as a result of boredom. Often the dog does not know what it can and cannot chew unless they are shown or told. Prevent access to unacceptable chew items. Exercise and play with your dog regularly to alleviate excess energy and provide positive interaction. Reward your dog with praise for chewing on appropriate items. Get some toys. Teach him simple commands like sit, go, stand, eat etc. Neutering can be done as early as 4-6 months without any adverse affects. However, contact your vet for the right decision.

A good relationship may require similar texting styles

As we advance more into the digital age, the ways we communicate also change. One primary source of communication these days is texting, and research on texting and relationships shows just how influential texting as a means of communication.

Researcher Leora Trub has found that when it comes to relationships, finding someone with your same texting style improves relationship satisfaction. Trub’s team surveyed 205 adults in romantic relationships between the ages of 18 and 29, asking questions about emotional security, texting habits and relationship satisfaction. The study respondents, who had the same texting style as their partner, reported having more satisfaction. It makes sense, as someone who texts frequently would probably only annoy someone who didn’t like communicating via text and vice versa. The surveys also showed that even if the messages were about complaints or an issue with the relationship, similar texting styles helped improve communication and satisfaction overall. 

China holding 2 million Uighurs & Muslim minorities in secret camps, says UN panel

‘Members Being Treated As Enemies Of State On Basis Of Religion’
Nick Cumming-Bruce

Uighurs

Geneva:

United Nations human rights experts expressed alarm on Friday over what they said were many credible reports that China had detained a million or more ethnic Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang and forced as many as two million to submit to reeducation and indoctrination.


In the name of combating religious extremism, China had turned Xinjiang into “something resembling a massive internment camp, shrouded in secrecy, a sort of norights zone,” Gay McDougall, a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said in the opening session of a two-day review of China’s policies in Geneva.

Accounts from the region pointed to Muslims “being treated as enemies of the state solely on the basis of their ethno-religious identity,” McDougall said, citing reports from activists and scholars that many had disappeared and that even the most commonplace religious practices had become grounds for punishment.

Raising questions about the fate of Uighur students who had returned to Xinjiang from overseas, McDougall said that more than a hundred had disappeared, some had been detained and others had died in detention.

In opening remarks at Friday’s session, Yu Jianhua, China’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, praised China’s policies toward minorities, saying they were aimed at promoting unity and harmony, and said that economic progress in the region had lifted 20 million people out of poverty in the past five years. Yu, leading a delegation of 48 senior officials, offered no response to the committee’s questions, but he is scheduled to address them when the meeting resumes on Monday morning.

Chinese officials have said that tightened security measures and limits on the religious practices of Uighurs, who are mostly Sunni Muslim, are aimed at trying to prevent violent, anti-state episodes in Uighur areas, which they have attributed to separatism, terrorism and religious extremism. Uighur advocates say the harsh security measures fuel resentment.

The UN session on Friday was the first time China has had to answer publicly for a crackdown on Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, and it coincided with a groundswell of international alarm over the scope and intensity of the measures.

Beijing tightened controls and surveillance of Xinjiang’s population after an eruption of violence aimed at Han Chinese, the dominant ethnic group in China, in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, in 2009 and an attack in Beijing in 2013 attributed to Uighur Muslims.

More than one-fifth of all arrests in China in 2017 occurred in Xinjiang, whose 11 million people make up less than 2% of China’s population, the Hong Kong-based advocacy group China Human Rights Defenders said in a report last week drawing on official data. Scholars and activists estimate that a million people are now held in hundreds of re-education camps across Xinjiang and that roughly two million other people are undergoing some form of coercive re-education or indoctrination. NYT


Chinese officials have said that tightened security measures and limits on the religious practices of Uighurs, who are mostly Sunni, are aimed at trying to prevent violent, anti-state episodes in Uighur areas which they have attributed to separatism, terrorism and religious extremism

Milap Zaveri ‘I don’t want to make films that only I end up watching’

Over the years, Milap Zaveri has penned stories, screenplays and dialogues for a slew of commercial films. After directing comedies, he has now taken on the mantle of helming an action thriller with Satyameva Jayate.

In a quick chat with BT, Milap talks about how this film is different from other cop films like Ardha Satya, Singham and Dabangg, and why he is not interested in making a selfindulgent film. Excerpts...


Satyameva Jayate is the story of a vigilante vs cop. What inspired you to pen a film like this?

There was a lot of anger inside me about the way the system is functioning.

Every cop is not corrupt, but in every sphere, there are good apples and bad apples. The law enforcers have a huge responsibility and if they start breaking the law, the common man will also follow suit. Satyameva Jayate stemmed from my anger towards society in general and towards myself for not doing something responsible as a filmmaker. Maybe, the anger towards myself stemmed from the sex comedies that I have made and also because of the fact that till now, I have not made any statement through my films. This film has a strong message and it is about following the path of truth. The characters played by John Abraham and Manoj Bajpayee too, want the same thing, but their paths are different. The basic message is, ‘Don’t be corrupt’. Despite being a cop drama, it’s different from Ardh Satya, Singham and Dabangg because there is a big twist in the plot.

In the film, you have deliberately taken some oftenquoted dialogues and called out the sexism that’s inherent in them. What prompted that?

‘Tune choodiyan pehni hai kya’ is one of the most ridiculously chauvinistic statements we have been making for eons. It’s all about one man insulting another man by

saying that he is weak like a woman. This statement has always irritated me as a human being, as a writer and as a man. When we were shooting the scene, John suggested that we make it more impactful and that’s why we added a punchline. (John’s character asks a woman to slap the man who says, Tune choodiyan pehni hai kya’ and asks him never to utter the line again). I thought of the line on the spot.

You have written and directed commercial films so far. Is there a desire to make niche films as well?

As a viewer, I have varied tastes. I grew up on commercial potboilers, but I have the ability to enjoy films as different as Raazi, Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, Baaghi 2, Padmaavat and Sanju. As a writer, I seek the audience’s reaction in the theatre. I go to watch my own films and I love it when they clap, whistle and laugh. There is no greater high for an artiste than to feel and hear the appreciation from viewers. I have nothing against art films. Every kind of cinema is art. When people go to watch my films, pay a lot of money for the tickets and then end up feeling that they haven’t got their money’s worth, I feel that I have failed. If I am going to make an art film because I want my peers to look at me differently, I am being disloyal to the common man who comes to the theatres to watch my films. I don’t want to make films that only I end up watching. People believe that I play to the gallery. They are right because my sensibilities were shaped in those galleries. While growing up, I watched all the films at Gaiety-Galaxy (Bandra) amidst claps, whistles and chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

You had made a mark as a writer, before turning director. Was filmmaking always your dream?

Every writer feels the urge to be a director. As a writer, you envisage the story in a certain way. A director sometimes enhances it, but there are also times when he doesn’t end up portraying things the way you imagined. The desire to bring the words written by you come alive on screen is what makes a writer want to be a director. The script is the backbone of a film, but a director has to be an expert in every department of filmmaking. It’s a huge responsibility; he has to face the bouquets as well as the brickbats.

THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER OF MUMBAI

On 6th World Elephant Day today, BT speaks to Anand Shinde — the man who left his world of photo journalism to communicate with elephants and rehabilitate them
Pallabi.Purkayastha@timesgroup.com

When he was transferred to Kerala back in 2012, Mumbai cha mulga Anand Shinde did not know what to do in a place where the language was alien to him. A call from his ‘guru’ was enough to throw him into the fascinating world of elephants, which paved the path for a strong association with them. “Before 2012, I knew nothing about animals, except for dogs. But when I began work on a photo story on Kalaripayattu (martial art form of the state) and Kathakali (a traditional dance form), my mentor asked me to do a photoshoot with the elephants.”

The same year, he went to Thrissur Pooram — Kerala’s annual temple festival, where elephants play a major role. A chance encounter with an elephant there changed Anand’s perception of them. “It was hot, so the mahout was standing on a piece of paper to prevent his feet from being scalded. When his elephant began to act cranky and wouldn’t move, the mahout beat him and poked him to make him move. A few minutes later, the same elephant let the mahout rest under his stomach even after being treated so badly. It was an eyeopener,” he shares.


In an attempt to study the behavioural patterns of elephants and carry out his photoshoot with them, Shinde approached the authorities. One thing led to another and there came a point where this Mumbaikar was spending 12-13 hours (and even weekends) with elephants after travelling 27 km back and forth, and learning to rumble so that he could communicate with them.

His love for elephants, however, started with baby elephants Krishna and Ganga. While Krishna would play with him all day long and wait for his arrival in the morning, Ganga was a bit possessive and would start rumbling every time his wife Shriya Shinde called. Unfortunately, Krishna passed away while Shinde was in Mumbai to be with his ailing mother. Ganga followed suit, leaving the man who was a ‘friend’ to them heartbroken.

‘EE BRANTHAN PINNEYUM VANNU’ (PAGLA PHIR SE AA GAYA)

After spending more than a year in different elephant centres, Shinde decided to quit his job and dedicate his life to a detailed research on elephants. As it was an unconventional choice to make, many frowned, laughed and even looked down upon him. And it all started with the mahouts. “Whenever I reached the elephant centres, I would always hear the mahouts say in Malayalam — ‘Ee branthan pinneyum vannu’ After asking around, I got to know that it means ‘pagla phir se aa gaya’. Initially, they were uncomfortable with my growing proximity with the elephants. As time passed by, they accepted me.” The elephant whisperer had more than just hostile mahouts to deal with. He had a lot of people to convince, starting with his wife. “She said, ‘Anand I know you live alone there, but this is too far-fetched’,” shares the man.

Shriya, his wife and a photographer by profession, says, “Initially, I didn’t believe that he could communicate with them, and would often ask him to send pictures and videos. But when you see the bond he shares with the animals, it’s worth all the sacrifices.”

HIS MISSION: TO END THE MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT

“Borders are for human beings, not animals. Elephants are now shifting from Karnataka to Maharashtra. Earlier, they used to come here for a brief period of time — for four to five months. However, they have now made the Konkan and Kolhapur area their home,” enlightens Shinde, who feels that local villagers need to be educated on how to handle the pachyderms.

“The forest officials tried to send them back to Karnataka many times, but they always come back. In Karnataka, the farming sector, human colonies and rubber plantation sector have shot up, because of which these animals are moving towards Maharashtra,” adds Shinde. “In rice season, one can find them in Konkan area and in sugarcane season, one can find them in Kolhapur. That’s how they are managing food and dense forests to live in.”

It is the villagers’ lack of knowledge in how to successfully co-exist with these elephants that scares Shinde. After several interactions with the locals, he learnt that some of them believe that singing ‘bhajans’ or flashing torchlights on their faces and even bursting firecrackers would drive them away, resulting in an never-ending fight between these two worlds that have also claimed lives. “For any animal, attack is the best defence,” explains the man.

‘IF WE HAVE TO FEAR ANY ANIMAL IN LIFE, IT IS HUMANS’

It’s not just elephants Shinde communicates with. He says, “Dr Jacob Alexander, Chief Vet of Trivandrum Zoological Garden, was ready to give me access and my first interaction (outside of elephants) was with Aishwarya — a lioness. After spending time with elephants I realised that if we have to fear any animal in life, it is humans. In the beginning, there were two nets between Aishwarya and me, but eventually she was out in the open. Gradually, she started roaring every time I would visit her and we would interact,” he shares. That interaction gave Shinde the confidence to study the patterns of tigers, lions, leopards and wild cats.

However, he has trust issues with ‘jungli billiyan’. “I have realised that wild cats never trust you and they sit in an attacking position all the time, even after you have fed them and spent time with them.” Shinde has been helping various zoo authorities to understand the needs and wants of ailing animals.

Checking emails after work can hurt your relationships, health

‘Always-on’ work culture can increase anxiety and stress levels of workers and their families
Turns out, employer expectations of work email monitoring during non-working hours are harmful to the health of not only employees but their family as well.

A new study conducted by William Becker, a Virginia Tech professor in the Pamplin College of Business, titled ‘‘Killing me softly: electronic communications monitoring and employee and significant-other well-being,” showed that such expectations result in anxiety, which adversely affects the health of employees and their families.


The study revealed that employees don’t have to spend actual time on work in their off-hours to experience the detrimental effects.

Just the expectations of availability increase strain for employees and others even without the actual engagement of the employees in work during non-work hours.

In a survey of full-time workers aged 31 to 40, frequent off-duty email checkers believed their habit caused little strife at home, yet their other halves complained that the behaviour pushed their patience to the limit.

Becker said, “The insidious impact of ‘always on’ organisational culture is often unaccounted for or disguised as a benefit — increased convenience, for example, or higher autonomy and control over work-life boundaries.”

Becker’s research interests also include work emotion, turnover, organisational neuroscience, and leadership. Few other studies have shown that the pressure of increased job demands leads to tension in family relationships when the employee is unable to fulfill non-work roles at home. With researchers at Lehigh and Colorado State universities, he found that the expectation to check messages at all hours was enough for employees to report greater anxiety and ill health. Even worse, their partners experienced raised stress levels too.

According to Becker, policies that decrease expectations to monitor electronic communication outside of work would be ideal. The solution may also include establishing boundaries or time limits on when electronic communication is acceptable during off-hours by setting up off-hour email schedules when a person is available to respond. If a job requires email availability, such expectations should be communicated clearly as a part of job responsibility. Such steps could reduce anxiety in employees and increase understanding from their family members.

And for employees, they could practice mindfulness, which has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and tension. 

Here’s how going to space affects your body

The day is not far when people will travel to outer space frequently. But before you dream of Martian colonies and spacewalks, know how the human body changes when it leaves the Earth’s atmosphere
businessinsider.in

Shifting bodily fluids

When you orbit Earth, you’re effectively in a free-fall around the planet, weightless. This means there’s nothing to force blood and other bodily fluids toward your feet. The fluid shifting from your legs to your head could fill a two litre bottle.


Reduced bone density

If you don’t exercise while in space, you’ll lose about 12 per cent of your bone density. Researchers are still trying to understand why this happens, though micro fractures in bones caused simply by walking around on Earth seem to be important to maintaining bone health.

Increased height

Since gravity isn’t pushing you down, fluid-filled discs between each of the bony vertebrae in your spine don’t get compressed, stretching your height by about 4 per cent. After Scott Kelly’s time in space, he returned two inches taller than his twin brother. But returning to Earth-like gravity reverses that effect.

Cancer risk

Radiation bombarding your body outside of Earth’s protective magnetic field can increase your risk of getting cancer. NASA currently limits male astronauts’ lifetime radiation exposure to 3,250 millisieverts, which is equivalent to about 400 CT scans of the abdomen. Female astronauts typically have more tissue that’s susceptible to radiation, so their lifetime limit is 2,500 mSv.

Changed DNA

DNA is life’s basic blueprint. However, it’s equally important when and how much those genes are expressed, or turned on and off. A lot of that has to do with a person’s environment. A study found that about seven per cent of Scott Kelly’s genes expressed a bit differently after a year in space than they did on the ground, and didn’t return to normal.

Living life in moderation is key when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Too much of a good thing?

While being careful about your health has its set of benefits, getting too fixated on it and overindulging yourself with the minute details can be detrimental in the long run. Here’s what you need to be careful about:


1 Vitamin supplements

Some of us spend a fortune on vitamin pills to supplement our diets — but experts say that taking too many tablets can cause problems. Bridget Benelam, of the British Nutrition Foundation, says, “High doses of vitamin C can potentially cause gastrointestinal discomfort, and excessive amounts of nutrients, such as iron or vitamin A, can be dangerous. For most people, a healthy varied diet should be able to provide all the nutrients needed for health.”

2 Painkillers

These are a good way to relieve headaches, but overuse can actually cause more headaches. Nitin Makadia, consultant pharmacist at evolvehealthsolutions.co.uk , says, “Medication overuse for headaches can occur when you take more than the recommende d dose. It’s usually advised that overthe counter pain relief should be taken for no more than three days at a time or for no more than 10 days during a month.”

3 Too many naps

Research has shown that short naps can help refresh you, lower stress and improve concentration and alertness. But keep them short for the best health benefits. Dr Guy Meadows, a sleep specialist, says, “Ideally, you should nap for 10 to 20 minutes and no longer than 30. After this, you enter deep sleep, and being woken from that can leave you feeling groggy and disorientated.”

4 Citrus fruits

Though they are a rich source of vitamin C, fruit and fruit juices (especially lemon, orange and grapefruit) contain a high level of acid, which can damage tooth enamel. Dr Sameer Patel, clinical director at Elleven Dental, says, “Acid erosion can increase teeth sensitivity, and when eaten regularly, citrus fruits can contribute to the build-up of plaque and tooth decay. I recommend chewing gum to promote the production of saliva to help cancel out the acids.”

5 Over moisturising

Skincare experts say that although it’s important to moisturise, applying too much can make skin ‘lazy’ because it receives signals that it has enough water, lipids and protein which can slow down production of these important nutrients. This can leave your skin dry and leads to a vicious circle where you have to use more and more moisturiser.

6 Exercise

Yes, it’s vital to keep active for all aspects of your health, but overdoing it could make you more prone to infections, colds and flu. While regular moderate exercise can boost your immune system, research shows that overdoing it can have the opposite effect.

7 Too many nuts

Nuts are good for your health, but they are very calorie dense (high in fat, low in water), so eating unlimited amounts can easily add several hundred calories a day to your diet.

Spontaneous passion may cool quickly

Scheduled sex might not sound exciting, but according to research, people who plan ahead have sizzling action
Clandestine encounters and one-night stands may sound steamy, but these spontaneous outbursts of passion don’t score points for many people. According to latest research, there is nothing sexier than forward planning when it comes to sex.

A study published in the Journal of Sex Research noted that scheduling a time and date in advance (and sticking to it) is the key to keeping the spark alive in the bedroom.


Researchers from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany surveyed nearly 1,000 heterosexual couples about their sex lives. The questionnaire asked each person to rate things like how easily they got aroused, how inhibited they were around sex, and any issues they may have with sexual dysfunction.

The participants were also asked to rate both their own and their partner’s levels of personality framework: extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness and neuroticism. (known by psychologists as The Big Five). In the study, the researchers defined conscientiousness as being efficient and organised, rather than easy-going and spontaneous.

The study found that women who had partners with higher scores on conscientiousness experienced higher sexual function. “Men who are thorough and dutiful may feel the need to satisfy their partner sexually, which may in turn lead to better sexual function of their partners,” the researchers noted.

Tips & technology lessons for city pilgrims on Haj

Mufti Purkar

At a community hall in Dongri, through visuals, Quranic verses and the Prophetic traditions, Mufti Rafiq Purkar takes the pilgrims down the path to pilgrimage. An hour at the session and the pilgrims know how to perform Haj before they approach the cube-shaped Kaaba draped in black at Mecca, chanting in Arabic Labaik Allahumma Labaik (Here I am, O Lord, here I am).

Mufti Purkar guided a bunch of pilgrims at the Alvi Tours and Travels-held training session last week. Several such training sessions have been organised across the city before the pilgrims leave for Saudi Arabia for the Haj (this August). “Training is important because it empowers pilgrims on dos and don’ts during the route they take and the rituals they perform,” says Imran Alvi, Alvi Tours and Travels’ owner.


Haj training also discusses the precautions, physical and mental endurance required, things to pack, places to visit and to avoid during the journey. It also tells the pilgrims that their pilgrimage will not be complete before they do Tawaf-e-Widah or Farewell Tawaf, circumambulations of the Kaaba seven times in counter-clockwise direction.

Yusuf Ahmed Kherada of Al Khalid Tours and Travels invited his group of pilgrims at Islam Gymkhana on Friday night before he accompanied the pilgrims aboard a flight to Jeddah. “I tell my pilgrims to carry two sets of prescribed medicine, each in hand baggage as well as in checked in luggage. They will not be distressed in case one set is lost,” says the bearded Kherada whose experience of three decades in the trade makes him almost a walking encyclopaedia on Haj and Umrah (mini-Haj).

Perhaps training is as old as the Haj itself. To understand it better we visit the 108-year-old Mohammed Haji Saboo Siddick Musafirkhana at Crawford Market. At the Musafirkhana’s Trust office sits the Trust’s chairman and former MLA Bashir Musa Patel, keeping a hawk’s eyes on all comers and ensures that ‘Allah ke mehman (guests of Allah as the Haj pilgrims are called)” are not inconvenienced. “Here the trainers give training voluntarily as every service done to the pilgrims receives divine blessings. This year we are hosting around 700 pilgrims,” says Patel.

Since the Haj Committee of India, headquartered at the Haj House, also near Crawford Market, is the nodal agency for Haj operations--out of 1, 75000 Indian Haj pilgrims, 1, 30,000 are going through Haj Committee while 45000 have chosen the Private Tour Operators--training is a critical. Not to get crushed under sea of feet in excitement to stone the doomed pillars is what every trainer tells, says Haj Committee’s CEO MA Khan.

Rationalists Aid Cops To Bust Convicts’ Claims Of Being Spooked & Possessed

Exorcising Maharashtra prisons of ghostly goings-on

Nabbing prisoners trying to scale the high walls, snuffing out tussles, disciplining rogues – manning jailbirds can be hard task for prison guards. But even harder? Expelling ghosts. Jail wardens in Maharashtra often find themselves in a quandary when some inmates in their nightly paranoia scuttle like weasels claiming that they can hear the jingle jangle of anklets, see shapes against the wall and tormented by spirits sliding right into them. The pack of shadows allegedly manifests itself after midnight in diaphanous forms of a threeeyed, long-haired woman in white, her feet pointed backwards or in dark silhouettes and serpentine shapes, clattering about the cells or muttering in a hollow sepulchral voice.

A 35-year-old woman in the Kalyan jail once complained of being a ghoul bait when she awoke every night to find a pair of cold hands pounding her chest. She would follow the figure around and drift back to sleep at dawn, thus refusing to partake in daily chores. Another time Aruna Mugutrao, Byculla women’s jail superintendent stepped into the prison courtyard to find a dozen women chanting around an inmate and slamming her head on the ground in an attempt to exorcise her. “These incidents are common on new moon nights and result in general hysteria. Someone claims to have seen a ghost and others follow,” says Mugutrao. On days like Navratri they sing and swing themselves into a trance to suggest supernatural powers entering their body.


Belief in apparitions is as old as time but Maharashtra’s jail authorities are striving to rid the cells of these pesky spirits. Only, there is no shaman at work, but a team of rationalist ghostbusters flushing out these phantasms with common sense, reason and counselling. Bernadette Pimenta of Sevadham with the help of 72-year-old Vandana Shinde of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (Blind Faith Eradication Committee) have been on an anti-superstition drive at prisons across Maharashtra. “At the Yerwada jail a few years ago I met a villager on life sentence for smashing his neighbour’s head because he believed the man had done black magic on his family,” recalls Pimenta. “A lot of crimes are rooted in superstitious beliefs.” What started as sporadic attempts to bust paranormal myths is now a routine at the Arthur Road, Byculla, Taloja, Kalyan, Thane, Pune, Alibaug and Nashik jails, that have clocked in 30 such workshops in the past one year. “Spirits and superstitions flourish between imagination and information,” adds Shinde, a stickler for the scientific method. “These prisoners mostly come from marginalised sections and never learnt to think critically. What they see and hear are often an effect of old wives’ tales and traditions,” she explains. Her grandmotherly charm turns formidable as she takes centrestage at the District Probation & Aftercare Association, a children’s remand home in Bhiwandi. The paraphernalia that tumbles out of her handbag form the repertoire of various godmen. It includes a rice-filled copper kalash that she magically lifts with a trishul, a ribbon spewing coconut, a water-lit lamp, and flaming camphor that she swallows. “I demonstrate the science behind tricks on which mumbo jumbo specialists ply their trade,” says Shinde inviting remandees to stand on top of her as she lies sandwiched within beds of nails. It doesn’t take long for her to convince a nodding young audience as she frees her kneelength hair to feign possession, another paranormal act common among the incarcerated.

Possession can be simple to fake and someone flailing their arms, speaking in a bizarre tongue and ordering fellow-inmates in an odd voice are often ways of securing a better place in the barrack or keeping people out of their hair. “They think gesticulating like God or the devil would fetch them attention, respect and cronies by their side,” says Pimenta. Unsurprising that two male prisoners in their twenties went around rolling their eyes and throwing fits as if a demon had taken over their body, a month ago. However, to the jailors their alleged possession was indistinguishable from poor acting. So, Shinde arrived, donned the actor’s robe and tamed the so-called spirit.

Pimenta says, this impulse to feign diabolic possession or hallucination, isn’t always under conscious control and can indeed be a case of mental disturbance at times. “There’s a thin line between psychosomatic disorder and paranormal behaviour,” says corrections counsellor Arti Kedia. “A lot of women prisoners have led repressed lives. Their need for attention finds validation when they act hysterically. Minors often suffer from a fear of the unknown and in teenagers it maybe drug withdrawal symptoms. For grown up men, it’s a power trip.” The rational cure is followed by psychotherapy. And if that doesn’t work? “We simply confront and rubbish their claims. They usually chicken out,” smiles Kedia. (Inputs by Mateen Hafeez)


THAT’S THE SPIRIT: Rationalist Vandana Shinde performs tricks for Alibaug Jail inmates