Love actually

 

"Love Actually"

Eternal, platonic, filial , motherly, possessive, mutual, exclusive, unrequited, there is no end to the number of adjectives that can be used to describe love. It is actually muhabath, and has always been a part of the Indian tradition. We exported the original Sanskrit word "lubh" (meaning desire and love) everywhere. The emotion is now universal, and the world appears to revolve around love in its various forms.

One of the mysteries unexplained since the beginning of time is the sudden mutual attraction between two people, love "at first sight."

Does it really occur?

"Yes," according to 67% of the people surveyed. (Perhaps fate has just been unkind to the remaining 33%, and their views may also change when the time is right).

Scientifically, the star struck attraction is just plain "lust", mediated by a surge in the primeval sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen, acting in differing proportions in both men and women. This is followed by a sudden release of the internal neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (adrenaline)and serotonin, the same chemicals involved in a cocaine high or nicotine use. Sweating , palpitations and a temporary insanity sets in. Hit by cupid's arrow, even the most logical prosaic human develops irrational behaviour. Thought processes becomes disturbed, work and efficiency suffers, waking hours are non-productively occupied by visions of the new lover, and nights become sleep deprived. If love is unrequited, the fluctuating chemical levels cause depression as well.

This love is not ethereal but can be rationally demonstrated using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Four areas of the brain became active, and one area noticeably inactive, when the subjects are in "love." Unfortunately euphoria inducing drugs have the same effect, explaining the "madness" of love.

This state cannot last forever. It is unhealthy and physically unsustainable. The body realizes this and gradually the phase of "mutual commitment and attachment" sets in with the release of the more "bonding" chemicals oxytocin and vasopressin. Either long-term commitment sets in or the relationship fails. The madness is over.

Subconsciously, as men and women search for a reliable long term partner, companionship and a durable relationship, they look for different things.

Women, search for good genes. Early brain imprints make them look for some one who resembles their father. Such a person would (unless the filial relationship was unsatisfactory) be viewed as a healthy, strong provider, similar enough for a tested immune system, but different enough to ensure a wide range of genes. This provides a balance between dangerous inbreeding and reckless out-breeding. They also subconsciously materialistically keep an eye on rank and status (the pecking order), when searching for a mate.    

Men, look for facial symmetry (less likely to have genetic abnormalities), and reproductive ability, (the hour-glass figure with a waist to hip ratio of 0.7). This applies irrespective of the woman's overall weight.

Oedipus also comes into play. Men need to see their mother in the woman of their dreams. Both sexes are attracted to a mate that looks, smells and feels like their parents.

The key to falling in love could lie in pheromones, chemicals originally detected by an organ in the nose which could be present in humans. Women want a man who smells like their father, a warning to alcoholic, cigarette smoking fathers! In a study involving sweaty T-shirts, they consistently picked men who smelled similar to their fathers or were from a comparable genetic background.

Appearances are important too, but not traditional beauty. Using computerized morphing the subject's own face were morphed onto that of the opposite sex. They were consistently subconsciously attracted to their own morphed unrecognizable face. Our own faces are tantalizingly familiar, and personally attractive because they are a jigsaw of the faces of our parents, which we loved and saw repeatedly during our impressionable formative years.

Also, the faces and figures of long standing happily married couples look similar. The size and shape of their ears, neck and wrist circumferences, middle finger lengths and metabolic rates correspond eerily.

Falling in love depends on body language (55%), speech (38%) and the unknown(7%).

The eyes are the windows of the soul. Eyes dilate as we stare deeply and after 4 minutes most people feel an unaccountable attraction for each other.

People who sit stand and move in the same way get attracted to each other and fall in love. Or, conversely, if people live together long enough, their physical characteristics and habits become similar and then they pass into the bonding stage without the stages of lust and attraction. This is the foundation of arranged marriages.

Some need a "constant fix" the adrenaline rush of frequent affairs. Others prefer the stress reducing health providing benefits of a secure long standing relationship.

Whatever it is, everyone looks for love.

Dr. Gita Mathai

The writer can be contacted at

mindandbody@epmltd.com

Mental Illness

 

An elderly couple stood watching the chaotic traffic. He turned to his wife and said, "The entire world seems mad except me and you." He paused, considered and continued,  "and sometimes you seem a little mad too."

 

His observation was probably not far from the truth. Serious psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, dementia, delusions and paranoia are present in 0.5 % of the population. Mild psychiatric disturbances are present in 20% of the population. In addition, emotions can aggravate or alleviate "real illnesses," leaving no sharp dividing line between the physical and the mental. They tend to overlap and influence each other. This leads to psychosomatic illness where the psyche (mind) influences the soma (body).  Almost 60 % of the patients visiting the doctor have stress related or psychiatric illness. 

 

All psychiatric patients are not obviously ill. They do not talk to trees or run naked down the street. There are variations and gradations of the symptoms and manifestations of psychiatric illness as in any other disease process. 

 

Certain families have more members in need of psychiatric care. This has led to postulates that the likelihood of developing such an illness may be inherited, with abnormal personality traits being passed on from the parents. Medical studies in twins and in adopted children, helps to reinforce this claim. Twins separated at birth and reared separately in foster homes with different nurturing environments often develop varying degrees of the same psychiatric illness.

 

Brain cells communicate with each other by transmitting signals with chemicals called neurotransmitters. A correct balance has to be maintained for a person to function efficiently in society. Injuries to the brain can cause defects in the production, degradation, or the ratio between the various chemicals. This causes manifestations of mental disease. 

 

Damage can occur before birth in the womb, during the birth process itself, or after birth as a result of aging, chemicals or an accident. Mental illness may be triggered in a previously normal person by overwhelming psychological stresses like separation, early untimely death of a parent, extreme neglect, or physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Interplay between various environmental and social factors may then prolong the illness. 

 

Newer scanning techniques have demonstrated that blood flow to certain areas of the brain and even its actual physical size differs in persons with psychiatric illnesses. The chemical reaction (neurotransmitter release) in the brain as a response to day-to-day events is also altered. This is similar to change in the blood flow to the heart muscle and the chemicals released causing damage to the cardiac muscle in heart attacks.. Yet, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, renal failure or cancers are considered "real" organic diseases. There is no discrimination against people suffering from these ailments. Their families are not ashamed.

 

Society does not accept mental illness, as a disease of the brain. For centuries psychiatric patients have been referred to derisively as "lunatics". They are the objects of scorn. They are ill-treated, denied their basic human rights, chained, beaten, confined or hidden by their families from society. They are denied treatment. Some are married to unsuspecting partners in the hope that in some mysterious way marriage will cure the illness. Most of these patients would probably readjust to society, with appropriate and timely medical intervention. 

 

General physicians can treat the milder forms like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, somatization, (transfer of symptoms to a part of the body), eating disorders and substance abuse. These may present at only certain times in a persons life. Psychotic illnesses like dementia, schizophrenia, paranoia require expert qualified evaluation and help.

 

 

Screening for mild psychiatric illness requires affirmative answers to the questions:

• · "During the past month have you felt down, depressed, hopeless, useless, and experienced no interest or pleasure in any activity?" 
  

• · Or "have you had a recent onset of excessive irrational fatigue, irritability, headaches, chest pains impotence, lack of sex drive or vague stomach symptoms?" 
  

• A spouse, close friend, relative or caretaker should also have noticed these symptoms.
  

  
   

  Depression may occur spontaneously or be precipitated by concurrent illness, death, or some other traumatizing event. The feeling described is one of lethargy, inability to perform day-to-day activities, lack of interest in appearance and a feeling of hopelessness. If it coexists with anxiety, the person appears agitated, and there may be lack of eye contact. 
  

  
   

  Somatization involves a plethora of medically unexplained symptoms like exhaustion, dizzy spells, intolerance to noise, tingling and unexplained pain in a physically normal adult. The symptoms are not substantiated by physical examination . The investigations all give normal results. Rational treatment offers no relief.
  

  
   

  Panic attacks are recognized by the effected individual. They are precipitated and prolonged by hyperventilation and accompanied by sweating and palpitations.
  

  
   

  Substance abuse involves alcohol, recreational drugs, smoking  or over indulgence in food.
  

  
   

  Exercise started at the primary school stage and prolonged into the geriatric age group significantly decreases the incidence and duration of minor psychiatric illnesses. Teenagers interested in fitness and sports do not experiment with banned intoxicating substances. The risk of developing major psychiatric illnesses is also reduced with regular activity. Stress is reduced with a regular structured life. The ability to cope is better and the incidence of minor psychiatric illnesses is less.
  

  
   

  Regular aerobic activities like walking, swimming, cycling or jogging for 45 minutes a day, five to six days a week, have been shown to release endorphins from the muscles utilized. These naturally occurring chemicals elevate the mood, increase energy levels and maintain mental equilibrium. The stresses encountered in the roller coaster of life become easier to handle. 
  

  
   

  
   

  Exercise is free and its benefits are immeasurable. 
  

  
   

  Start today.

Faster Further Higher
At the selection process to the army, while attempting the running race, three candidates collapsed and one died. Later, it turned out that they had not been advised that practice makes perfect and that the human body has to be trained for stamina and endurance. They had foolishly decided to “just go” run, climb and lift the required weights, after years of leading sedentary non-athletic lives.
Physical capabilities can be improved with the correct training and exercise. The efficiency of muscles varies in different people, and can be increased by 16 to 25% with proper training.
Muscle has “fast-twitch fibres” (white muscle), which are good for sprinting. They contract rapidly and tire easily. Slow-twitch (red) muscle fibres are good for endurance sports. They have increased muscle power are twice as efficient. With training it is possible to develop a particular muscle type, but a choice has to be made between speed and endurance.
A strong muscular tall powerful human cannot move swiftly or manoeuvre as efficiently as a small lean person. The same is true of animals. The cheetah is capable of tremendous sprinting speed over short distances, but the horse has far greater stamina and endurance.
It is possible to excel in related events which have similar energy requirements. The same people will do well in the 100-meter sprint, the 400-meter, the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump but not in the 1,500-meter event which requires more stamina. Tremendous torso strength is required for the throws like the shot put, hammer and javelin. These stocky athletes usually do not do well in sprints and jumps.
If a sprinter, swimmer and marathon runner stand next to each other there is a marked difference in the shape of their bodies. Elite swimmers like Michael Phelps is 6 feet 4 inches tall, but has short legs attached to a long trunk, with giant size 14 feet which are like fins. Hicham El Guerrouj, the Moroccan marathon runner is only 5 feet 9 inches but has long thin runner’s legs with a short torso.
To excel in the chosen sport, genetically, the person should be born with the required physique. Sebastian Bea, Olympic rower, had the right lineage. His parents were both outstanding athletes. His father was an Olympic basketball player, and his mother a swimmer. In short, aspiring athletes need the correct genetic mix inherited from the right parents.
World-record holders are moulded after they are born. They need dedication, motivation, excellent training and the drive to develop the strength, speed, and endurance to excel. However, a God given genetically correct form and physique can be wasted without the right training, nutrition, and mental discipline. (Maradona is a classic example).
Everyone should try to stay in shape from the time they start school. The greater the delay, the harder it becomes to achieve targets.
Set a primary fitness goal, short and long-term and focus on why you are training. Is it to remain healthy, loose weight, contour the figure, improve cardiovascular status, control blood sugars, and normalize blood pressure, for anti anxiety and anti depressant effects, to help work through fatigue or to compete in sports.
Prioritize goals, as monthly, long-range and lifetime goals, but keep them realistic. Achievements will then seem more worthwhile and motivation greater. Regular exercise workouts should include warm-up, workout, and cool-down phases. Inadequate preparation can cause injuries and be a setback.
Stretch and warm up before starting for 15 minutes to increase muscle blood flow and reduce the possibility of injury like muscle fibre strain or rupture.
Do one or two pull-ups, spot jogging, skipping, push-ups, and short stepping in place. Keep increasing the pace until you start to sweat. Finish your warm up with stretching. Slowly stretch and move your muscles, tendons, and ligaments to increase flexibility. Stretch the Achilles tendon. Lunge from side to side and front to back. For each workout, pick and target a specific area that needs improvement. Decide ahead and fix a rotating time table so that all the major muscle groups are exercised.
High intensity exercise causes lactic acid to accumulate in muscles tightening them. Muscles need recovery time. Active muscles also need a cool down process to remove the excess lactic acid. Stretching is therefore essential to complete a workout. The time taken for the cool-down involving walking and stretching should be around 15 minutes.
Over exercising is almost as bad as too little exercise. It increases the risk of stress injury which can result in loss of days of exercise.
Regular exercise and physical training keeps you in better shape mentally and physically, irrespective of your age. It reduces the chances of falls and injuries and will result in greater strength, endurance, and physical capability.
Say “I can.” Not “I cannot go faster or further!”