OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...........

I had a very friendly neighbour. The lady was very talkative and whenver we used to cross ways, we always used to have chat which used to last for atleast 30 minutes. She was very informative and always gave me good tips, be it for cooking or for office. Whenver any salesman used to come on door and when we two opened our doors, we used to hang there for a lot of time. Several times, I called her for tea at my place, but she always was busy and told me "Next Time." She actually did come once, but I dont know why, she was very conscious and when I asked her to accompany me to the bedroom for something, she clearly refused and glued to her seat, she did not move and left in a short time. Once when I rang her doorbell, as I had to hand her over her courier, she just took the letter and never invited me inside.

It was kind of strange and when I discussed with other neighbour, they said she is like that only. But she was very nice to me..........

When I was in college, a friend invited me to her place for lunch. Hers was a very clean and neat home just like my neghbour's (I had peeped once into her house). Her mother asked me to seat at a particular couch near the door and she served me lunch there itself. She was reluctant when I offered to help her clean the kitchen and she eve screamed at her daughter when she asked me to come to her room.

I felt really weird. I even asked her, if her mother does not like me or so. She said its not like that and just avoided that topic.

Once, I went with a cousine of my friend for some shopping and this guy was pretty protective about his vehicle it seemed. He checked his handle lock for atleast 1000 times, which took about 15 minutes. It was funny and I even teased him, but what he told me changed my funny mood altogether.

He introduced me to OCD............

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is disorder of the brain and behavior. OCD causes severe anxiety in those affected. OCD involves both obsessions and compulsions that take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities the person values.

Obsessions:

• Thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and feel out of the person's control.

• The person does not want to have these ideas.

• He or she finds them disturbing and unwanted, and usually know that they don't make sense.

• They come with uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a feeling that things have to be done in a way that is "just right."

• They take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities the person values.

  What Obsessions Are Not:

• It is normal to have occasional thoughts about getting sick or about the safety of loved ones.

Compulsions:

• Repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person engages in to neutralize, counteract, or make their obsessions go away.

• People with OCD realize this is only a temporary solution, but without a better way to cope, they rely on the compulsion as a temporary escape.

• Compulsions can also include avoiding situations that trigger obsessions.

• Compulsions are time consuming and get in the way of important activities the person values.

What Compulsions Are Not:

• Not all repetitive behaviors or "rituals" are compulsions. For example, bedtime routines, religious practices, and learning a new skill involve repeating an activity over and over again, but are a welcome part of daily life.

• Behaviors depend on the context: Arranging and ordering DVDs for eight hours a day isn't a compulsion if the person works in a video store.

Common Compulsions in OCD

Washing and Cleaning Washing hands excessively or in a certain way Excessive showering, bathing, tooth brushing, grooming or toilet routines Cleaning household items or other objects excessively Doing other things to prevent or remove contact with contaminants Checking Checking that you did not/will not harm others Checking that you did not/will not harm yourself Checking that nothing terrible happened Checking that you did not make a mistake Checking some parts of your physical condition or body Repeating Rereading or rewriting Repeating routine activities (examples: going in or out doors, getting up or down from chairs) Repeating body movements (example: tapping, touching, blinking) Repeating activities in "multiples" (examples: doing a task three times because three is a "good", "right", "safe" number)

Mental Compulsions Mental review of events to prevent harm (to oneself, others, to prevent terrible consequences) Praying to prevent harm (to oneself, others, to prevent terrible consequences) Counting while performing a task to end on a "good", "right", or "safe" number "Cancelling" or "Undoing" (example: replacing a "bad" word with a "good" word to cancel it out) Other Compulsions Collecting items which results in significant clutter in the home (also called hoarding) Putting things in order or arranging things until it "feels right" Telling, asking, or confessing to get reassurance Avoiding situations that might trigger your obsessions

He told me there is less awareness about this illness and further people hide their symptoms fearing embarrassment.

But what is the remedy?

To which he said counselling and medicine. In India we only can control further damage but it is difficult to cure it completely, thats what he told.

And how much time it takes to cure this illness?

It takes a longer period to cure it completely. Understading this illness and openness for the treatment are two important things for the cure. Most of the people just ignore this and do not care much about this.

He told me, most of the times people relate it to a mental illness and treats the person as if he is a lunatic. Though this is a brain related illness, it could also be a genetic disorder, but it is surely curable with help of above two and a lot of family support.

Most of the people suffering from this illness fear about it, it being associated with mental disorder and hence they hide it and avoid early treatment, which causes deep impact of the same. I would personally like to request all those suffering from this illness not to avoid it, its just like any other illness, so go ahead for treatment, early treatment will help you recover fast.

And you people around, please try and understand the difference and be considerate while you are being around such people.

Be Organized..... :) :)

I remember, a very dear friend of mine who was very enthusiastic girl, full of life, always flooded with great ideas. She many a times used to promise many people at a same time for doing any particular thing and when that actual time used to come for fulfilment of her promise, she used to fumble and the result – no one ever trusted her... People always thought like 'She' has promised you, hope she turns up or hope she fulfills the same.

Poor girl, she was, as she could not ever manage to please a single person and besides she was ever so willing that she never stopped promising and also breaking promises.

What she lacked was "being organised." She tried it hard to manage her tasks more efficiently, but failed. Finally on her 25^th Birthday she made a resolution that from this point of time she will become organised person and she will give no chance to anyone to complain about her past habits. And to everyones surprised, she actually became "organised." When asked her what she did, she gave me following pointers:

1. Accept the fact that you are not "Organised." You will win half your battle to become organised.

2. Prioritize. Prioritization is the key to being "Organised." What is important stuff, how much time is required for the same. Make A, B, C lists for all your tasks. 'A' being topmost important, 'B' being moderate and 'C' are the ones which one should be able to cut down / avoid or in other words, you shall manage to say No to the 'C' tasks. Getting organized is all about priorities, and it never hurts to get your ducks in a row.

3. To Do Lists. It is probably the most sensible thing that a busy person should do. Make a to do list for your day. Your daily or immediate list should never be more than 5 items long. Make a to do list for the week and draw from this list to make your daily to-do list.

4. Follow through. There's no point in making a to-do list if you don't discipline yourself to complete the tasks you've assigned yourself. There are many ways to stick to your to do list, remove or ignore distractions, and hop to it.

5. Keep a Calendar. Get a calendar and put it in a place where you see it every day, preferably in the morning. It could be on the refrigerator, on the desk, or on the desktop. Wherever you put it, you have to make it part of your routine to refer to it every day.

6. Do one thing at a time. Combine similar activities like making all your phone calls at one time. Pay all your bills at the same time. Do all shopping in one trip.

7. Have a fixed timetable. It may seem kind of mechanical but it would be wonderful if you could have a fixed time for everything and try to stick religiously to the time table. It really helps because in that way you will have time for everything and everything can be done in the time for it.

8. Write a Diary. It will help you memorise the things said or promised. Once Writing is twice memorising. Anything and everything you need to remember should be written down. Record phone numbers, appointments, birthdays, shopping lists, and things to do, and record them where you can easily find and refer to them when you need them.

9. Take a Break. Dont forget to keep time for fun. Enjoy yourself. That will be a good break for you and which will also motivate you to go back to be more Organised.

10. Create a Routine that becomes a Habit. It is said somewhere, if you do the same thing for 21 days without break, it becomes your habit. Try this for wonderful results.

Indian Food map

I hate goodbyes

Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. ~Richard Bach

I hate to say goodbye. Why these farewells are there? Its time to say goodbye to a dear colleague. We have been together for a quite a some time and we jel well. It was fun working with her and since we enjoyed each others company, we always used to try and find some reason to spend time with each other.

Now that she is going I remember all the old farewells. Like the one our school gave us when we passed our 10^th exam. Ours was a all girls school and we had a big group of 10 girls and on that particular day we all were so hopeful about our respective future, who will go to which stream, who would do what and the big question, little saddening though, when could we meet, would we be able to take our friendship to a further level?

Second was when we graduated. I was quite touchy, when I remember that day, I still get tears in my eyes. It was a big event with all the made up boys and well dress girls, all looking pretty in sarees and it was that surprise 'Best Student' award, which was given to the most notorious student, Mandar, who was the one who had warned all the girls that no one should cry on this day, and when this award was declared and when he was requested to share his thoughts on this with all of us, trust me he was choked and could not speak a word.

Third was when I completed my CS (Course of Company Secretary of ICSI), and my articleship training, our bosses had given us a farewell party, there were four of us, who had completed their course and training at the same time, we all were gifted with a Wrist Watch, I think it was with a hidden message that till now you were in our shadow and we protected you, from outside world, but now onwards, you will be on your own and hence "Please value TIME." If you learn to value the importance of time, you will achieve great heights in your career. Till this time, we were co-aricles and from this moment, we would become competitors. Frienship was turning into professional rivalry. We were all happy to be with each others, we helped each others in studies and were always there when a person was down. But it was going to different world outside and we had this strange feeling that how would it be when we will become professional competitors.............

One more farewell when my closed friend got married and was going to australia forever. I still remember the warmth of that tight hug. Her husband tried to crack a joke looking at our 'emotional drama' but we were least bothered about it. I felt most insecured as my closest friend was going away. She was going at a far distant land and it was really difficult for us to meet, even if we have a great desire to meet each other.

But, now when I look back, I realise one thing specifically, at all the above farewells, we all were very much insecure about our future, we always had this question, whether will we be able to keep connected with each other, will it be possible to bond with each other with the same intensity, will we be able give a shoulder to a friend in need of the same and will we be able to celebrate any joy of life together???

And now I realise, so far We have been successful in that, we still celebrate small joys of life together, we try and manage to meet each other and we still know exactly what is happening in each others life......... Yes we are always there for each other and we have the same intesity to meet each other.

Our frienship has passed the most difficult test of TIME :) :)

Goodbyes are not forever.

Goodbyes are not the end.

They simply mean I'll miss you

Until we meet again!