Yes Virginia, Real Life Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies Do Exist!

Vampires, werewolves, and zombies are known to be mythical characters and most people get to see them only on two occasions: in the movies or in costume parties on Halloween.

Psychiatrists like me however get the real deal- a face-to-face encounter with these “creatures” in the clinic. Yes, true-to-life vampires, werewolves, and zombies do exist and they actually consult psychiatrists!

Real life vampires are people with the psychiatric condition known as Renfield Syndrome or Clinical Vampirism. Renfield Syndrome refers to the obsessive desire to taste or drink blood. Some people with Renfield Syndrome believe that they strengthen their “life force” by consuming blood.

The few vampires I’ve met are adolescent or young adult “self-cutters” who lap up their own blood after cutting themselves. For some of these vampires, the act of lapping up or drinking blood is done with an intimate partner and is associated with sexual arousal.

In extreme cases, real life vampires are known to level up in their vampiric activities. From self-cutting, they advance to more complicated acts such as acquiring blood from butchers and blood banks, engaging in vampiric rituals, or committing hideous crimes which involve the murder of animals and even human beings for their blood. 

Some psychologists in fact have raised serious concern on how modern vampire movies glamorize vampirism thus influencing adolescents to join dangerous “vampire cults.” 

Real life werewolves are people afflicted with the psychiatric disorder known as Clinical Lycanthropy. “Lycanthrope” is the greek word for “wolf-man” and lycanthropy refers to the delusional belief that one has become a wolf or can transform into a wolf. Real life werewolves expectedly behave as wolves do and commonly howl at the moon, particularly when it is full. A popular example of a person with Clinical Lycanthropy is King Nebuchadnezzar of the Bible who lost his mind and lived in the wilds, behaving like an animal. Lycanthropy is usually a manifestation of schizophrenia.

As for real life zombies, they are people who suffer from Cotard’s Syndrome or the Walking Corpse Syndrome. People with Cotard’s Syndrome have the delusional belief that they are already dead, or decaying, or have lost their internal organs. One real life zombie patient of mine, for instance, had the belief that he didn’t have any organs inside him and therefore had a hollow body. Cotard’s Syndrome may be caused by schizophrenia, neurological disorders, and surprisingly, the antiviral medication called Acyclovir.

Vampires, werewolves, or zombies on the celluloid screen are mercilessly annihilated through silver bullets, stakes driven through their heart, or through exhumation. 

Clinical vampires, werewolves, and zombies, on the other hand, are real life human beings who need compassionate understanding and psychiatric treatment in the forms of medication and psychotherapy.

The Psychology of Aswangs

Many people brush off the aswang as a mere figment of the imagination. But when night time comes, people somehow lose their rationality.  The deepening darkness of the night seems to have a strange power over people to make their imagination run wild.

When people, for instance, wake up in the dead silence of the night to the high-pitched “tiktik” sounds heard outside their windows, the instant belief is that an aswang is trying to come into their room to prey on them.

Historically, the belief about aswangs is known to have existed among tribal Filipinos as early as the 1200s. The word “aswang” is presumed to be a shortened version of “aso-wang” since aswangs could shape-shift into various animals such as dogs. When Spanish missionaries began colonizing the Philippines, their immediate task was to convert Filipinos to Catholicism. To extinguish the existing tribal religions, a strategy they used was to accuse babaylans (tribal healers and spiritual leaders) of being aswangs.

In modern times, Filipinos use the word “aswang” in general reference to anyone they don’t like, such as their husband’s mistress perhaps, or a terror boss, or any bitchy person for that matter.

To understand the psychology of the aswang, we first have to differentiate it from its western counterpart- the vampire. The vampire is mythically depicted as an un-dead person who “sleeps” in a coffin by day, wakes up at the stroke of midnight, and whose nocturnal activity consists of sucking the blood of human prey so that they continue to survive as the living dead. 

On the other hand, the aswang of Filipino folklore is portrayed as a simple and ordinary person by day who transforms into a nightmarish creature at night. Aswangs usually come in two forms:

• As a demonoid, the aswang is typically a male creature with a long slithering tongue. The tongue can be used for siphoning foetuses, in the same way that a person would use a straw to suck up bubble tea. Their tongue can also be used for snaring a foetus out of a pregnant woman’s vagina, after which the aswang would eat the foetus in the same manner people would eat balut. 
• The manananggal is typically female and divides itself at the level of the torso. Night time is "thriller” time as a horrifying transformation takes place. The manananggal's upper body starts to grow giant bat-like wings, leaving its lower torso on the ground and its upper torso flying off to eat the hearts and livers of their human prey. 

Psychologically speaking, the aswang as a manananggal is symbolic of a severely disturbed person. It is an individual tormented by a multitude of inner conflicts:

• The ordinary person it is by day represents innocence, while the aswang it becomes at night symbolizes evil. 
• The ordinary person represents integration or wholeness, while the manananggal cut in half symbolizes brokeness and disintegration. 
• The ordinary person it is by day can also represent contentment, while the hungry manananggal at night symbolizes greed and craving. 
• The lower torso represents groundedness or stability of being, while the upper torso represents a flightiness or wildness of character. 
• With its guts all exposed and spilled out, the lower torso represents frailty and vulnerability, while the upper torso symbolizes aggression and predatorship as it searches for human prey.

According to the myth, the manananggal separates its body at the middle of its body where its guts are located. The aswang therefore is an individual who is violently ripped apart at the very core of its own being. And as an emotionally-torn individual, the manananggal feeds on the emotional centers (the heart and liver) of their prey, thus draining the life energy out of them.

True, the aswang is a mythical creature of Filipino folklore. But a psychological analysis of the aswang beckons us to ask the question, who are the symbolic aswangs among us? And lest we exempt ourselves, the more important question to ask is, how are we an aswang to others, preying on other people's vulnerabilities out of our own brokeness and greed?

So is Freddie Aguilar a Cradle Snatcher? Understanding the Dynamics of their May-December Affair

“6” seems to be the magic number in the latest showbiz controversy involving Freddie Aguilar.  The 60-year old veteran folk singer admitted to being in love with 16-year old Jovi Gatdula in a relationship now going on its 6^th month.  With an age difference of almost half a century between them, their May-December affair should more aptly be called a January-December affair.

Philippine showbiz has had its share of May-December relationships, the more famous pairs being Dolphy and Zsazsa Padilla, Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna, Vicky Belo and Hayden Kho, and the unforgettable tandem of Kris Aquino and James Yap. But if May-December affairs are a common occurence in showbiz, why is senior citizen Freddie getting flak for his relationship with Jovi?  In social media websites, netizens have tagged him as a dirty old man, cradle snatcher, or even worse, a pedophile.  Jovi, on the other hand, is perceived as a wild chick and gold-digger.

In reality, it is common and natural for older men to get attracted to younger ladies.  A case in point is when husbands go philandering, they usually hunt for flings or get mistresses younger than their wives.  In terms of evolution, males are biologically wired to select younger females for two reasons:  (1) younger women have greater child-bearing potential than older females and (2) younger women have a greater chance of producing healthier offspring which ensures continuance of the human race.  Hence, for Ka Freddie to choose a youngster, he was just functioning according to the dictates of his biological wiring.

Of course, Ka Freddie gets psychological perks from this May-December relationship, too.  In real life, the possibility for a senior citizen to catch a frisky young thing is rather slim and almost nil.  So for Ka Freddie to actually win Jovi’s heart is not only an achievement, it is short of miraculous!  Ka Freddie has proven to himself that he still has the “mojo” to win a trophy girlfriend.  What other guys just dream of, Ka Freddie has actually attained!

As for Jovi falling in love with an older man, there too is a psychological explanation for such behaviour.  Scientific studies point out that teenage girls are more emotionally mature than their male peers by 2 years.  It also is common for girls to gravitate towards “father figures.”  And so, if teenage girls want to have an emotionally satisfying relationship, their tendency is to look for more mature boys with a fatherly streak in them.  For Jovi then, it was a simple case of “overkill.”  The boy of her dreams turned out to be more mature than anyone ever expected.  She didn't just choose someone fatherly, she chose someone grandfatherly.    

So the question remains, is Ka Freddie Aguilar really a dirty old man, cradle snatcher, or pedophile?  The categorical answer is “no!”  In an interview on television, Ka Freddie explained that he spotted Jovi at a campaign sortie and fell in love with her at first sight.  He also revealed that Jovi looked physically mature for her age and “...was already my girlfriend when I found out she was only 16.”  It wasn’t like Ka Freddie was intentionally prowling for vulnerable and virginal schoolgirls.  He fell in love with an adult-looking young lady who unfortunately was of juvenile age.  It was an honest mistake.  

Because their relationship defies cultural convention, it is understandable that people would feel squeamish at the thought of their love affair. Nevertheless, we still need to respect the couple instead of bashing them.  Who  knows?  Theirs could be true and lasting love after all.  

Although Freddie and Jovi’s May-December relationship proves that love and passion are ageless, the fact remains that Jovi is still a pubertal lass.  Their relationship therefore has to be under the strict supervision of Jovi's parents.  

Personally, I do not endorse May-December affairs especially between seniors and minors, but since theirs is already existing with the consent of Jovi's parents, what more worthy advice could I give Ka Freddie except to go slow on passion and focus instead on building the solid foundations of their friendship.  We also hope that Freddie guides Jovi into prioritizing her family and studies over anything else, and that he inspires her to become the mature and responsible adult that she ought to be.  

Premature Ejaculation: When Guys Come Sooner than Later

Aside from erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation is another sexual problem that afflicts many guys.  Men who suffer from premature ejaculation are understandably ashamed of their condition and thus bear their embarrassment in silence.  While there are no Philippine statistics on this sexual condition, premature ejaculation is assumed to be a common sexual dysfunction among Filipino males.  In fact, in my own clinical practice, a whopping 40% of male patients who consult me due to sexual problems complain of premature ejaculation.

  

Premature ejaculation is described as follows:

• It is ejaculation which rapidly occurs from sexual excitement despite minimal or no physical stimulation.
• It is ejaculation which occurs before sexual intercourse starts, or as soon as the penis touches the vagina, or immediately after the penis enters the vagina. 
• It is ejaculation which rapidly occurs sooner than the man wishes it to happen.

While most men will ejaculate beyond 7 minutes of vigorous vaginal thrusting or manual self-stimulation, premature ejaculators will “explode” in less than 2 minutes, and even as early as 30 seconds.  

Premature ejaculation is a humiliating ego-buster for many men.  It destroys a man’s self-confidence and can later on result in erectile dysfunction.  It robs not only the man of the pleasure of intercourse but his sexual partner as well.  Women who want to get pregnant feel frustrated that intercourse gets interrupted even before it has begun.  And since premature ejaculation prevents the occurrence of sexual intimacy, relationships get strained and some marriages end up permanently ruined.

Premature ejaculators first experience their dysfunction in their teenage years.  Some theorists believe that it is a learned response by young guys who engage in rushed sex acts in order to avoid being caught.  Examples of “quickie” sex include sex in a movie theatre, inside a car, on the living room sofa, or while masturbating to internet porn while family members lurk nearby.  Some cases of premature ejaculation are suspected to be genetic in origin. But whatever the cause, premature ejaculators are extremely sensitive to mental and physical sexual stimulation, and get easily overwhelmed by their sexual excitement.

Premature ejaculation is best treated by a self-training program which includes:

• Physical exercises for developing control of the sex muscles.
• Breathing and relaxation techniques to be practiced during the sex act.
• Manual techniques and sexual positions that delay the urge to ejaculate.
• Therapeutic masturbation techniques to prolong sexual stamina.

The self-training program is enhanced by combining it with the following treatment strategies:

• Acupuncture
• Prostate electro-stimulation therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Individual and couples counselling
• Ejaculation-delaying condoms and creams
• Medication.  

Premature ejaculation is an exasperating problem which, in the long run, destroys a man’s self-esteem, sexual confidence, and intimate relationships.  With prompt and proper treatment, premature ejaculators can prolong their sexual stamina in the bedroom and experience satisfaction in their sex lives.   

Crushing: When Humans Become More Beastly than Animals

The viral video was despicable, enraging, and saddening.  Even President Aquino responded promptly by approving a bill imposing stiffer penalties for perpetrators of such vile acts.  And for those of us who viewed the video, we could only wonder how the three teenage ladies in the video got themselves to kill a defenseless puppy by trampling on it with their bare feet. 

Animal crushing, plainly put, is animal abuse.  It is the intentional human act of torturing or murdering animals:

• for the mere thrill of doing so,
• for no apparent reason,
• to punish the animal,
• as a “punching bag” for one’s anger or frustrations in life,
• or as a focus of sexual arousal. 

People who enjoy crushing animals for the mere heck of it have sociopathic tendencies.  Sociopaths are people with a poorly-developed set of moral values. They have little or no compassion for the sufferings of other beings.  Because they lack a conscience, they do not show guilt or remorse for the wrong that they’ve done.  On the contrary, they may even feel proud of their wrong doings. 

Some sociopaths don’t only get a thrill from being sadistic towards animals, they also derive sexual pleasure from it.  This is a form of a sexual deviancy known as “zoosadism” and those who engage in said perversion are called “animal sadists.”  The pornographic material which animal sadists enjoy must have a strong element of animal torture in it coupled with sexual content.  Otherwise, if the movie just depicted naked human bodies or ordinary sexual activities, animal sadists would not get sufficiently aroused.  Movies wherein animals are tortured then killed are called “animal snuff videos.”

It’s likely possible that animal crushing has its roots in childhood, especially if children are frequently exposed to the abuse of animals.   Also, children who are victims of physical abuse may become abusers themselves when they get older, not necessarily abusing people but animals instead.

The danger in animal crushing videos is that when they are allowed to proliferate, people get easily desensitized to the vicious act until it becomes accepted as normal human behaviour.  This desensitization is reflected in some forms of animal abuse which, sadly, are culturally and legally sanctioned.  Bullfighting for instance is a popular sport which drives the whole stadium cheering in wild frenzy for the matador who repeatedly pierces the bull to its bloody death.  Or how about cockfighting or pitbull fighting wherein, amidst the excitement of its enthusiasts, the animals end up getting permanently maimed or killed?  Despite civilized society, we even pit “human animals" against each other inside a boxing ring or mixed martial arts cage, excitedly watching the opponents violently pummel each other until one is disgraced in shameful defeat. 

The point here is that we human beings have to guard ourselves against our own violent streak.  If left unchecked, the violent streak grows and gets lashed out on animals or other humans.  If we pride ourselves as being the most evolved of living creatures, it becomes our responsibility to protect the rights and welfare of those creatures whose survival depends to a big extent on our mercy towards them.   

To conclude, we must uphold the law and be vigilant against all forms of animal abuse, including animal crushing. As for producers of animal crush videos and animal crushers themselves, they clearly need a rehabilitation of the mind which hopefully can be attained through intensive psychotherapy and behavioural management.     

Filipino Actors and Actresses with Addiction Problems

So what is Claudine Baretto and Raymart Santiago up to these days? If you still haven’t heard, they’ve been viciously accusing each other of being drug addicts.  By doing so, they’ve unwittingly brought to the spotlight an issue which confronts not only them, but many other celebrities as well.  It is the issue of addiction. 

Substance addiction refers to the compulsive use of brain-altering substances.  For Filipinos, the popular substances are marijuana, shabu, ecstasy, steroids, and cocaine.  Technically, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are also addictive brain-altering substances but are culturally and legally permissible to use.  Substance addiction is characterized by the following: 

1.  The addict’s life revolves around acquiring and using the substance.
2. The addict continues to use the substance despite the negative and serious consequences on his or her life.
3. The addict has difficulty in kicking the habit, or worse, does not want to quit.
4. The amount of substance used increases over time.     

Celebrity who has overcome addiction: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Celebrities are no different from ordinary folk in their reasons for using drugs: 

• Marijuana is commonly used as a relaxant or as a catalyst for creativity. 
• Ecstacy is the party-goer’s energizer and libido-booster. 
• Steroids are used by the “body narcissist” to enhance one’s physique. 
• Shabu and cocaine are used for weight loss and also for enhancing one’s energy level, self-confidence, sexual prowess, and/or creativity.

Celebrity who has overcome addiction: Angelina Jolie

The general treatment for substance addiction comes in the forms of drug detoxification and drug rehabilitation.  Drug detoxification is a gentle medical-neurological procedure for ridding the body and brain of the toxic effects of the addictive substance.  Drug rehabilitation is a psychological-behavioral program for eradicating drug cravings, resisting temptations, and preventing relapses. 

Although addicted celebrities apparently need professional help, it is unlikely that they will voluntarily seek it.  They automatically shun the idea of entering a detox and rehab program believing that it will spell doom and disaster for their showbiz career.

Celebrity who has overcome addiction: Johnny Depp

For one, the rehab centers in the Philippines require addicted individuals to be “locked up” from as long as 6 months to 2 years.  Understandably, actors and actresses cannot afford such a lengthy leave of absence from showbiz lest they lose projects and opportunities that could further their careers.  By being out of sight from public eye, their popularity quickly fades and they lose their fans.  Moreover, entering rehab carries with it a stigma that ruins their reputation and their bid for a showbiz comeback.

Being the ‘special people’ that they are, we have to understand that celebrities have special needs, primarily that of protecting their showbiz careers while simultaneously getting professional help for their addiction. In fact, when addicted celebrities approach me for help, they generally request for a detox and rehab program that is “celebrity- friendly.”  Asked what “celebrity-friendly” might mean, they describe it as a program that is individualized for their particular needs, strictly confidential, short-term, and done on an outpatient basis.

Celebrity who has overcome addiction: Oprah Winfrey

For the addicted actors and actresses in our local entertainment industry, all is not lost if they promptly get professional help.  Let them find hope and inspiration in Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, and Oprah Winfrey.  Not only have these four celebrities successfully “kicked the habit,” they now serve as role models to those people wanting to break free from addiction.