Mommy Dionisia and her Voodoo Finger

Behind every man’s success, they say, is a woman. For Manny Pacquiao, the woman behind his victory over Timothy Bradley might very well be his mother, Mommy Dionisia. 

In an 11-second video clip that went viral, Mommy Dionisia was shown squirming anxiously in her seat and then forcefully thrusting her middle finger towards the boxing ring as if she was blasting Timothy Bradley with a voodoo hex. Netizens quickly tagged Mommy Dionisia as a sorceress of sorts whose voodoo powers helped her son win. If this was true in any way, it only proved that Bradley’s powerful fists were no match against Mommy Dionisia’s middle finger. 

Mommy Dionisia and her Voodoo Finger!

While Mommy Dionisia’s flamboyant mannerisms may have spurred jokes about hexes, curses, and spells, it did make some people curious about what voodoo really is.

Voodoo is a religion which originated in Africa 6000 years ago and is most popular in Haiti and New Orleans. Just like most ancient religions, voodoo rituals involve singing, chanting, dancing, drumming, and animal sacrifices. During the rituals, people get into a trance that allows deceased ancestors and spirits to enter them so that they can receive spiritual teachings and advice. Voodoo rituals also use spells for healing, for love, and for luck. But what people fear most are voodoo hexes and curses that cause illness, bad luck, or even death.

In the Philippines, hexes are known as “kulam” and are performed by a “mangkukulam” or local witch. It is in the provinces of Siquijor, Sorsogon, Samar, and Leyte that the practice of kulam proliferates. For Pinoys, the most common reasons to employ the services of a mangkukulam include: 

• Taking revenge on a person who has betrayed them in matters of love or money 
• Taking revenge on an abusive person 
• Edging out a competitor. 

Before a hex can be made, the mangkukulam will require an object that represents the intended victim. Using the blood, hair, or saliva of the intended victim is said to make the kulam more powerful. Through the recitation of Latin prayers, the mangkukulam calls upon spiritual forces to assist her. She then ensnares the victim’s soul by tying a string around a doll that represents the intended victim. Finally, the kulam is inflicted on the intended victim by pricking the doll with needles, burning it, hitting it or immersing it in water.

You’ve probably heard real-life stories of people getting sick or dying from a hex. This is also known as voodoo illness or voodoo death. Psychiatrists hypothesize that when a person discovers that he had been hexed, he develops an intense psychological terror which causes an overload of stress hormones to be released, thereby making the brain and body organs malfunction. What happens here is called the “nocebo” effect (opposite of placebo) wherein people who are told that they will experience something bad actually anticipate and experience it. Thus, psychiatrists are prone to believe that it is not the hex per se that sickens or kills people, but the intense fear that overwhelms them. As for those people who get sick or die without any knowledge that they were hexed, their illness or death probably happened by chance.  Or who knows?  Perhaps paranormal forces were really at work. 

In order to break a hex, some strategies which people use include the following:

• Making a doll to represent the mangkukulam and binding it up to paralyze its power
• Making a doll which represents the victim and redirecting the hex to the doll as proxy 
• Wearing protective amulets 
• Using mirrors to reflect the hex back to the mangkukulam. 

Of course, Christians turn to prayers, biblical verses, and fasting as they invoke the Holy Spirit for healing and protection.

To conclude, here are some thoughts to reflect on:

• For those of you who perform kulam or throw hexes, be reminded of the law of karma: whatever you sow, that you will also reap! 
• For those of you who employ the services of a mangkukulam, you are most likely an angry, vengeful, and desperate person. You are better off approaching a psychotherapist who will help rid you of emotional baggage and guide you towards forgiveness. 
• And lastly, for everyone else, be reminded that the opposite of throwing hexes is blessing others through prayers, good thoughts, kind words, and kind deeds.  Wouldn't our world be wonderful if everyone just did that?

   

Is "Pagtutuli" Really Necessary?

Summer is that time of the year when multitudes of Filipino boys “shed blood” to become men. No, it’s not in war that their blood is spilled, but in the surgical procedure called circumcision. 

For some reason, blood plays an important part in the coming-of-age of both girls and boys. Just as a girl’s first menstruation signifies her crossover from childhood to womanhood, Filipino boys undergo the bloody ritual of “pagtutuli” to enter manhood.

To appreciate what circumcision is, people first need to know what foreskin is: It is the loose fold of penile skin that slides over the penile head to cover it. Contrary to popular belief, the foreskin is not just extra and useless skin. It serves the special purpose of protecting the head of the penis from infections and injury, and it is a highly-erogenous area which is as sensitive as the finger tips and lips. Interestingly, the human foreskin is also used in the manufacture of facial skin creams, skin grafts, and porous bandages.

The goal of circumcision is permanent exposure of the head of the penis so that it ceases to be hidden by the foreskin. The two styles of circumcision done in the Philippines include the “dorsal cut” and the “German cut.” 

• The dorsal cut is one short snip of the foreskin, with the snip being as long as the penile head. In the dorsal cut, there is no foreskin removed. Once the cut heals, the foreskin just droops to the sides and underside of the penis as loose skin. Because the dorsal slit is simple and quick to do, this is the style of circumcision commonly done in “operation tuli” or “mass circumcision” events. 
• In the German cut, much or all of the foreskin is surgically removed. Without the foreskin, the penis attains a neater and sleeker look. The German cut however is a more bloody, time-consuming, and complicated procedure since it involves cutting off the foreskin all around the circumference of the penis. 

Medically speaking, there is no reason to do routine circumcision on males. Circumcision is necessary only when the foreskin is too tight, thereby resulting in the following problems:

• Strangulation of the penis head
• Obstruction of urination and ejaculation
• Ballooning of the foreskin with urine
• Recurrent urinary tract infections
• Skin lesions
• Painful erections and painful sex. 

When done correctly, circumcision poses no physical harm on the patient except of course for the wound it creates. Barring infection, the wound generally heals within 2 weeks. 

Culturally speaking, Filipino tradition dictates that all males must be circumcised at birth or around pubertal age. This Filipino tradition of circumcision is primarily based on the myth that circumcision will make boys grow taller, bigger, and more fertile. Filipinos also insist on circumcision because uncircumcised penises are considered disgusting and smelly due to smegma which accumulates underneath the foreskin. Smegma is an accumulation of dead skin, oils, sweat, and grime. “Kupal” in fact, which is the Tagalog word for smegma, is taboo in conversations and is spewed out as a cuss word.

Psychologically speaking, Filipino males need to be circumcised, otherwise they become the butt of ridicule and insults. It is a source of confidence and pride for Filipino boys to courageously suffer the “ordeal” of circumcision. To shirk away from this rite-of-passage is a sign of cowardice and inferiority. For Filipino males, it is not the surgical procedure of circumcision which causes long-term psychological trauma but rather, the shameful state of being uncircumcised. 

Philippine culture is not yet ready to accept uncircumcision as a norm for Filipino males. Since the circumcision experience is here to stay, here are some insights to make “pagtutuli” less nerve-wracking for the boys:

• Children who are excessively fearful of pain, needles, and blood should be given more emotional support to allay their anxieties. They should never be forced into circumcision.
• Circumcision should never be a public spectacle like what happens in “operation tuli” events. Because the procedure involves the reproductive organs, the children’s privacy must be respected.
• Boys waiting in line should not be allowed to hear the hysterical bawling of those undergoing the knife, otherwise, they too lose their nerves. On the other hand, when boys are in the company of other “brave” boys who show that they’ll tough the circumcision out, they become braver themselves. 
• Parents should be aware that not all the people doing circumcisions in “operation tuli” events are doctors. Some are nurses, health workers, and medical students who are merely developing their skills. Parents are better off consulting a private doctor who has much experience and skill in circumcisions. 
• And lastly, circumcision is better done on older boys since they are more capable of giving fuller informed consent to the surgical procedure.

The Emotional Roller Coaster Ride of Bipolar Disorder

Two weeks prior to her fatal leap from the 28th floor of her residential building, socialite-model Helena Belmonte tweeted the message, “Slash my wrists and hope to die!”

Helena Belmonte

Most people harbor the belief that those who are trulysuicidal do not go around announcing their plans to commit suicide.  Unfortunately, that belief is a mistaken belief.

Helena cried for help

The truth is that many suicidal people can actually be saved because they call out for help by giving hints of their suicidal intention.  For Helena, it just wasn’t a subtle hint she gave. She posted a direct message to her thousands of followers on Twitter, warning them all of the possibility of killing herself.  Sadly, the post was generally unheeded by most of her followers, with 8 people even favoriting the tweet and 10 people retweeting it.

How alcohol didn’t help

A few hours before her tragic fall, she was reported to be partying with too much to drink. Getting drunk was probably what sealed her fate.  First of all, alcohol removed her inhibitions and made her carry out the impulse to jump off the building.  Secondly, alcohol is a brain depressant and it may have intensified her depression and death wish.  Thirdly, alcohol doesn’t mix well with psychiatric medications. The alcohol Helena drank would have interacted badly with any psychiatric medication in her system, possibly worsening her mental confusion and emotional instability.

Whatever her problems were, the only thing that could have saved the impulsively unpredictable and suicidal Helena at that time was psychiatric confinement and intensive monitoring until she regained mental calmness and emotional composure.

Helena’s illness

So what is this bipolar disorder which Helena was reported to have?

Mel Gibson

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition which involves extreme mood swings. “Bipolar” means “having two poles” which refer to mania and depression. Hence, bipolar disorder is also known as “manic-depressive” disorder.  People who suffer from bipolar disorder swing alternately from having long bouts of depression to having long bouts of mania.

The manic stage

People with mania act like they are on shabu or some other type of upper. Mania is characterized by:

• An extremely happy or angry mood
• Having grand and unrealistic ideas
• Extreme talkativity
• Hyperactive thinking
• Hyperactive behaviour
• Impulsive behaviours such as overspending or giving away things
• Shortened sleep

Ben Stiller

The depressive stage

Depression, on the other hand, is characterized by:

• Lingering feelings of sadness or irritability
• Loss of motivation, initiative, and zest for living
• Low energy level
• A pessimistic mindset full of worries, fears and concerns
• Losing appetite or over-eating
• Insomnia or over-sleeping
• Negative self-image and low self-confidence
• Poor concentration and memory
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Cause and treatments

Bipolar disorder is caused by neuro-chemical imbalances in the brain.  Thankfully, bipolar disorder is a very treatable condition.  The essential treatment for bipolar disorder consists of mood-stabilizing medication.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Improvements

In my clinical practice, most people with bipolar disorder experience significant improvement within 2 to 3 weeks of taking the right medications at the right dosage.  Psychotherapy is also necessary because emotional problems often trigger the bipolar disorder.  Wellness therapies like acupuncture, cranio-sacral therapy, massage, and exercise are all beneficial. Omega-3 fish oil and high-potency vitamin B complex are helpful supplements to take.

The disorder as an excuse?

In the Philippines, a number of celebrities are reported to have bipolar disorder.  It seems however that some of them are using the disorder as a convenient excuse (or license) for their wayward attitudes and behaviors.

While some Filipinos consider it shameful to have the disorder, others actually consider bipolar disorder as a status symbol since many prominent people in the U.S. have it.

Jean Claude Van Damme

Living a normal life with the disorder

As a psychiatrist, I tell people that having bipolar disorder shouldn’t be an impediment to living a normal life.  Jim Carey, Ben Stiller, Mel Gibson, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all lived highly productive and successful lives despite being manic-depressive.

People with bipolar disorder can certainly recover and become emotionally stable. In fact, with proper treatment, no one might even notice or suspect that they have the condition.

Jim Carey