Ithonya Lokumamatheka

NAKUBA kuhlala umzuzwana, ungakukhumbula ukuphila kwakho konke. Kuyigugu kakhulu, kodwa akekho ompofu kangangokuthi akanakukupha abanye noma ocebe kangangokuthi akakudingi. Yini le esikhuluma ngayo? Ukumamatheka.

Ukumamatheka kwenzeka ngokufinyela kwemisipha okuhambisana nokugqama kwamehlo nokuqhela kancane kwezihlathi okubonisa ukwaneliseka. Phakathi namasonto amabili okuqala umntwana ezelwe, uyamamatheka, futhi lokhu kuyabajabulisa ngempela abazali bakhe. Lokhu kumamatheka kokuqala kubizwa ngokuthi ukumamatheka okuzenzakalelayo noma okuzifikelayo. Izazi zithi lolu hlobo lokumamatheka lwenzeka kakhulu lapho umntwana ephupha futhi kubonakala kuhlobene nemizwa yangaphakathi nokusebenza kwesimiso semizwa esiyinhloko. Ngisho noma sesibadala, lokhu kumamatheka okuzenzakalelayo kusengenzeka lapho siqeda ukudla noma lapho silalele umculo.

Nokho, kusukela enamasonto ayisithupha ubudala, umntwana umamathekiswa ukubona ubuso noma ukuzwa izwi. Ukumamathekiswa abantu—okwenziwa ngokuzithandela, ngenhloso—kuyasijabulisa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi singabantwana noma sibadala. Kuthiwa ukumamatheka okunjalo kunethonya elihle ngisho nasempilweni yethu yomzimba. Ngokwabelaphi bezinkinga zokukhuluma uMirtha Manno noRubén Delauro, abaphethe umthola-mpilo wokuzelapha obizwa ngokuthi i-Smiling and Health, isenzo nje sokumamatheka sibangela ugesi oshukumisa indlala yobuchopho i-pituitary. Le ndlala ibe isikhipha ama-endorphin, okungamakhemikhali asebuchosheni asenza sizizwe sijabula.

Esinye isizathu esibalulekile sokumamatheka ithonya elihle elinako kwabanye. Ukumamatheka ngobuqotho kutshela abanye indlela esizizwa ngayo ngaphandle kokusebenzisa amagama, kungaba ukumamatheka kokubingelela, kokubonisa uzwela noma kokukhuthaza. Ngezinye izikhathi, ukubuka nje ukumamatheka okujabulisayo kwengane esithombeni kungasenza simamatheke.

Lapho othile esimamathekela kamnandi kungasisiza sizizwe sikhululekile futhi kusenze sibhekane kangcono nokukhungatheka noma izinselele. IBhayibheli likhuthaza lithi: “Ungabagodleli okuhle labo okubafanele, lapho kusemandleni esandla sakho ukukwenza.” (IzAga 3:27) Yebo, singazizuzisa thina nabanye ngalesi senzo esilula. Kungani ungenzi umzamo wokuphana ngalesi sipho esiyigugu—ukumamatheka?