Am I suffering from Bipolar Disorder?

Here are questions from readers that were addressed by leading psychiatrist Dr Manish Bajpayee. The identities of the solution-seekers have been withheld to protect their privacy.

I cannot stop overthinking my brains out, and more often than not, I end up imagining the most negative and unlikely of things. For example, I may say something to someone close to me, and when she/he doesn’t respond in their ‘usual manner of response’, I may feel that person is offended and I keep on thinking about all the possibilities as to what must have happened. It’s been happening for years now. Please help me.

This is most probably a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or an obsessive rumination of an event. Humans also ruminate and bring past events up that they overthink about. If it is interfering with you professionally or academically then I would suggest you consult with a psychologist. Do not worry. This can certainly be treated.

Doctor, I have frequent mood swings. Sometimes I feel extremely happy and am bursting with joy, but there are also times when I’m crying without reason and just shut myself away from everyone. Could this be a bipolar disorder? Please guide me.

This could be a case of Bipolar Disorder but not necessarily so. Mood swings are common between the age of 20 to 25 years. This is quite normal. Mood swings aren’t the only symptom of Bipolar Disorder. Other signs include, racing thoughts, paranoia and risky behaviour. You could just be irritable too. However, if the mood swings persist or get worse, please do reach out to a psychiatrist for help for example, from somewhere like https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/bipolar-disorder/ or somewhere local to you to find out more.

Dear Doctor, my grandmother has been acting very weird for the past few months. She gets these fits as soon as she goes to the temple. She isn’t in her senses and speaks absolute gibberish. Many people think that she is a clairvoyant but I am skeptical. Can you please help me out?

Your grandmother’s behaviour could be a sign of Dementia. It initially manifests with incongruent talk, and since your grandmother is of a certain age, the loss of memory could be causing her to speak incoherently. I would suggest that you take her to a psychiatrist to examine and assess her condition. It may be necessary to have a few brain scans done to cross check as this certainly seems like the initial sign of Dementia.

Dear doctor, my son is just 4 years old. He wets his bed quite often. We’ve just ordered him a pee alarm. But I’ve noticed that it happens on those nights when my husband shouts at him and warns him against wetting the bed that night. How can I make my son less fearful? Could you please help me? Or is this bed wetting caused by something else? It might be a good idea to check out the best supplement for bladder control?

Bed wetting at the age of four years is quite normal. If it continues till the age of 12 years, then it may be a sign of immaturity. Your child may be fearful and one of the remedies for this would be to have his father be more calm with him instead of yelling at him. Ideally, you shouldn’t give your child any water or liquid to drink after 8 pm. Make sure he passes urine before going to bed. Thirdly, assure the child that he can wake the parents up at night in case he wants to go to the toilet. These are simple positive ways to reassure the child and help him overcome this problem.

Dr. Manish BajyapeeDr Manish Bajpayee is a consultant psychiatrist in Pune with over 20 years of extensive clinical experience in assessing and treating clients with a range of psychological problems and other mental health related issues. He is currently a consultant with Inamdar Hospital and Ruby Hall Clinic.

Dr Manish Bajpayee