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.
Doctor, I have a friend who has been diagnosed with severe depression. She is a very dear friend of mine and it really pains me to see her this way. As a friend, what can I do to help? How can I make her feel better? Please help me, I don’t want to see her like this anymore.
If the person is your friend, then you must definitely be there for her. It sure is painful to look at your loved ones this way. A few things that you must keep in mind are, that you should observe if your friend has any suicidal tendencies. In case the person is planning self-harm, then she might start giving away her possessions and start talking about death. Please do check if there have been any previous attempts at self-harm. One thing for certain is that you must take your friend to a psychiatrist and make sure she starts her therapy soon. Take your friend out, make her exercise or be involved in some activity. This helps to engage with life better. Most importantly, be there and listen to what your friend has to say without passing any judgement.
I have been taking therapy for almost six weeks now. My therapist uses what he calls the psychoanalytical school, which seems to be a very slow and abstract way of dealing with emotions. As someone with difficulty in coping with anxiety and various emotions, I find the sessions soothing, although a bit difficult to understand. However, my parents feel it isn’t helping me (as they don’t see any change in my behaviour), and they want me to discontinue it since it’s expensive. Please advise me, Doctor.
Yes, I agree that these things are expensive. But it is also important for you to understand that these things take time. If the therapist is qualified, then it certainly does make a difference. It is a bit complicated as there is no proper termination for these things. You will know when to end the therapy as you are the one feeling the change. There are several other kinds of treatment that can be used alternatively/additionally.
My grandfather is around 70 years old now. He is an ex-army officer. Off late, he has been acting very strangely. He starts talking about his army days and then suddenly forgets what he was talking about. Recently, we were having an argument and he forgot what we were talking about and accused me of unnecessarily shouting at him. Could this be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease?
This could also be a sign of Dementia, though there are many factors that could lead to it. Dementia is quite a broad spectrum and many things do come under it. Other aspects like diabetes and hypertension could also lead to dementia. Please do take your grandfather to visit a psychiatrist or a neurologist. If the necessary tests are taken and examined, then definitely the effort to change can be made. You can surely find the reason for his behavior and memory loss.
Dear Doctor, I have just started therapy sessions for my mood swings. My psychiatrist wants to know everything possible about me. I am afraid about how much I should reveal and how much I shouldn’t. I’d still want to keep certain details of my life private but he insists that I should be completely frank. How do I deal with this dilemma?
Your question is very valid. Between you and your psychiatrist, it is just a therapeutic relationship. This relationship does change you as a person since you have someone to talk to. You should be open, but at the same time it is completely up to you about what you want to reveal or hide. The psychiatrist is supposed to observe what you say and probe further in time. He/she should know what is relevant to the case and what isn’t. You can choose to be frank and that’s one aspect but you can also keep certain matters to yourself. The choice is entirely yours.
Dr 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. You can send your questions at editorial@pune365.com
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