What can we learn from the story “Vikram, Age 23”?
From the book – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
Vikram, Age 23
Twenty-three-year-old Vikram was usually a grounded young man, but over the course of a few weeks, he completely changed. He suddenly stopped sleeping, yet instead of being exhausted, he was fuelled by a restless, explosive energy. He spoke incredibly fast, jumping wildly from one idea to another, and began making grand, unrealistic plans to start multiple huge businesses all at once. He drained his savings, spending reckless amounts of money, and became fiercely angry if anyone tried to slow him down. He even began to tell people that he had special, superhuman powers.
His family was deeply confused and frightened. Because they had no map for what they were seeing, they tried to explain his erratic behaviour using the only terms they knew. Some older relatives whispered that he must be possessed by an evil spirit, while others angrily insisted he was just being an arrogant, spoiled child who needed strict discipline.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
Stories from real life
- Eight Days Without Sleep – Vikram, twenty-eight, an advertising executive in Delhi, has not slept properly for a week. He feels brilliant. He talks fast, makes big plans to start three…
- The Voices in Shanta’s Son – Shanta lives in a village in Odisha. Her son Mohan, twenty-two, was a quiet, hard-working student. Over the past months he has become suspicious, saying neighbours…
- Zoe at Two in the Morning – Zoe, twenty-three, lives in Bristol. Her friendships burn bright and then collapse. When her closest friend takes longer to reply, Zoe is sure she is being…
- Coming Home, Slowly – Sanjay, thirty-one, spent two months in hospital in Bengaluru for schizophrenia. Now he is home with his parents. He is calmer, but he is also slow,…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 5.18 – The wise see the same in a learned humble person, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who cooks a dog.
More on this topic: Emotions, anger and mood swings – understanding your feelings
More questions
- Why these conditions need careful understanding?
- Understanding mood disorders beyond depression – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Bipolar disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Cyclothymic disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Other mood disorders – mood disorders beyond depression
- Understanding psychotic disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Delusions – psychotic disorders
- Understanding schizophrenia and related disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Understanding personality conditions – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Cluster A (odd or eccentric) – personality conditions
- How to stop overthinking and worrying
- How to control anger