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 companies, spends savings on equipment and tells his team they…

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 companies, spends savings on equipment and tells his team they are all about to become rich. His girlfriend finds him cheerful but impossible to interrupt.

On the eighth day he sends angry messages to his boss, gives away money and drives through the city at night. When his sister says he needs a doctor, he laughs, "I have never felt better." His family notices that two years ago he spent months in a deep low and barely left his bed, and this high looks different but just as unlike him.

His sister, with their father, gently persuades him to see a psychiatrist. The doctor explains that these swings of very high energy and very low mood are called bipolar disorder, a condition of the brain's mood regulation that needs proper treatment and regular follow-up. Vikram starts the plan the doctor suggests, keeps a regular sleep routine and a mood diary, and his family learns the early warning signs. "It is not who I am," he says. "It is something I manage, like a long-term condition."

How to recognise it

• Much less need for sleep with high energy, for days at a time.

• Fast speech, racing thoughts, big plans and unusual confidence.

• Risky behaviour such as spending sprees, reckless driving or angry outbursts.

• Earlier periods of deep low mood, which suggests a bipolar pattern.

• The person often does not feel unwell and may refuse help.

What this story explains

This story shows mania and bipolar disorder, why correct diagnosis matters and why the lows matter as much as the highs.

Probable root causes

• Strong genetic and family tendency.

• Differences in brain chemistry and body clock regulation.

• Sleep loss, which can trigger an episode.

• Major stress or substance use.

• Stopping prescribed treatment without medical advice.

What to do

1. Notice early signs: less sleep, faster speech, bigger plans.

2. Keep sleep and daily routines as regular as possible.

3. Get him to a psychiatrist soon, and offer to go along.

4. Protect money and safety quietly, such as limiting access to large sums during an episode.

5. Keep a shared mood diary to spot patterns.

6. If he is in danger, talking of harm, or driving or acting recklessly, contact the local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital.

Whom to consult

• Psychiatrist as soon as signs of mania appear, since diagnosis and long-term treatment matter.

• Family doctor as a first step if a psychiatrist is hard to reach.

• Clinical psychologist or counsellor for education, routine building and relapse prevention.

• Emergency service or hospital when safety is at risk.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Use a calm, slow voice and short sentences: "I am worried about your sleep. Can we see the doctor together?"

• Do not debate his ideas; stay with your concern.

• Listen without raising your voice.

• Choose a quiet place and a quiet time.

• Offer choices where possible, to protect his dignity.