My husband has started to behave strangely

He would hardly sleep and was full of energy and was always cracking jokes. He started talking too much and I am sorry to write this, his sexual urge increased markedly. The big disappointment was that he started womanizing – he had affairs with two women in 3 weeks! In 27 years of marriage, I have never known him to be like this. After we came back to the UAE, his behavior returned to normal, he was very apologetic for what he did, and everything seemed fine.

I don’t know if this is relevant, but 25 years back, he was treated for Depression following a job loss. Since then, till our vacation to Florida last year, everything was fine.

The same pattern of behavior I saw in Florida seems to be coming back. My husband is holding a very senior position and such behavior can wreck his career.

Dr Balan Vijay Kumar replies: The history you provide is suggestive of Bipolar disorder, and Dementia seems unlikely. Your husband will need a detailed evaluation to confirm this and it is best to do this at the earliest as Bipolar disorder can be quite disruptive. It can affect his job, his reputation and he may indulge in risky behavior.

Bipolar disorder is a condition characterized by episodes of Mania and Depression. Between these episodes the person can be completely normal. The symptoms that you noticed in Florida are typical of Mania – elation, talking excessively, feeling very energetic, excessive sexual urge, lesser need for sleep etc. Depression is the opposite – the mood is one of sadness and energy is low.

Both Manic and Depressive episodes respond well to treatment and usually recover completely. Medications are also available to prevent further episodes this condition – these are called mood stabilizers.

Disclaimer: This blog is a conversation and is not an alternative for treatment. The recommendations and suggestions offered by our panel of psychiatrists are their own and Gulf News will not take any responsibility for the advice they provide.