I don’t have a close relationship with my grandmothers as is found in many Indian households. My paternal grandmother spoke mostly Sadri and was shy to speak in Hindi even if she knew it. We didn’t speak much as I mostly spoke Assamese with my uncles and aunts. However, she is a hard-working yet calm lady. She used to cook meals with organically grown food in the semi-urban area that they were at. Whenever my uncles visited Guwahati from Dhekiajuli (Sonitpur), I would request them to bring some rice rotis prepared by my grandma. My dad had a transferable job. As long as he was in service, it was difficult moving about dogs. So we kept our dogs at our grandmother’s place. She was incredibly affectionate towards them.
My materal grandmother was a nurse who worked till superannuation. When my sister and I were little children, she used to get us candies and give us some money before leaving, back to Hatiali (Chabua) from Guwahati. Unlike my paternal grandmother, there were no language barriers with my maternal grandmother. Even then, we spoke less and only to the extent that was required.
What we have between our souls is like no other; No I don’t need to find another when I’ve found her. Even in our silences, the greatest stories are told As new pages in the story of life we unfold.
Badgered seems my words when we try to get close. Pardon me, but I’ve missed you too long. I bleed without bloodshed, I weep without tears; My heart is pierced without a spear.
I say that my red hearts are only for you As I would bleed my last drop to protect you; You, my love.
Forgive me dear beloved, I am a little old fashioned. I like suits rather than tattered jeans, I want to express my love for you in person Rather than a virtual language of ones and zeros. This distance, this time, this sacred geometry This excruciating worry
Is something I pray syncs to make us meet soon Like nature – imperfect and unequal, But always in equilibrium.
Late Reverend Father Stanislaus Kerketta, sdb (Left; My paternal granduncle),
Late Louis Kerketta (Right; My paternal grandfather)
Trigger warning: death, stroke
I only have faint memories of my paternal grandfather. He passed away when I was a little boy. I remember sitting down together in an evening around a bonfire. Although I do not have more memories of my grandpa (Nana, as I would call him; instead of Dadaji, the accurate Hindi term), I came to know a lot about him through my dad, uncles and aunts. My ‘nana’ was a Hindi teacher at a school, not far away from their house. Apparently he was quite popular as he was respected and loved as a teacher. When I studied the Hindi language in school, I would often refer to a Hindi dictionary that he left behind. It was quite useful and helped me a great deal.
My nana apparently was a kind and loving person. He was quite social. Although he had been a Sarna dharma (Nature worship religion) priest, he was a practicing and faithful Roman Catholic after wilful conversion. My grandma, and relatives after them continue to be practicing faithful. Nana’s untimely death was a bit of a mystery. He had gone to the loo post midnight and was found passed away later with his watch stopped at 2:30 am. My dad preserved the watch in my nana’s memory.
There’s this funny thing my dad told me as a child, to console me whenever there was a thunderstorm and I would get a bit scared, “Tumar nana’e football khelise,” which translated from Assamese into “Your grandfather is playing football.” That would work like a charm in calming me down.
My paternal granduncle, whom I called ‘Father nana’ lived a ‘full’ life. I called him so because he was a Catholic priest. Father nana, or just nana, was a simple, yet hard-working person. He was quite dedicated to his priestly life and also loved my sister and me dearly. He filled any void my sister and I might have otherwise had after the loss of our grandfather. He would get chocolates for us. I remember asking him for a Five-rupee tasty digestive treat once, while going on an evening stroll together. Although he was a Salesian priest and swore an oath of poverty, he did not hesitate to buy one for me. It was only much later that I came to know of the Salesian oaths made at the time of a Catholic priest’s ordination. Nana would be keen on overseeing the vegetation that grew on the Salesian establishments he was posted in, look after the seminarian boys, go to many rural areas to celebrate Mass among other things.
I remember the time when he was posted in Tinsukia. My sister and I would go visit him during summer vacations. He would crack many jokes. Nana had false teeth that he would remove and show us, which amused us a lot. He would let us type letters or simply write on his mechanical typewriter now and then. I would also read a few publications of the Salesians of Don Bosco during the vacations.
Father Nana’s immediate family lived in Jamuguri. Towards the end of his service, he was at Don Bosco Salesian house, Dibrugarh. He would visit us from time to time. We would go visit him too. He was healthy for the greater part of his life. Having a stroke during the last days of his life might have been upsetting as he was otherwise quite an active person, despite being a diabetic. The priests and brothers at the Salesian house took care of him. We also went to visit him; sometimes just mom and dad, sometimes me as well. I could see it in his eyes that he felt helpless. He found it difficult to speak because he was partially paralysed after the stroke. But I could also tell that he was satisfied that we had gone to visit him. He wanted to visit his family in Jamuguri, but the place was far away. He was not in a condition to travel and the Covid-19 pandemic still posed a threat. Later, nana contracted coronavirus and laid to rest in May 2021.
The love and life of both my grandfather and granduncle was something that many hold closely, both family and others, whose lives they touched. Thank you, dear nana’s.
With honor and gratitude, I am pleased to share memories of the 5 glorious years I had spent at St. Joseph’s University (Bengaluru) and how it shaped me through education, outreach, and values to set and achieve high goals, as the Jesuit philosophy goes, “magis” or “the more.”
It was in 2012 that I joined St. Joseph’s University (then St. Joseph’s Autonomous College), in the Humanities section for BA Economics, Political Science and Sociology. Each semester at Joseph’s helped me grow as a student and as a person. SJU has always had students from all parts of the country and even other countries who actively participated in all academic, sports as well as cultural events. This provided an inclusive environment and a space to know and understand the situations, cultures and perceptions of students and the conditions of their home state or country. SJU also had specially-abled students and I have had conversations with quite a few of them.
The professors at SJU have always been quite approachable and always ready to help students, not only in their academic progress but also in personal development. I’m glad to have had the guidance and mentoring of all the professors of humanities, even if I wasn’t in their class. I am glad that I was continuously mentored by Prof Clement D’Souza and Prof Jerome Nirmalraj who have shaped my moral and work ethics to a great extent. I am glad to have studied Sociology through classes by Prof Berin Lukas. Although I History was not a subject in my BA course, it was always a pleasure talking to Fr Clarence D’Souza who was also the Administrator back then. Prof Latha Radhakrishnan was another Professor I will remember for the clarity of her lectures. Prof Somaiah’s helped clarify political concepts and public administrative structures well. Prof Anuplal was also quite supportive even though I didn’t have Industrial Relations as a subject.
I was also quite fond of the English Department as I have a close connection to books and literature, although my professional interests have always leaned towards Economics. I truly enjoyed classes by Prof Etienne, Prof Jyotsna, Prof Namrata, and the conversations with Late Prof Padma. There were many other Professors in other departments like Prof Kiran Jeevan in Social Work, Prof Johnson Rajkumar and Renee D’Souza, Melvin Colaco, Prof Bojamma, Prof Beatrice Siqueira and others with whom I had the pleasure to talk to and even learn from.
I was a part of both academic and cultural associations at SJU. As Vice President of Social Zest, it was great to work with Prof Anita Noronha and Prof Maria David. I was also closely involved in the Political Science Association as a core committee member, under the guidance of Prof Jerome. I also had the pleasure of editing ‘Echoes,’ the annual publication by NETSF. I was also a part of the college choir and I made many friends from the Science section of SJU through the choir. I was a part of both CSA and AICUF, but for limited time. Apart from associations, I was also a student member of IQAC and a student editor of the College Yearbook. SJU’s fests were
always something to look forward to, like Visages, Exodus, and Footprints. It was a time to participate, perform, enjoy, compete, make friends, appreciate, and learn. The fests also gave me enough occasions to click photographs and it helped me improve my photography skills. As I was also a musician, I had many opportunities to perform in various events in college. Sports Day was fun too. I used to sketch portraits and one room in the Humanities Block was reserved for an art exhibition on Sports days. So, I had put up my sketches there.
The college (now University) also offered several opportunities to travel to different places in Karnataka for personal development as well as social outreach. I had gone to Mangalore through SJU to attend a ‘Soft Skills for Employability’ workshop and to Mysore to attend a Leadership camp. The venue for AICUF’s State meet was also in Mangalore back then and I had got an opportunity to be a part of it though the association. Our class had also gone to Yercaud in Tamil Nadu for a Sociology study trip related to social research and Raichur district for Bembala outreach. The Political Science Association, Spectrum, had arranged a visit to Navadarshanam, an Eco farm. The Economics forum had arranged a trip to Chennapatna toy factory and Heritage Winery, which I was a part of. SJC also offered many certificate courses. I had signed up for Legal Literacy and it has proved to be useful even today.
I ‘crossed the street’ to continue my education at St. Joseph’s University in MA Economics. Although it was an intense course, as students we had moments to have our share of fun and relaxation amidst our studies and academic discussions. I am truly grateful to the PG faculty during my days there, including Prof Subhashini, Prof Manojit, Prof Anirban, and others. I also had close friends in the Mass Communication and English Departments and talking to them was a good break from the regular lectures. Sometimes learning something different as a hobby is relaxing. So, when I spoke to friends from other departments, I did learn a thing or two from them about their area of expertise and that was not only helpful but a healthy diversion from the intensity of lectures. I also participated in an idea pitching competition at the Changemaker Week 2016 event organised by Ashoka India, a network of social entrepreneurs, bagging the First Prize.
While pursuing my master’s degree, I got an opportunity to intern at NIAS and then another opportunity to intern at IGIDR. I chose the latter eventually, which helped me in a great way. I gained practical experience to work with large datasets not only during the internship, but also while preparing my dissertation. After graduating from St Joseph’s College, this time for MA Economics, studied Data Science from International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore via upGrad and started working as a data science consultant at Quantzig. The very next year, the COVID-19 pandemic had its first wave. I quit and went back to my home town, taking a break from my regular career and instead learning, teaching economics to school students and taking guitar lessons for children.
Soon the danger levels of the pandemic started to decrease and companies started to hire again. I applied and got into PricewaterhouseCoopers India as a Senior Analyst. I was in the Economics and Public Policy team of the Economic Advisory Services competency. I am grateful to St. Joseph’s College (now a University) for imbibing in me the values, ethics and giving me ample opportunities to learn and teaching me to always keep learning. The virtues of ‘faith and toil’ continue to guide me in my work as move from one ambition to the next.
Over the years, I have realised that one can learn a lot even from a grain of sand. There are a few realisations that I have penned down:
1. Conquer with love, not with authority. It’s good to be a survivor only if you have something to get back to.
2. Humility, dedication and passion is the passenger ticket to a rocket to your goals.
3. People fight for you, Against you Or over you. That is the price of popularity.
4. It takes great courage to defeat one’s own ego and remain human.
5. Take something that annoys you and learn something useful from it.
6. Do good. Be good. Get good.
7. Personalize your life.
8. Pay attention to detail, but do not let lost in it.
9. When you write a song, write the words your heart is shouting out to you for attention.
10. A Leader is a person who raises everyone with him/her as he/she rises.
11. Be a message, not a messenger.
12. Let’s learn from nature. Nothing’s perfect, but everything is in equilibrium.
13. Restrictions kill Creativity.
14. Failures don’t matter if you start moving your focus towards success.
15. Don’t do anything for the sake of doing it. Do it only if it’s relevant.
16. Be proud enough to have standards, humble enough to learn.
17. Save your seconds. (time)
18. Don’t belong to anything. Let things belong to you.
19. Meet the expectations you have from yourself and everything else will follow.
20. Live like a poor person. Think like a rich person. The mindset is what leads you to do great things.
21. Time is movement. Keep moving.
22. Nothing is big enough for arrogance. Nothing is small enough for gratitude.
23. We often do things that we wouldn’t normally do when we are at the peak of emotion – excited, enraged, sorrowed. Strangely, it is the things we do at these moments that make the most memorable differences in our lives.
25. The greatest enemy of anything good, to become great, is lack of patience.
26. If someone wrongs you, do not wrong them back. Move on and focus on your goals. Achieve such a pedestal in life that their wrong would become insignificant.
27. Never reveal your plans before they have been materialised.
28. Don’t chase money. Do what you love, put your heart and soul into it. Money will chase you.
29. As long as you are humble, you will always keep learning. Learning more will increase your ability to grow in all spheres.
30. Whoever thinks money is wealth is already poor.
31. The only things that are good or bad are intentions and outcomes. Whatever happens in between is irrelevant.
32. You don’t get gold on the earth surface. You gotta dig deep. If you judge a person too quickly, you not know what they are worth.
33. If you want to be friends with two people who are enemies, you will ultimately lose both.
34. There are only two realities where matter exists – Time and space. Everything else is either spiritual or fiction.
35. Fight against adversities, not adversaries.
36. We are all part of the same species, some of us are from the same bloodline and even maybe the same family. What unites or separates us is who we choose to be from within.
37. When others look up at you for inspiration, every breath becomes a resonsibility.
38. Telling people what they want to hear might make you popular, but won’t get you any real friends.
39. Then fate said, “I have no past. present or future. But all pas, present and future depends on me.
40. Is a career just something to fill our pockets? Can’t it be a seamless, flawless journey?
41. Presence in the present is more important than presents.
There once lived a man in a village predominantly occupied by Adivasi communities in India. He was among the rare Adivasis who knew how to turn into a Lion, temporarily. However, there was a major flaw in this transformation. Once he transformed into a lion, he would lose all human consciousness. He would destroy everything in his way, often posing a danger to others. It was said that he had also injured others after transforming. One fine day, when he transformed, something happened that he couldn’t forgive himself for. Without any memory or consciousness, his family met an end by his own hands (claws). That was when he abandoned transforming into a lion forever. He was strong and superhuman but had lost his family. He thought to himself, “What good is a supernatural ability if I cannot protect my own?”
Calling spirits
Occasionally, when their wives were away – sitting together, chatting, and smoking a local-made hookah, the elder men of the village would gather in a circle and decide on calling spirits and talking to them. Calling spirits was not an easy task. What made it more difficult was that sometimes the spirits were unfriendly. There was also a chance of being possessed. So before calling the spirit, the elders would have a bit of alcohol so that they become impure. Spirits do not enter impure bodies, they say. Then they would light a fire and do the necessary rituals to call a spirit. They would talk to the spirit that they called and once the spirit left, the fire would go out. These events were not free from risks and mishaps and eventually people considered that it is a better to stop it altogether.
The great betrayal
Once there lived a pious and kind priest. He had a shikha (knot hair) and wore a sacred thread. It was afternoon and a few guests came over. They were priests too. They had a shikha as well, but no thread. Also, they were fairer in complexion compared to the host, although both were from the same land. Both the host and the guests sat down to eat. The host’s wife served them the best rice, lentils, vegetables, and fruits. She also offered them curd with some jaggery. After everyone had eaten to their full, the host’s wife collected the plates for cleaning. The host priest and the guests proceeded to wash their hands by the pond. Before washing his hands, the host said a prayer and removed his sacred thread. After they had all washed hands, the guests took the host’s thread. Before the host could do anything, they fled.
Since a couple of weeks, I had been getting suspicious posts from my friend’s social media account. I knew that her account had been hacked. The fraudster was using her identity and her account to convince people that she was winning lotteries and giveaway money and dupe their targets of money and also taking control of their social media handles. Today, the fraudster tried to make me their target.
They sent me the infamous “Guess the number and win” 40K photo. (Money giveaway fraud)
So I decided to play along. I guessed the number and asked the person on the other side to pay up. The fraudster congratulated me and said that I had won giveway money and asked me how I wanted to intiate the transfer. I told them that they could transfer via UPI. The fraudster ask me to do something first, which was quite expected. They asked me to change the email address associated with the social media account. For those who don’t know, doing this can give complete ownership of your social media account to the unethical hacker/fraudster. They asked me to do it and share a screenshot.
So, of course I didn’t do it. But, I did share a fake screenshot using simple free pre-installed tools on a computer/laptop. The conversation went like so, although the hacker deleted many of their messages once the conversation was over.
They had also provided me fake screenshot messages showing that people had received the money, which they deleted. It was time to end the conversation.
The hacker has committed identity theft and financial fraud and probably continues to do so. I knew they wouldn’t pay by regular channels because if they did, it would disclose information about the hacker. I confirmed with my friend over the phone if her account was really hacked over the phone and reported the account. Later, the hacker blocked me.
Anyone can be a victim of Cyberfraud, no matter the education. Even doctors and layers have been victims of cyberfraud. Here are a few things you can do to keep yourself and your friends safe:
Stay alert.
Change passwords regularly and keep them strong.
Read/Watch updates on cybersecurity from time to time, to know about the new methods the fraudsters use.
If it is an email, always check the email address.
Do not click on any suspicious links or pop-ups on emails or the web.
Always use Two-Factor aunthentication for your accounts.
Never share OTP or PIN numbers.
Help a friend out. Report accounts that are hacked and do so in large numbers with attachements/screenshots if you have any.
Reach out to the Support team of the social media app or website.
File a report to the Cybercrime Cell of your country.
This is a question the young ‘eligible’ unmarried adults get asked once they cross a ‘certain’ age (at least in India). This question has been around for generations and never seems to get old. Most times they’re awkward, maybe sometimes they leave the young adults in abashment. Although they could often be annoying, with an evident unsolicited match-making intent.
Although the definition of marriage has remained the same, its meaning over time has changed. In the Indian context for example, categorizing marriages are ‘love marriage’ or ‘arranged marriage’ seems like a narrow perception if we go by the definition and history of love marriages and arranged marriages in India. An arranged marriage follows a process of marriage where there is match-matching by relatives, friends, acquaintances of the parents of the groom/bride, matrimonial guides, sites or priests. After the bride and groom meet, there is a courtship period. In the case of Hindus, horoscopes (and caste) are matched and considered crucial. Love marriages are ones where two consenting adults fall in ‘love’ and decide to get married.
Although the concept of a ‘love’ marriage seems pretty straight-forward, historically it was looked down upon in India and in some cases not allowed by the family and even considered dishonourable. This still exists in some regions of India. Eloping became common in love marriages at a point of time.
But what is marriage without love? Yes, one can fall with their spouse after marriage. Yes, couple united by ‘love marriages’ get separated too. The reverse is true as well, where love marriages last forever and arranged marriages break, even if they don’t on paper. Divorces weren’t prevalent in India. A marriage was considered sacred and still is. Divorces have been rising lately though, not because it is a legal agreement. But because of various genuine reasons as well.
Returning to the question of “When are you getting married,” there are many underlying aspects related to the decision behind this response, if one chooses to respond honestly that is. The most common honest response could be, “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure.” Marriage is a union. Yes, it is a union of two families. But most importantly it is the union of two individual souls who decide to become one, through constant companionship, surrendering and love. It is a promise of mutual strengthing and support.
So each person needs time and space to introspect on the aspects related to the decision of marriage. Personal mental and financial confidance is extremely relevant before saying “I do” for another. One’s career and one’s understanding should align and/or compliment with the future spouse’s ambitions for a sucessful marriage. Most importantly, one must be able and willing to submit themselves completely to the union of marriage through independently conscious, mutual consent.
Today, young adults including myself, are faced with a plethora of realities, experiences (probably not long, but profound) and global cultures and tradition. The meaning of ‘love’ too keeps getting redefined, learned, unlearned an re-learned. There are women whom men are attracted to but have no emotion for. There is also the case where they love a woman like no one else and maybe even find attractive but not in a sexual way. There could also be women who give their heart and soul to a person they believe is their soulmate. But then again, broken hearts of women could sometimes even be blinded by the wounds of past hurt that they can even believe that a virtuous man is in fact approaching them only to take advantage of them. It isn’t the fault of anyone. We can’t read minds, can we?
They say marriages are made in heaven, but there are everyday humans who aren’t legally allowed to get married in some countries despite living a life filled with love and companionship despite countless hardships. #pride
Now when I think about the quesion of “When are you getting married?” … I think, are they ready for the response? Can they understand the underlying realities associated with that question? In a world of changing realities, uncertain economies and information explosions that affect and form our minds; in a time of growing anxieties from tasks that shouldn’t naturally cause such, it is not always a simple answer. It sure is never easy. To understand the language of the heart, ones needs to listen to the heart amidst the noise of the new conditions of life we live in.
Q: “When are you getting married?” A: Fate will lead me to mutual love. Mutual love will lead me to marriage. All else will abide by this fate.
There was once a happy little boy in India. He wasn’t known to be very playful. But he did play for fun. As he grew, there was a time when his family had to move to another city. But he didn’t want to leave this city that he was fond of and the friends he made behind. It made him quite sad and he couldn’t accept it.
His new school in this city was quite different from his previous school too. Let’s say, it was out of his comfort zone. There were kids he came across, who behaved very differently compared to kids he had met before. Although all this was new and difficult to take in, he did realize later in life that the experience did teach him a lot.
In his final year of high school graduation, he was down with depression. But he wasn’t a kid that gives up. He knew that he had two choices – to consult a doctor and go for treatment or to prepare for his upcoming exams and deal with this later. Mental health was a taboo in India and still is in most regions of the country. Also, the boy didn’t want to lose an academic year before even finishing high school. No matter the reason, this was looked down upon. So, you guessed it right – he decided to make the latter choice; prepare for exams and deal with his health later.
The boy was able to study, but complained about unbearable headaches as the exams grew closer. He did okay in his exams, but collapsed right after. He was rushed to a doctor the day he collapsed and prescribed medication. He lay in bed for days. He had lost his appetite and desire to do anything. He would sleep and wake up, still in bed, with no sense of time. He later had hallucinations as well. The boy became afraid and had almost lost the will to live. But then as he lay in bed, one day, he heard a voice inside his head, “This is not your time to die. Go live your life” – and he did. It was summer and his mother started making fresh watermelon juice. This was the first time he had something in days. He also listened to some Worship songs that his aunt shared with him and prayed. He felt better soon, but still had mild headaches.
Their family then moved to another city, a major city in the country. The kid would have loved this city, but he felt unprepared because of what he had just been through. So to resolve any unfinished business, the kid’s parents took him, with hopeful intentions, to a psychiatrist in the city. But the boy was put under heavy medication and that itself caused an overdose and several side effects including hallucinations and losing consciousness.
The family then moved back to the city that the kid was fond of. He was admitted to a hospital there and treated. The initial procedure of treatment was to discharge the unnecessary medication that was given to the boy. After that, the boy consulted a psychiatrist on a regular basis. He is prescribed medicine, the next appointment is scheduled and after several appointments, the dosage is reduced.
The boy liked studying subjects like English Literature and Science. He was pretty good at math. But after depression, he had trouble solving advanced mathematical problems and also reading a book for too long. Anyway, he joined senior high school with Science subjects. But he joined after more than half the academic year was over. So naturally, half the lessons were also over. He couldn’t cope up, dropped that year and rejoined the next year but with Commerce subjects. Now, he wasn’t into commerce growing up, so that might have been a bad decision. But he did learn a lot of things which he felt he should know when he’s a grown up – like starting a company, types of companies, economics, banking, business, accounting and so on. Yes there was a shift from being among the top performers to an above average student, he did make some good friends along the way and also learnt a lot of new things.
He was soon in college in yet another beautiful city. College life was pretty swell too. He again shifted his stream so that he can learn more about Economics. He was among the top performers again. He completed his graduation and and stepped into post grads in Economics. It was around this time that a thought crossed his mind, “I want to be free and enjoy life like my friends. I don’t want to have medicines.”
He did feel good at first, but 6 months down the line, he had a manic episode. He was rushed to the hospital and had to be put to sleep with a tranquilizer syringe. Again there were a couple of medicines that were to be taken. He wasn’t clinically depressed anymore. He was clinically bipolar. BPAD (Bipolar Affective Disorder) was earlier termed as manic depression. It is essentially a mood disorder and a patient with bipolar disorder suffers a host of symptoms which differ when they are depressive or manic. It is a treatable, medically uncurable (so far) chronic illness. The boy, now a post-graduation student, finished his studies and took a break year for recovery. During the recovery year, he had gained a lot of weight, which is quite common in patients under psychiatric medication. Truth be told, he felt like a bear.
The following year he decided to upskill himself and the year after that, he started working. He left the job before he could complete a year. Since it was during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, he couldn’t get another job. He had a minor manic episode.
He later returned to his hometown, where he was partly unemployed and partly self-employed. This went on till around a year and a half after which he got another job.
Being a patient of a mental health disorder is not easy and can happen to anyone. A person with bipolar disorder cannot work late at night as night’s sleep is crucial for them. So that would mean no late night parties and celebrations or music festivals that happen late into the night. Well, that’s only recreation. This also affects a person’s work life. Other than sleep, they are advised to avoid alcohol and any kind of drugs including cigarettes. Not following medical advise leads to severe headaches and probable chance of another episode.
Some common symtoms of bipolar disorder episodes are:
Severe headache
Anxiety
Restlessness
Overthinking
Pessimissim (depression)
Loss of appetite (depression)
Sleeplessness
Fatigue
Self-doubt (depression)
Foggy brain
Hallucinations
Suicidal thoughts
Increase in appetite (mania)
Over-spending (mania)
Easily agitated (mania)
Overflow of ideas (mania)
Over-confidence (mania)
Talking too quickly (mania)
Not just bipolar disorder, even depression, mania, borderline personality disorder and anxiety disorders and many other treatable mental health issues have restrictions for the patient. Often a smiling and healthy person, may be going through a lot. A little bit of kindness and understanding goes a long way.
Ishan Savio 