Do sudden anger shifts mean bipolar mood swings and signs?

Question

Hello doctor,

My wife is frequently using abusive words, does not show anger to loved ones, bangs buckets in the bathroom, does not socialize with anyone, and once, when her brother came to meet her and she did not talk to him, scratched herself on her arm, then there was a sudden smile on her face and then immediately her face turns into anger.

She prefers lying on the bed, thinking about something, and then starts laughing. She talks strange things about people, like one of my uncles who lives in some other city, starts saying that he has come with a helicopter above our home.

But in front of my dad, she does not show her anger and tries to behave normally because my dad is kind of strict. Is this bipolar disorder? She had consulted about the same ten years ago.

Kindly suggest.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The symptoms you have mentioned are not of bipolar disorder, and if she is having these symptoms, then she needs re-evaluation. The symptoms like inappropriate laughter, sudden mood swings, talking to oneself, and taking strange things for a particular person could be occurring due to some underlying psychotic pathology.

This could be a bipolar disorder with mania, psychosis, or other psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. She is violent and abusive and is not functioning properly. This is an indication that she should be shown to a psychiatrist. With proper treatment, her symptoms will definitely improve.

I hope you find this helpful.

Thank you.