My spouse’s mood changes all the time... Is she/he BIPOLAR..?!

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD - previously called Manic Depressive Psychosis) is a complex mood disorder characterized by the lows of depression and the highs of mania, and everything in between.  

More prevalent in the higher socioeconomic population, it is a chronic, potentially lifelong illness that needs constant care and attention.  People with BPAD are prone to mood swings, although not the circumstantial dysphoria and irritability that people usually make the mistake of attributing to the illness (as in labelling someone 'bipolar').  That is to say, the mood changes occur subtly over several days, and not dramatically within minutes. 

BPAD, to me, underscores the fact that everything in the universe is in a state of balance: too much or too little of anything is unsustainable.  

So it is with the human body and mind.  Too much of blood sugar is termed diabetic, and too little, hypoglycemic.  Too much of sadness is depressive, and too much of happiness is manic.  

BPAD often affects creative people, and patients even attribute some of their creative outbursts to the early phases of mania when thoughts are racing through the mind, and there is a restless need to create.  

Everyone experiences highs and lows of mood, but the extremes of BPAD affect quality of life and relationships, and therefore require intervention.  Indeed, if a patient develops mania, it is the family that seeks professional help because the patient lacks insight into the seriousness of his/her mental condition. 

I talk about the signs and symptoms, risks associated, and the treatment of BPAD in this video in three languages:

English: https://youtu.be/l2tpxeEiOHg

Hindi: https://youtu.be/qk4D5unqe28

Kannada: https://youtu.be/icB_KSBpDWk

Also read my review of the book on BPAD, Em and the Big Hoom.

Resources:

Background music: 7th Dimension, 

Pictures: https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8451/7996124566_5b4d08ecaf_z.jpg

Shivashadakshara Stotram

The Shivashadakshara Stotram eulogizes Lord Shiva, one of the Holy Trinity of Sanatana Dharma.  It is taken from the Rudrayamala, a pre-tantric text that elaborates upon the Kundalini Yoga.  

The beauty of the stotra lies in the fact that first syllable of each shloka collectively spells out the mantra, Om Nama Shivaya, meaning 'I bow to Lord Shiva'.  This is also why the stotra is called shadakshara, meaning six-syllabled, implying the six syllables that spell out the mantra (indicated in red in the video).  

For the meaning of each of these syllables, read the earlier post on Om Nama Shivaya.  Read and watch Lingashtakam, the octet of praise of Lord Shiva. 

Watch the video of Shivashadakshara Stotram here:

https://youtu.be/6I0genD5eWY

The transliteration into three languages (English, Hindi & Kannada) and the translation (into English) of this stotra is as follows:

Atah Shivashadakshara Stotram

अतः शिवशडक्षर स्तोत्रम

ಅತಃ ಶಿವಶಡಕ್ಷರ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರಂ

This is Shiva's six-syllabled stotra 

Omkaram bindu samyuktam nityam dhyayanti yoginaha

Kamadam mokshadam chaiva omkaraya namo namaha

ओमकारम बिन्दुसम्युक्तम नित्यम ध्यायन्ति योगिनः

कामदम मोक्ष्दम चैव ओमकाराय नमो नमः

ಓಂಕಾರಂ ಬಿಂದುಸಂಯುಕ್ತಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಧ್ಯಾಯಂತಿ ಯೋಗಿನಃ

ಕಾಮದಂ ಮೋಕ್ಷದಂ ಚೖವ ಓಂಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ

Omkara with the dot, meditated upon by the yogis

Bestower of wishes and moksha, salutations to Omkara Shiva 

Namanti rushayo deva namantyapsaraso ganaha

Nara namanti devesham nakaraya namo namaha

नमंति ऋषयो देवा नमंत्यप्सरसो गणाः

नरा नमंति देवेशम नकाराय नमो नमः

ನಮಂತಿ ಋಷಯೋ ದೆವಾ ನಮಂತ್ಯಪ್ಸರಸೋ ಗಣಾಃ

ನರಾ ನಮಂತಿ ದೆವೇಶಂ ನಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ 

To Whom the rishis, devas, and apsaras bow reverentially

Lord of devas to Whom humans bow reverentially, salutations to nakara Shiva 

Mahadevam mahatmanam mahadhyanaparayanam

Mahapapaharam devam makaraya namo namaha

महादेवम महात्मानम महाध्यानपरायणम 

महापापहरम देवम मकाराय नमो नमः

ಮಹಾದೇವಂ ಮಹಾತ್ಮಾನಂ ಮಹಾಧ್ಯಾನಪರಾಯಣಂ

ಮಹಾಪಾಪಹರಂ ದೇವಂ ಮಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ

The great God and Soul, the Supreme Meditator

The great Destroyer of sins, salutations to makara Shiva 

Shivam shantam jagannatham lokanugrahakarakam

Shivamekapadam nityam shikaraya namo namaha

शिवम शांतम जगन्नाथम लोकानुग्रहकारकम

शिवमेकपदम नित्यम शिकाराय नमो नमः

ಶಿವಂ ಶಾಂತಂ ಜಗನ್ನಾಥಂ ಲೋಕಾನುಗ್ರಹಕಾರಕಂ

ಶಿವಮೇಕಪದಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಶಿಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ

Shiva is peaceful Lord of universe, He is the bestower of welfare of world

Shiva the word is eternal, salutations to shikara Shiva

Vahanam vrushabho yasya vasuki kanthabhushanam

Vame shaktidharam devam vakaraya namo namaha

वाहनम वृषभो यस्य वासुकी कंठभूषणम 

वामे शक्तिधरम देवम वकाराय नमो नमः

ವಾಹನಂ ವೃಷಭೋ ಯಸ್ಯ ವಾಸುಕೀ ಕಂಠಭೂಷಣಂ

ವಾಮೇ ಶಕ್ತಿಧರಂ ದೇವಂ ವಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ

He who rides the bull, He who wears the serpent as garland

He who has Goddess Shakthi on his left, salutations to vakara Shiva

Yatra yatra sthito devah sarvavyapi maheshwaraha

Yo guruh sarvadevanam yakaraya namo namaha

यत्र यत्र स्थितो देवः सर्वव्यापी महेश्वरः

यो गुरुः सर्वदेवानाम यकाराय नमो नमः

ಯತ್ರ ಯತ್ರ ಸ್ಥಿತೋ ದೆವಃ ಸರ್ವವ್ಯಾಪೀ ಮಹೇಶ್ವರಃ

ಯೋ ಗುರುಃ ಸರ್ವದೇವಾನಾಂ ಯಕಾರಾಯ ನಮೋ ನಮಃ

Where the devas reside, the Great God pervades all

He is the Guru of all devas, salutations to yakara Shiva

Shadaksharamidam stotram yah pathet Shivasannidhau

Shivalokamavapnoti Shivena saha modate

शडक्षरमिदम स्तोत्रम यः पठेत शिवसन्निधौ

शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते 

ಶಡಕ್ಷರಮಿದಂ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರಂ ಯಃ ಪಠೇತ್ ಶಿವಸನ್ನಿಧೌ

ಶಿವಲೋಕಮವಾಪ್ನೋತಿ ಶಿವೇನ ಸಹ ಮೋದತೆ

Whoever chants this six-syllabled stotra, in the proximity of Shiva

Such a person will attain the Abode of Shiva, and be happy with Shiva

Iti Shri Rudrayamale Umamaheshwarasamvade Shivashadakshara Stotram sampurnam

इति श्री रुद्रयामले उमामहेश्वरसंवादे शिवशडक्षर स्तोत्रम सम्पूर्णम 

ಇತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ರುದ್ರಯಾಮಲೆ ಉಮಾಮಹೇಶ್ವರಸಂವಾದೆ ಶಿವಶಡಕ್ಷರ ಸ್ತೋತ್ರಂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ್ಂ

Thus ends Shri Rudrayamala's Parvathi-Shiva's conversation of 

Shiva's six-syllabled stotra

Resources:
Music: Maestro Tlakaelel, Jesse Gallagher
Pictures:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Kailash_north.JPG/1200px-Kailash_north.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/Breathtaking_scenery_on_way_to_Amarnath_Cave.JPG
References:
Meaning:
http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Shiva_Shadakshara_Stotram
https://greenmesg.org/stotras/shiva/shiva_shadakshara_stotram.php
https://stotram.co.in/shiva-shadakshara-stotram/
http://www.stutimandal.com/poemgen.php?id=54
https://shaivam.org/scripture/Marathi/395/shiva-shadakshara-stotram
Significance: http://www.shivashakti.com/rudrayam.htm