My son is worried and depressed about his final exams. Kindly advise.

Question

Hi doctor,

My son is 22 years old and doing his final year of college. He used to be good at studies. During his first year of college, he was in love with a girl and that was a one side affair. So, he became depressed. He was diagnosed with acute psychosis and was treated with Divalproex sodium and Olanzapine. He was stabilized by then. He continued medication for three months and then stopped it. Again, before four months, he became hyperactive, sleepless, angry, and began to feel invincible. He was being treated for acute mania with Lithium carb 900 mg and Olanz 15 mg. Now, he has to appear for his final examinations and he is too much worried and depressed. Sometimes, he cries. I took him to the same doctor and he gave him some antidepressants, but no improvement in the last six days. Only we have five more days to exam. Kindly advise what to do.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand the situation that you and your son are in and you have my sympathies for the same. If worry and exam anxiety are the main issues currently, then he can be given the tablet Trika SR (Alprazolam) 0.5 mg in the morning daily. This can be given till his exams are over. Alprazolam should help to a certain extent by temporarily reducing worries and stress. Bipolar depression takes time to respond and I am sorry to say that there is no therapy, which will treat it instantaneously. Continue with the prescribed medication and things will hopefully improve with the passing days. I would also like to recommend that you convince him not to burden himself with the pressure of exams unnecessarily. The priority must be on coming out of bipolar depression and remaining normal in the future with proper treatment. If he is not able to clear the exam this time, he can always do it at the next opportunity. You could also consider the option of not appearing for the exam if you feel that failing the exam will hurt him emotionally more.

Thank you.