Vijay Nallawala's Inspiring Story -"A Bipolar's Journey"

“After a long long time, a book brought tears in my eyes with its empathy evoking storytelling. Few chapters inspired with their authenticity and few filled me with awe because of the courage with which he has shared his struggles and vulnerability. The book deserves to be a bestseller because it proves the maxim, ‘The story sets you free.’ “ Dr Amit Nagpal, Chief Inspirational Storyteller, Enlarge Excel Evolve Blog. 

And here is an extract from the book.


Book Extract- "A Bipolar's Journey"

Chapter 2

The Signs Had Been There

In most cases of Bipolar Disorder, the diagnosis takes place well after the condition has taken firm root, at times even years after –sometimes a decade or more. It was difficult to pin point when it began to insidiously grow within me. Of course, there were the bouts of depression in adolescence and a few years later, sporadically. My behaviour then bordered on the neurotic but there was still no alarm, so to speak. It was in the last few years preceding my hospitalization, however, that those distinct streaks of abnormal behavior began to crop up.

Reality and I were simply not on talking terms My spending sprees were alarming. The second Toyota Qualis utility car we purchased was unwarranted. We were already saddled with debt on our enterprise and this was going to be another loan to service and in this case quite an unproductive one. I talked about grandly giving away assets to our relatives. Tejal was alarmed by my indiscretions and tried to rein me in, with little success.

I’d come up with grandiose ideas and schemes which even I find ridiculous now! A relative had called me up to enquire about a hotel at a hill station. I told him to forget the hotel; I could buy the hill station itself for him! Yes, this was the extent and the absurdity of my thought process. Reality and I were not on talking terms. It was a bitter divorce.

While managing our enterprise I became extremely irritable and ran into all sorts of ill judged altercations with people. At one of the events where our projection equipment was being used, a client, known to be difficult, was finding fault with it on ridiculous grounds. My technician called up from the venue to ask for a solution.

I said to him, “If this guy is not satisfied with the projector tell him we will pack up and leave”. No doubt, the client’s demands were absurd, but when he spoke to me over the phone, I blew my top. He asked me- “Do you have some psychological problem? Why are you so furious?”

Another event managed to shake me up. It was at a suburban five star hotel. We were all set to roll when the event manager walked in. I wished him cheerfully, “Hi Rajesh!” He was taken aback and said to me “But you just wished me, Sir. Are you all right?”I had a faint recollection of having wished him too. This rang alarm bells in me. Something was snapping inside me and this was getting serious by the day but I could not place a finger on it. Now I wonder- was it a kind of hallucination or delusion which accompanies severe mania at times? I was shaken and left the hotel to head back home.

A gentle breeze caresses the sea

and the waves lap it up with glee 

Then a storm brews on the horizon

Ruffling the waters as it approaches, soon


At its crescendo, the waves plead for mercy

Mercy there is none as it unleashes a tsunami

Everything is torn in its wake, by its ferocity

The very same sea that had been calm as a lake

The heights and depths challenge each other

In a tussle that is all consuming, seems forever


Giving in, spent, exhausted the waves fall

As if nothing had happened at all

To know more about the book and Vijay,

visit Book website

or Bipolar India website

Posted by : Dr Amit Nagpal

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Endorsed by two prominent personalities Malti Bhojwani, Life Coach based at Mumbai and Dr Sonica Krishan, Globally renowned expert on Ayurveda, based at Chandigarh, India