Mind Matters by Dr.Pankaj Borade

20/08/2026

He'd figured out how consciousness works.
His proof? The AI agreed with him.

Software engineer. Eight hours a day on a chatbot. Two months of bad sleep. And it never once told him he was wrong.

"AI psychosis" isn't a real diagnosis ..you won't find it in any textbooks. But the pattern is real.

Full article — link in bio.

— Dr. Pankaj B. Borade, Consultant Psychiatrist
Mind Matters, Pune

Educational content only. Not a diagnosis. Case is acomposite.

06/08/2026

He was talking to an AI for 8 hours a day. Then he became certain he'd uncovered the truth about consciousness.

A 26-year-old engineer in Pune arrived at my clinic convinced he'd made a discovery no one else could see. The chatbot had never once told him he was wrong.

"AI psychosis" isn't a real diagnosis — you won't find it in any medical manual. But it describes something clinicians started noticing in 2025: psychotic symptoms deepening during heavy chatbot use, where the AI reinforces unusual beliefs instead of grounding them.

Delusions have always borrowed the technology of the day — the radio, the TV, CCTV. What's new is that this one talks back. And it almost always agrees.

Does AI cause psychosis? No. There's no evidence it creates psychosis in a healthy mind. But for a small, vulnerable group, it can act like an accelerant — making things escalate faster while quietly replacing real human connection.

Watch for several signs together, over weeks: replacing people with an AI, barely sleeping, believing the AI is conscious or "chose" them, a fixed urgent mission immune to logic, secrecy about their use.

One rough week isn't this. But a pattern is worth a conversation.

Swipe through 👉 and read the full article — link in bio.

05/08/2026

When an AI always agrees, it can make things worse for people struggling with delusions. Read Dr. Pankaj Borade’s clear, compassionate breakdown of “AI psychosis”: what it means, who’s at risk, and when to seek help. A must-read for caregivers, clinicians, and anyone using chatbots. Read more: https://wix.to/ytRzqLV

A Pune psychiatrist explains AI psychosis - why agreeable chatbots can amplify delusions, who is at risk, and when to seek help.

29/06/2026

"I think I have OCD, doctor."

I heard this exact line from four different people last month. All of them had read about it online. All of them were genuinely struggling. But only one of them actually had OCD.
I'm not saying this to find fault. People are paying attention to their mental health now — and as a psychiatrist in Pune, I'm glad. Even ten years ago, nobody walked in talking about their thoughts this openly.

But somewhere along the way, "OCD" became the word we use for everything. Being neat. Double-checking the gas. Overthinking at 2am. Washing hands a little too often. And that worries me a bit — because when the diagnosis is wrong, the treatment is wrong too.

Conditions that often get mistaken for OCD — health anxiety, constant worry, perfectionism, those uncomfortable thoughts that pop up out of nowhere. Each one needs a different kind of help.

If you've quietly decided you have OCD but it never quite added up — read this..
📎 https://www.drpankajborade.com/ocd-treatment-pune

27/06/2026

Some of the most dangerous signs in a relationship are the ones we're taught to find romantic.
We call obsessive jealousy "passion." We call constant checking-in "he just cares so much." We call cutting someone off from their friends "they're just so devoted to each other."
I've sat with enough people on both sides of this to know how easily it gets missed — by families, by friends, sometimes by the person living it.
So I wrote something about what actually happens in the mind when love turns harmful.

https://www.drpankajborade.com/post/when-love-turns-lethal-the-psychology-of-partner-violence

15/06/2026

Many adults with ADHD describe the same pattern: doing well at times, then hitting an unexpected wall for no clear reason. A quiet feeling of never quite living up. And the exhaustion of working much harder than anyone around them realises — while appearing, from the outside, to be perfectly fine.

That gap between how things look and how they actually feel is often where adult ADHD first becomes visible.

https://www.drpankajborade.com/post/adult-adhd-late-diagnosis

11/06/2026

Why do so many adults discover they have ADHD only in their 30s or 40s?
Because adult ADHD often hides behind high intelligence, strong effort, and the external structures of school, family, and workplace demands. When those structures fall away — after a job change, a move, or a major life transition — the pattern suddenly becomes visible.

New blog post explains why this happens, what it looks like in Pune and Indian families, and what a careful assessment actually involves — not a checklist, not a social video, but a proper clinical picture.

Medically reviewed by: Dr. Pankaj B. Borade, MBBS, MD Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist Published by: Mind Matters by Dr. Pankaj Borade, PuneMany adults with ADHD describe the same pattern: doing well at times, then hitting an unexpected wall for no clear reason. A quiet feeling of never quite liv...

28/04/2026

"Should I stay or should I leave?" is rarely the real question.

I've heard versions of it dozens of times in my clinic. And what I've learned is that underneath it, there's almost always something quieter — something like: Does this relationship still see me? Am I asking for too much? Have I already decided and I'm just looking for permission?
Those are harder questions. They take longer to reach.
Which is why, when someone asks me directly for a verdict on their relationship, I don't give one — not because I'm withholding, but because the verdict they're looking for isn't mine to give. And giving it prematurely would short-circuit exactly the thinking they came in to do.
Psychiatry for relationship issues isn't about being neutral forever. It's about earning the right to be direct — once both people have heard themselves clearly enough.
If this resonates with anyone in Pune who's been going in circles about a relationship, sometimes one conversation with the right person is enough to shift the frame.

Ever wondered why your therapist answers your questions with more questions? While it can be deeply frustrating when you just want someone to tell you what to do, handing out direct advice can actually hinder your progress. Dr. Pankaj Borade explains why therapists withhold easy answers, how it prev...

22/04/2026

Most people who come to me with anxiety don't know they have it.
They come saying their heart races for no reason.
Their chest feels tight before meetings.
They're exhausted — but can't sleep.
They've already seen a cardiologist. Sometimes two.
Anxiety isn't just worry. It's a full-body experience — and your body has been trying to tell you something.
3 signs it may be more than stress:
✦ You wake up between 2–4 AM with your mind already running
✦ You feel tired all day but can't switch off at night
✦ You're irritable in ways that surprise even you
You don't need a crisis to deserve support.
If this sounds familiar, I've written a detailed answer on exactly this — link in bio.
📍 Mind Matters Clinic, Pune | Online consultations available
💬 Drop a question below or DM to book a session.

23/11/2025

Why We Feel What We Feel: The Evolutionary Story of Human Emotions

(And why understanding it can transform your mental health today)

Why do we feel fear even when we know we’re safe?
Why does love shake us to our core?
Why does anger rise so quickly, while calm takes time?

Human emotions often seem irrational — but they’re anything but.
They are ancient survival tools, shaped over millions of years, still whispering through our modern lives.

Your Emotions Are Ancient Messengers

Long before cities, phones, and clinics, our nervous systems evolved in forests and savannas. Every emotion was a signal:

Fear → “Threat detected. Stay alive.”

Anger → “Something is blocking your needs. Push back.”

Disgust → “Avoid contamination.”

Sadness → “Pause. Conserve energy. Heal.”

Love & bonding → “Your tribe is your survival. Stay connected.”

Today, the world has changed — but our internal wiring is still tuned to ancient dangers.
That’s why a WhatsApp message can trigger the same adrenaline surge once meant for predators.

The Evolution of Emotional Intelligence

While basic emotions kept our ancestors alive, one ability made humans truly unique:

Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

The capacity to read, regulate, and respond to emotions — both ours and others’.

It has deep evolutionary roots, shaping cooperation, communication, and even leadership in early human groups.

Emotional intelligence is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. As such, evolutionary psychology can help advance our understanding of emotional intelligence. Here's how.