In the past, it was believed that women experience more depressive episodes than men, along with higher rates of rapid cycling (four or more episodes per year) and mixed episodes (simultaneously experiencing symptoms of mania and depression).<\/p>\n
But today\u2019s research is less clear, said Dr. Fink, co-author of several books on bipolar disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n What is clear is that differences do exist in the physical illnesses that strike women and men with bipolar disorder. Women with bipolar disorder have \u201cthree times higher rates of hypothyroidism compared to men,\u201d and \u201cthree times the rate of migraine,\u201d Fink said. Women also have \u201chigher rates of co-occurring illnesses that are marked by dysregulations of inflammation responses\u2014[such as] asthma, Crohn\u2019s disease and multiple sclerosis.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, researchers are exploring the connection between bipolar disorder and inflammatory responses (\u201cthe body\u2019s reaction to stress or injury\u201d), Fink said. Women with bipolar disorder having higher rates of inflammatory disorders brings up various critical questions, which, she said, include: \u201cDoes this affect how women experience bipolar disorder in terms of severity of symptoms and how those symptoms affect their lives?\u00a0Could this information be important in developing treatment approaches to women with bipolar disorder that may differ in some ways from treating men?\u201d<\/p>\n The mental illness that co-occurs with bipolar disorder also seems to vary by gender. According to Fink, women with bipolar disorder are twice as likely as men to have PTSD, a personality disorder and anxiety disorders. Men with bipolar disorder have higher rates of substance use disorder than women, she said. Psychologist Cynthia G. Last<\/a>, Ph.D, noted that men are more likely to abuse alcohol\u2014and have problems with the law, landing in jail.<\/p>\n Women with bipolar disorder are two to three times more likely than men to attempt suicide, said Last, who specializes in treating individuals with bipolar disorder in Boca Raton, Fla. But \u201cmen [with the condition] who attempt suicide show a two to three times greater fatality rate than women.\u201d<\/p>\n How society views emotions in men and women can influence how individuals interpret their own symptoms, how they understand bipolar disorder and whether they actually seek professional treatment, said Michael G. Pipich<\/a>, MS, LMFT, a psychotherapist who specializes in mood disorders in Denver, Colo., and penned the book Owning Bipolar: How Patients and Families Can Take Control of Bipolar Disorder<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n Pipich shared these examples: Bipolar disorder mood swings can get dismissed in women, because they\u2019re seen as \u201ctypically female\u201d issues (when really the root is \u201can underlying, treatable disorder that should not define a woman\u2019s more usual and healthy disposition\u201d). Mania can get dismissed in men because it\u2019s misinterpreted as the traits of a \u201chard-driving, successful alpha-male,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Men and women also may respond differently to depression. \u201cGenerally speaking, men can be less willing to discuss the desperate and vulnerable feelings associated with depression, including low self-worth, helplessness and suicidal thoughts,\u201d Pipich said. Consequently, they\u2019re less likely to seek help when they\u2019re experiencing a depressive episode than women, he added.<\/p>\n The reproductive cycle plays a pivotal role in bipolar disorder. For some women, symptoms of bipolar disorder worsen around their menstrual cycle. According to Pipich, \u201cEach situation can be different, but many women with\u00a0bipolar\u00a0report an increase in irritability, restlessness, racing thoughts, pressured speech and impulsivity, which typically reflects manic symptoms.\u201d Many also \u201chave experienced outbursts of rage and other behaviors that are not characteristic of their usual personalities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Other women have disclosed that they become incredibly depressed during their period, and might even have suicidal thoughts (or attempts), he said.<\/p>\n If they\u2019re not taking mood-stabilizing medication, women also have reported longer, more severe episodes during their cycle, Pipich added.<\/p>\n Fink noted that women with bipolar disorder also have a higher risk of medical complications during pregnancy (e.g., high blood pressure) and health problems for the baby (e.g., small birth weight).<\/p>\n Childbirth can trigger the onset of bipolar disorder in women, or trigger a new episode in women who\u2019ve already been diagnosed with the illness, said Last, author of the book When Someone You Love is Bipolar: Help and Support for You and Your Partner<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n According to perinatal psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Verinder Sharma<\/a>, \u201cWe know childbirth is perhaps the most important and most potent trigger of bipolar disorder.\u201d<\/p>\n As perinatal psychotherapist and maternal mental health Amy-Rose White, LCSW, noted in this piece<\/a>, postpartum bipolar disorder includes depressive episodes with possible symptoms of severe sadness, sobbing, hopelessness, guilt and lack of interest in activities moms previously enjoyed. Depressive episodes also might have symptoms of anxiety and agitation. Women might seem highly functional\u2014baby is well taken care of\u2014but they feel completely detached.<\/p>\n Depressive episodes are followed by extreme energy, rapid speech, racing thoughts about baby\u2019s health (or something else), decreased need for sleep, and odd or out-of-character behavior, according to White.<\/p>\n Menopause is another powerful factor. As a whole, menopause is associated with increased mood symptoms and depression in all women. Some small studies also suggest that women with bipolar disorder may have higher rates of mood episodes during menopause, Fink said, but the research has been scarce. In fact, older women in general aren\u2019t well represented in research studies, she said.<\/p>\n There are both similarities and differences in men and women with bipolar disorder\u2014and more research is needed to understand exactly what drives some of those differences. Is it hormones? Is it an inflammatory response? Is it something else? <\/em> The answers may be multilayered as bipolar disorder is a complex illness.<\/p>\n Either way, one of the most important commonalities is that bipolar disorder is highly treatable in both genders. The key is to seek help\u2014and to stick with it<\/a>. When you find the right treatment\u2014a combination of medication and psychotherapy and perhaps other forms of support\u2014you might be surprised by the incredible strides you can make.<\/p>\n Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bipolar disorder affects men and women in equal numbers, and the symptoms are essentially identical. But some key differences do exist\u2014differences that might be due to biological factors, and social ones, too. For starters, research has consistently shown that women have higher rates of bipolar II disorder, \u201cwhich typically presents <\/p>\n Read More<\/a>Differences in Co-Occurring Conditions<\/h3>\n
The Effects of Societal Perceptions<\/h3>\n
Periods, Pregnancy, Postpartum and Menopause<\/h3>\n
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger<\/a> March 2, 2019<\/p>\n