Depression itself is a term we hear often in 2024 and many of us aren’t strangers to the idea of Bipolar. What we don’t hear of quite as often is the term Bipolar Depression and the important signs of bipolar depression in women.

Depression is typically a long-term suffering of sadness, low mood, and lack of interest in things we once enjoyed. Many of us think of Bipolar Disorder as extreme highs that are difficult to regulate. But did you know there are actually multiple types of Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Depression falls somewhere in the middle of all of these, and if you’re struggling to find happiness in your day-to-day life, it’s important to dig a little deeper.

Let’s break down what some of these look like one by one to get a better picture of it all.

Signs of Depression in Women

As I’ve mentioned in some of my other blogs, depression is different from sadness. Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is not simply feeling bummed about a specific event or circumstance. It’s so much more than that. It’s a constant gray cloud. You may be able to smile through the gray cloud at times but it lingers in everything you do. Signs of depression in women can look like any of the following:

• Prolonged feelings of low mood and sadness
• Feelings of emptiness
• Unable to feel joy
• Feeling fatigued or low in energy
• Appetite changes
• Trouble sleeping at night
• Mysterious body aches and physical pain
• Feeling anti-social
• Overall feelings of negativity
• Disruption of daily life
• Anxiety
• Irritation

Aside from what’s listed above, there are more severe symptoms associated with being depressed. These include severe hopelessness and thoughts of suicide. If you or someone you know is suffering from any of the above, I urge you to get professional help. Though you may not be able to see it right now, things can get better. Asking for help, cliche as it may sound is the first step to feeling better.

Signs of Bipolar I in Woman

Many of us are less familiar with Bipolar Disorder but it actually falls into two categories. The “classic” Bipolar I disorder is likely what you think of when you hear the term. This is when someone has extreme manic (or high) episodes, the highest of highs that are difficult to control. Some of the signs of Bipolar I Disorder in women include episodes of the following that can last between weeks and months. These symptoms of mania are different from hypomania which I’ll get into below.

• Extreme mood swings
• Feelings of very high energy & euphoria
• Needing much less sleep suddenly
• Feeling impulsive
• Racing thoughts
• Distractibility
• Temporary inflated confidence and self-esteem
• Extremely Irritable
• Feeling Depressed
• Unusually vocal and talkative
• Disconnected from reality
• Feeling hyper sexual
• Excessive Spending

Signs of Bipolar II in Women

Bipolar II often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in women because it can mimic many other diagnoses. With Bipolar II, it’s possible to have the same symptoms as listed above, BUT they are much less intense (hypomania) and thus harder to diagnose. You may feel more “up” than usual but never reach a full-blown manic episode. Depressive episodes and “manic depression” are much more prominent in Bipolar II and the lows can be much lower than major depressive disorder. Here of some of the signs of Bipolar II in women.

• Milder feelings and episodes of what’s listed above in Signs of Depression and Bipolar I
• Depressive episodes that last anywhere from weeks to months to even years
• Prolonged sadness and crying spells
• Feeling lethargic
• Feeling suicidal and hopelessness on more occasion than one
• Feeling withdrawn, anti-social and extremely negative toward most things in your life
• Feeling heart broken without justifiable cause
• Hormonal fluctuations causing intense mood shifts

The Signs of Bipolar Depression in Women

As you can clearly see, there is a lot of overlap between Depression, Bipolar I, and Bipolar II. This can not only be confusing, but it can cause a massive delay in getting the right treatment. I think in a nutshell, the best way to get down to the bottom of it all is to look at your past as well as the present.

The signs of Bipolar Depression in Women are not part of a bullet point list. Instead, they mimic the bullet point list of others. They can go deeper and be more difficult to treat, requiring more than the first line of treatment which is typically SSRIs.

I do not recommend that you try and self-diagnose here. Professionals are professionals for a reason and they can help us see things that we may otherwise be blind or ignorant to. But you are the only one who can really look at your life honestly and say exactly how you’ve been feeling. Having awareness about the differences in diagnosis is a great place to start.

My Personal Experience with Bipolar II Depression

I had tried several different types of SSRIs before being told I was possibly Bipolar II. With the absence of manic episodes, Bipolar Disorder wasn’t even on my radar, or anyone else’s at that point.

As an adult woman, my prescriptions were always written by my primary healthcare provider. While I appreciated the help that was given, I needed someone with more education in the psychology department to give me other insight and options. Even while on SSRIs, I was still experiencing extreme episodes of sadness that not only affected me, but they deeply affected my family and those around me.

The lack of resolution from my current medications at the time marked me as having “treatment-resistant depression” and landed me in another category altogether. It was suggested that I had Bipolar II based on my depression. Though I’m not entirely sure I have Bipolar II, I know that there were enough signs of bipolar depression in women that caused a red flag to go up for my Doctor. So my psychiatrist recommended Lamictal (lamotrigine) for Bipolar II.

Lamictal, which is a mood stabilizer, helped me manage my depressive episodes much better than traditional SSRIs. Mood stabilizers work differently than SSRIs and a different class of medication is ultimately what finally helped me feel better. This could end up being the case for you as well.

Getting Help for Bipolar Depression

Sometimes when it comes to health and wellness, we need to think outside the box a little bit. I’m sharing my experience in hopes that it helps others see that often, things are not black and white when it comes to our health. There can be other contributors to depression symptoms such as childhood trauma, environment, hormonal changes, and even current medications that could be playing a role in how we feel.

At the end of the day, Bipolar Depression is something to put on your radar and investigate if what you’re doing right now isn’t improving your quality of life. There are always other options available be it medication, types of therapy, or holistic methods. You can’t be afraid to look into things if you’re tired of feeling like shit. So take a look at yourself, do a bit more research, and make an appointment with a medical professional if you think there’s a chance you may be dealing with Bipolar Depression. It could very well lead you to the answers you need, regardless of if they match my story or now.

I wish you all the very best of luck in feeling better at the fastest speed possible and don’t be afraid to reach out if you have any questions!

Remember friends, just as the great Ice Cube once said… Chickity Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.