Bipolar Symptoms in Men: 10 Signs to Look For

Bipolar symptoms in men are often perceived differently than they are in women. Do gender stereotypes contribute to misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in men?

Can Bipolar Affect Men?

Mental health disorders do not discriminate by gender. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder, which is characterized by significant shifts in mood and energy level such that they impact the ability to perform daily tasks, affects 2.8% of the adult population in the US. Of that group, when broken down by gender, slightly more men (2.9%) are affected than women (2.8%). Men are as vulnerable to bipolar disorder as women, in both adolescence and adulthood.

People with bipolar disorders (there are three types: bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothymic disorder) experience intense emotional states—manic, hypomanic or depressive. They also have periods where their mood is stable.

Gender seems to play a role in how the disorder exists in the individual because the illness so strongly impacts emotional and psychological states.

(Source: Psycom)

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