Warning signs of Bipolar Disorder in Female Teens

Understanding Bipolar Disorder: A concept board illustrating the highs and lows, featuring contrasting emotional snapshots alongside a coffee cup and a note pad.

Bipolar disorder is tricky during adolescence, especially for females. In order to meet criteria for a bipolar disorder, one has to have a manic or hypomanic episode, but for the ladies, we tend to have these episodes a little later 25-35 yo as compared to males late teens- early twenties. Often, the males will present with a manic or hypomanic episode first whereas usually females have been struggling with a depression that won’t quit and is difficult to treat for about 10 years prior to their first hypomanic or manic episode.

We definitely need to gather more data and come to a better consensus about when to start mood stabilizers or antipsychotics for adolescent females so we don’t leave them suffering for years on end without adequate treatment. If your daughter is struggling with a depression that won’t quit after 2 SSRIs and 1 SNRI, I will usually start treating it like a bipolar disorder, especially if unaliving thoughts occurred as side effects to antidepressants.

Warning signs of a Bipolar Disorder in Female Teens:

Hx of ADHD

Hx of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

An irritable depression

Poor response to antidepressants

Family history of bipolar disorder

Family history of unaliving oneself