“What If Your ‘High Productivity’ Was Actually Mania?”
I still remember the first time I realized something was really wrong with my best friend, Sarah. She was showing some typical bipolar signs in women, and I knew she needed help.
It was 2 AM in Vancouver, and she was texting me—rapid-fire messages about starting a new business, adopting a dog, and signing up for a marathon. This happened all in one night.
“I don’t need sleep anymore,” she wrote. “I feel unstoppable!”
At first, I cheered her on. “Get it, girl!” But then came the crash.
The bipolar signs in women: Praised Until We Break
Maria, a 29-year-old Toronto realtor, was everyone’s success story—closing deals at midnight, hosting open houses with flawless energy. Her boss called her a “rockstar.”
Then one Tuesday, she woke up in a hotel room with $8,000 in unexplained credit card charges—designer clothes, a last-minute flight to Halifax, and a Persian rug she didn’t remember buying.
“I thought I was just… excelling at life,” she told me later. “Turns out, I was manic.”
This is what bipolar signs in women often look like in Canada:
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The “Superwoman” Spiral: Working 18-hour days feeling “wired” (not tired)
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Emotional Whiplash: Laughing hysterically one hour, sobbing uncontrollably the next
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Impulsive “New Me” Moments: Drastic haircuts, sudden affairs, quitting jobs
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Unexplained Physical Symptoms: Migraines, muscle pain, insomnia (your body screaming what your mind ignores)
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Why Doctors Keep Missing It (And Why It’s Dangerous)
Dr. Elena Kravitz from Women’s College Hospital explains: “Women with bipolar are often misdiagnosed with depression because we dismiss mania as ‘good energy.’ In BC, it takes an average of 7 years for women to get the right diagnosis.”
I saw this with my aunt in Calgary—prescribed antidepressants that made her cycle worse. It wasn’t until she was hospitalized after maxing out her line of credit that a psychiatrist asked: “Has anyone ever mentioned bipolar to you?”
The Hormone Factor (What No One Tells bipolar signs in women
Here’s the cruel twist: bipolar signs in women often explode during
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Pregnancy (extreme nesting ≠ “glowing”)
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Postpartum (bipolar depression gets mislabeled as “baby blues”)
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Perimenopause (mood swings blamed on “the change”)
My coworker Nadia in Ottawa was told her sudden rage was “just PMS”—until she drove to Montreal at 3 AM during a mixed episode.
How to Track Your Warning Signs (Canadian-Friendly Tools) – bipolar signs in women
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MoodPanda App (free, developed at UBC): Tracks energy levels alongside menstruation
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The Receipt Test:
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Save all receipts for 2 months
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Circle impulsive purchases (manic you loves $200 Sephora hauls)
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OHIP-Covered Options:
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Toronto’s Women’s Mood & Anxiety Clinic (specializes in hormonal mood disorders)
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Vancouver’s BC Reproductive Mental Health Program
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“But She’s Just Passionate!” (The Lies That Hurt Us)
At my lowest point, I persuaded myself that my early-morning cleaning sessions were a form of productivity. My then-boyfriend joked I had “tornado energy.”
Then I met Dr. Lin at CAMH, who said: “Mania isn’t happiness—it’s your brain on fire.”
Your Reality Check (No bipolar signs in women
Ask yourself:
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Do your “best weeks” always end in crushing exhaustion?
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Have friends ever said, “You’re kind of intense today?”
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Do antidepressants make you feel worse? (Big red flag for bipolar)
Where to Get Help (Without Judgement):
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For New Moms: The Pacific Postpartum Society (BC-based, Zoom support)
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For Students: UofT’s Health & Wellness Centre (bipolar-aware counsellors)
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Indigenous Women: The Native Women’s Association’s mental health program
The Truth We Need to Say Out Loud
Is she the “high-achieving” woman you admire? Does she exhibit a relentless pace? She might not be thriving; instead, she could be merely surviving due to her mental state.
Final Question (Be bipolar signs in women
When your sister laughs off her 3-day no-sleep work binge as “just how I am”—do you push deeper? Or let it go because “she’s handling it”?
Because here’s what’s at stake:
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Women with untreated bipolar face 20x higher suicide risk
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Proper treatment can prevent 80% of severe episodes
Tag your overachieving friend, your coworker who’s always “on,” or your cousin who “bounces back” too fast. Instead of pity, use this: “Remember when you stayed up with me during my breakup? I’m returning the favor. Let’s chat over tea.”
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FAQ Section
Q: Can you have bipolar without mania?
A: Yes (bipolar II). Hypomania feels like “being in turbo mode”—writing novels in a weekend, sudden obsessions.
Q: Where’s the closest women’s bipolar specialist in Montreal?
A: The McGill University Mood Disorders Clinic takes referrals.
Q: Do mood stabilizers cause weight gain?
A: Some can, but newer options like Lamotrigine are weight-neutral. Always discuss with a women’s health psychiatrist.
About the Author
Shubhangi Halande is a mental health writer whose best friend’s bipolar diagnosis changed everything. She volunteers with Mood Disorders Canada and drinks too much Earl Grey.
If this made you squirm, good. Now go make someone else squirm with the truth. Share using #SeeTheSignsCA.
