“When a person is diagnosed with manic depression, their status as a rational person is called into question. What it means to be rational or irrational depends on the notions of personality that are at stake, notions that must be understood in their cultural context” (Martin, 2007). In American culture, the line is blurred between what is rational and what is irrational. The fuzziest line is between what is rational for a man and what is rational for a woman. Mania and depression in the context of bipolar disorder cross this line because today, in American culture, mania is considered a masculine characteristic, while depression is considered a highly feminine characteristic. But when you have bipolar disorder, you don't have a choice between one or the other; you're stuck at two ends of the spectrum. Although there is an equal rate of bipolar disorder among men and women, there are myriad significant sex and gender differences related not only to this culturally blurred line and its influence on daily life, but also to the cause of the disorder and the episodes. , symptoms, diagnosis and comorbidity involved in bipolar disorder. To understand possible sex and gender differences, we must first understand what bipolar disorder is, what it involves, and why it occurs. Bipolar disorder is a “brain disorder that causes unusual changes in mood, energy, activity levels, and ability to perform daily tasks” (“Bipolar Disorder,” n.d.). Bipolar disorder is further divided into two main categories, bipolar I disorder and bipolar II disorder. There is also rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, which is diagnosed after a patient experiences five or more episodes per year. Bipolar I disorder is characterized...... middle of article ......es in bipolar disorder: a review of neuroimaging findings and emerging evidence. Bipolar Disorders, 14: 461-471. doi:10.1111/j.1399-5618.2012.01014.xMartin, E. (2007). Bipolar Expeditions: Mania and Depression in American Culture. Woodstock, Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press. McElroy, SL, Frye, MA, Hellemann, G., Altshuler, L., Leverich, GS, Suppes, T.,… Post, RM (2011). Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in 875 patients with bipolar disorder.Journal of Affective Disorders, 128(3), 191-198. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2010.06.037Sit, D., Rothschild, AJ and Wisner, KL (2006). A review of postpartum psychosis. J Women's Health, 15(4), 352-368. doi:10.1089/jwh.2006.15.352.Viguera, A. (2002). Managing bipolar disorder during pregnancy: weighing the risks and benefits. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 47(5), 426.