“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 what notions of personhood are in play, notions that must be understood in their cultural context” (Martin, 2007). In American culture the boundary between what is rational and what is irrational is blurred. The fuzziest line is between what is rational for a man and what is rational for a woman. Mania and depression that fall within the context of bipolar disorder cross that 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 can't choose one or the other; you're stuck with both ends of the spectrum. Although an equal rate of bipolar disorder is reported among men and women, there are myriad significant sex and gender differences related not only to that culturally nuanced line and its influence on daily life, but also to the cause of the disorder and episodes , symptoms, diagnosis and comorbidities that bipolar disorder entails. To understand the possible sex and gender differences we must first understand what bipolar disorder is, what it entails and why it occurs. Bipolar disorder is a “brain disorder that causes unusual changes in mood, energy, activity levels, and ability to carry out daily activities” (“Bipolar Disorder,” n.d.). Bipolar disorder is therefore 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... half of article ...... in bipolar disorder: a review of neuroimaging findings and new 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, S.L., Frye, M.A., Hellemann, G., Altshuler, L., Leverich, G.S., Suppes, T., … Post, R.M. (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, A. J., & Wisner, K. L. (2006). A review of postpartum psychosis. J Women's Health, 15(4), 352-368. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2006.15.352.Viguera, A. (2002). Management of bipolar disorder during pregnancy: evaluation of risks and benefits. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 47(5), 426.