The Impact of Menstrual Cycles and Hormonal Fluctuations on Bipolar Disorder

Today we delve into the complex relationship between menstrual cycles, hormonal fluctuations, and bipolar disorder. Join Dr. Nicole Washington and Natasha Tracy, who lives with bipolar disorder, as they explore how periods and other “women’s health” issues can impact mood stability and what menstruating people with bipolar disorder should know about managing their symptoms. Learn about the importance of tracking mood changes, the role of birth control in symptom management, and why open communication between gynecologists and psychiatrists is crucial. Whether you’re personally affected or simply curious, this episode sheds light on an often under-discussed aspect of reaching recovery with bipolar disorder. “For women, it's so hard to know what to say in that situation because of the lack of data, and hopefully you're able to twig in your own mind, OK, maybe that's happening. Maybe that's a conversation I need to have. Don't wait for your doctor to bring it up. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But don't wait, because your life can be improved by bringing up that conversation today. So, there's no reason not to do that.” ~Natasha Tracy To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. Our guest co-host, Natasha Tracy, is an award-winning writer, speaker, and social media consultant from the Pacific Northwest. She works to bring high-quality, insightful, and trusted information on bipolar disorder and related illnesses to the public while engaging with the mental health community. Natasha is a mental health thought leader and subject matter expert in bipolar disorder. Her thoughts on it have been sought by the media and academics. Her Bipolar Burble has been named a top 10 health blog by Healthista, Health.com, Healthline, Medical News Today, and others. For a complete list of Natasha’s awards, see here. You can also see here for Natasha in the Media. In 2016, Natasha published her first book, the acclaimed Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar. Buy Lost Marbles on Amazon. Read more about Lost Marbles here. Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Washington has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com.