Background: Antidepressant-induced mania is commonly observed in contemporary clinical practice. The problem in patients with unipolar depression has been evident since the introduction of the first antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as new drugs, are one of those drugs that may lead to treatment-induced mania. The risk of inducing mania in bipolar patients with citalopram is comparable to the documented risk with other SSRIs. This case study elucidates the crucial factors for distinguishing key depressive episodes between bipolar and unipolar depression and provides recommendations regarding the use of antidepressants in high-risk patients. Case presentation: A 24-year-old Kurdish woman developed mania after self-administering a low dose of Citalopram for depression. Diana Azad (DA) is a 24-year-old single female. She was referred to the Mental Health Treatment Center by the police under a judicial order for psychiatric assessment and treatment. DA was irritable, aggressive, and restless. She showed disruptive behavior, including screaming in the wards and showing her will to leave the hospital. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder I, a manic episode, and was admitted to the hospital with her mother's companion. Rapid tranquilizers were given at the start, and then mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were prescribed. Conclusion: We advocate the idea that caution must be taken in treating depression with citalopram in young populations, even in the absence of a family history of affective illness.