I was diagnosed when I was 36. Iwas all set to burn down one of my houses I rent out because the tenant wouldn't cut the grass. I had told them to move and they refused so I thought I'll burn that damn house down and they'll have to move. I was in a black rage. I remember thinking I'm being irrational but I couldn't stop. I actually went over there with a gas can, poured gas on the porch and was getting ready to light it but I saw a cat in the window. I didn't want to kill the cat so I left. When I calmed down I was scared I could have killed the people in that house in my rage. I went to my family doctor and told him the story. He said wow, I can't help you. You need a psychiatrist. He got me an emergency appointment. THe pdoc asked me a lot of questions and we talked about the many times I would run through my house acting crazy looking for things that were wrong and screaming at my family when I found something. How my drivers license was suspended many times for speeding. How I spent way more money that I could afford. when I thought about it I realize that a lot of the time I was manic and didn't know it since I was a teenager. He diagnosed me bipolar 1 with psychotic features and put me on Depakote, celexa and Ativan. This worked well for a while but I've changed meds a lot over the last 12 years. I've had to be hospitalized twice for suicide attempts. My current meds seem to be working pretty well. But I do miss the hypomania and occasionally decide to stop taking my meds.