I was diagnosed bipolar NOS at age 53 and bipolar 1 at 55. I used to drink to mask my symptoms long before I knew I was sick. I haven't had alcohol in almost 23 years but developed other maladaptive ways to deal with my moods. I've been in treatment now for almost 3 years and have come a long ways, although there are times the process slips badly.

I know what you mean about being forgetful. I've been terrible about remembering things since my late 30s, and I have to write everything down if I don't want to forget about it. I tend to go crackers in the spring and I've forgotten to do my taxes three years in a row. I had to retire from nursing because I can no longer handle multi-tasking or managing competing priorities due to my memory issues. It sucks, but between the disease and the meds I take to treat it, I'm amazed when I actually do remember things on my own.