At age 50, I wouldn't say it ruined my life. But it certainly made it impossible for me to live my life the way I had planned. There are some bright spots, so I cant say it's been a complete waste. It is very bleak presently, but one thing I have learned is with bipolar disorder change is guaranteed. Unfortunately I've also discovered no matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. But I am usually wrong, fortunately. So I wont attempt to prognosticate, and perhaps what I get in life is really what I need. Clearly though it isn't what I want.