I'm 46 and it's gotten better with time. I haven't had a hypomania episode for 3 years now and I used to have about 3 a year, mania once, but some 7 years ago. I used to suffer from agoraphobia, then very intense anxiety and now that has improved as well, though I still suffer from anxiety, sometimes very bad. When I was young(er) I would crash into deep depressions after hypomania and sometimes independent of that. Now I get mildly depressed, but not deeply so. So, it has definitely improved, but I don't know to what extent it's time, and to what extent it's having finally started treatment, and then after some ineffective combinations of medications, having found the one that works for me.

When I was young(er) I was also an alcoholic, which significantly worsened the intensity of depressions (I think). I kicked that habit a long time ago now (some 9 years ago) and unfortunately, since my dear cat passed away I'm having cravings again. At least I'm aware of it, and am trying to be careful, and hope the cravings go away again.

If it's relevant, my previous pdoc, who specialized in BP, told me that she had had plenty of patients who had gone some 10 years without an episode. There's hope!