Welcome to Psych Central, Turiya! I'm glad you joined us.

You're far from alone in not receiving the right diagnosis until older in life, and leaving out (or not thinking about) certain information when seeking help from doctors. I think it was/is especially common among people who reached adulthood well before Y2K. I'm heading towards 50 years old and when I was diagnosed at 32, I didn't even know what bipolar disorder (or manic depression) really was. Given that, how could I have known to talk about it. I thought my elevated moods were just me, and a pretty danged good me. When my moods were mixed, I just thought of them as a brain flu that would subside, and not a mental illness.

I think it is pretty common for people with bipolar disorder to be sensitive to stress. Or even very sensitive. I am. Even when I was more productive in my youth, I was sensitive to it. I managed a bit better then, in some respects, but not in all. It's possible that you will be able to continue in your old/current career, or if you can't/don't, it's not the end of the world. I know that I can not do, now, what I did at my old job, but there are some things I've improved at. The new directions my mind has gone in since, are interesting ones. I don't make as much money, but there are more valuable things in life than money. And some do find different ways to make money in new fields.

I don't know what you are referring to when you say you won't have the family you always wanted. No matter what, family comes in various forms. If you had wanted a child and never had one, I suppose 60 years old would be a little too late...for most. But there are ways of having such a relationship without giving birth. As for a spouse, there are people out there that want a relationship, too. Believe me. If you do have children, nothing says that the relationships are over. Not everyone holds permanent grudges, especially if some amends are offered and/or made. If they don't budge, then that's something that must be accepted and moved on from. I know this situation very well, unfortunately.

Again, I'm glad you're here.