I'm curious to hear from others as to whether you feel your bipolar has gotten worse or better as you have aged?

I know as you age you become more you become familiar with what bipolar is, learn your triggers, learn coping techniques, get a better handle on medications etc, but as far as the actual bipolar, how you swing, how far you swing, how often you swing - do you feel that it gets better or worse the older you get?

Why am I asking? Because I still have a lot of life to live and want someone to tell me it gets better!!

[HALLIEBETH87]

My psyd said by around age 25 is when we typically see how our illness will be the rest of our lives. I am 28 and have struggled almost nonstop for 3 years now. I'm fighting to get this beast under control. I'm learning new coping skills in my DBT class too so I think hopefully mine might get better.

[Ripose]

I would say it has gotten worse over the years, but I find it easier to deal with. I can't say the same for the people around me though.

It also seems that I suffer from side effects more as my body ages. I guess it just takes less to upset the baseline that I work so hard to maintain.

On the other hand things may just seem worse because I spend so much time alone, just me and my computer. I don't know how I will handle it when my wife retires, I'll probably go into sensory overload.

Me. Don't know. When I was a toddler I got really abused, hence my other issues and the triggering of bipolar disorder. It has maintained its level of effectiveness through the years. I'm now 47, and through present meds, it's so like nonexistent. I really don't feel like it got worse for me, until I got medicated and then tried to quit meds. I feel that I screwed myself by getting junked out on meds...but at least I'm stabile. Yaaaay.

But according to research and studies, the mania aspect wanes and it just turns into depression. I just don't see it.