[wiretwister]

I for the last several years have almost always been depressed ... depressed to "ok" back to depressed ....

my psychologist ( no more social workers for me) ... I have moved up the BIG time ... told me today that "most" bipolar people as the age become more on the depressed side ... this appears to be true in my case ...

I just wondered if you old folks believe that is a fair statement ... that as we age we tend to lean more toward the depressed side .. ?

by the way I am 60 ...

[BipolaRNurse]

I'm right behind you (59 in January). I have indeed noticed that I have more depression than mania, although I'm basically stable and have only seasonal mood swings. I haven't had a good rip-roarin' manic episode in several years, just some hypo in the spring and/or summer. But then, I'm on a lot of meds. I don't know if that's influenced the change in mania vs. depression.

[UpDownAround]

I am a month older than BpolaRNurse. I always had more depression than hypomania (I'm type II) until recently but that is due to med changes. In the last 4 months I had one trip into the abyss for 6 days and I have had several moderate euphoric hypomanic episodes (they can take their time fixing those). Up until the last month or so I did still have a low key sulk as my "center". Carefully titrated wellbutrin has moved my center to very slightly on the up side.

[Wonderfalls]

Whether periods between bipolar episodes (mania and depression) decrease or increase with age is actually a topic still up in the air. Different studies have produced different findings. The book "Manic-Depressive Illness" (1990) by Kay Redfield Jamison and Frederick K. Goodwin talks about the issue at some length.

[Pookyl]

I don't know the answer but my psychiatrist said that "bipolar settles right down in your mid 60's." I think she was trying to give me a light at the end of the tunnel. As a 46 yr old it sounds far away.

[emgreen]

That book was written almost 30 years ago. I hope they've done more research since then!

I'll soon be 57...depression is my primary problem at this point in my life. I miss mania, but certainly not hospitalizations.

[winter loneliness]

I get manic several times a year. I am a 52 yr old female.

[WildcatVet]

Well...if you consider 62 older...then yes, I tend more towards depression now than when I was younger...

[pirilin]

I agree. My depressions can last for years now. Maybe is because we come to realize that there is not much road ahead.The desire to be wild is not there anymore. I'm gonna be 68.

[*Laurie*]

I'm 54, close to 55. My hypomanias turned into severe anxiety when I was 49. A pdoc referred to the anxiety as a 'dysphoric mania.' Depression dogs me as it has all of my life, but it is not any worse than it ever was. In fact, it seems to be a little less powerful than it was when I was younger...has less of a hold on me.

[~Christina]

My Particular Bipolar soup has me at 50 on a baseline, manic(dysphoric) depressive cycle. couple times every 18 months of so.

Meh could be worse I always think.

[NolaMae]

As someone who is 60, I have almost always struggled with depression more than mania. But now I'm in a manic phase. I feel so horrible and out of control that I'd almost trade it back for depression any day. Someone said it settles in your mid-sixties? I hope that's right because I don't know how many more years I can take of living this way.

[Wild Coyote]

BPII and middle-aged.
Lots of depression. Hypomanic when younger. Extremely rare hypomania now.

WC

[bluemountains]

I am 56 and what I notice is that my cycling is much more volatile now. It seems that as I get older this disease gets tougher to deal with, and it is depression and hypomania. I used to be able to easily define my mood swings, but now my hypomanic stages sometimes include paranoia and anger so that it is hard to ever find a peaceful time.
I have been on very many medication combinations, and I get very discouraged that I seem to grow more immune to the effects as I get older.
As for the depression question, I have at about the same amount throughout my 40's and 50's. It just an intensity problem for me.
Bluemountains

[Nammu]

I'm 58 haven't had mania since went though menopause. But the depression is bad.