Age at Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
They found the median age of onset – the age found in the middle of the set of all ages – was 25.2 years old. Those with bipolar I disorder tended to be diagnosed earlier than those with bipolar II disorder and men were diagnosed younger than women. 25% of those in the study were diagnosed on or before age 20; only 2.81% were diagnosed at age 13 or younger. What I found particularly interesting was the incredible range for the age of diagnosis. There were children as young as 10, but also seniors in their 80's.
How old were you when you were diagnosed with bipolar disorder? ~Kimberly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learn more or join the conversation!
NEWSLETTER |
FORUM |
BIO |
TWITTER
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comments
I was diagnosed at age 21, and 2 of my children were diagnosed at ages 10 & 11.
I was diagnosed age 43.After at least 30 yrs of hell and wrong diagnosis, 3 children age 21,17 and 11.
I have been a counselor for 40 years dealing with children and adults. My concern is that many “anxiety” problems have been missed or passed over and not addressed for some reason. Many children are especially at risk since little is known about them and medications for children are limited. It is a terrible condition and individuals (children and adults) suffer for years before the truth is known. Sometimes that happens because individuals are afraid to tell about their symptoms thinking people will label them “crazy” since that is how they feel. So they choose not to talk about it. If you have symptoms, find someone who will listen to you and get help as soon as you can. Don’t be afraid to talk about it. It will only get worse.
I was diagnosed at age 50, after 30 years of suffering…
I was diagnosed at 39. I have been taking psychotropic medications since the age of 16 but began having mental health issues at 13. I was treated for Depression and Anxiety. I had my first “break-down” at 16; and my first manic episode at 25, whereby I averaged 2 hours of sleep nights for two weeks. It took years before someone diagnosed me with Bipolar I. I now take a cocktail of Lithium, Lamictal Abilify, Effexor, Pamelor and Xanax, which in combination are helpful. But I still go through periods of significant difficulty. I have been t
my daughter now 11 was diginosed at age 7.
I was diagnosed at 35 and I’m now 36. I wish I would’ve reached out sooner, I’ve been struggling since I was 12…
Though I had depression my whole life, I was diagnosed with depression in 1994. It wasn’t until last year, 2008, when I was 51 years old, that I was diagnosed with Bipolar I.
I was diagnosised at the of 42 and am now 52. I absolutely hate this illness! It seems to be getting worse from my view point. I’ve had the worse year I’ve had since be coming ill. rose
I had my first suicide attempt at age nine and was diagnosed with bipolar I at age 16. The mother of one of my friends didn’t start having mood difficulties till menopause but after onset, it became obvious very quickly that she had rapid cycling bipolar I. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed before modern psychotropic drugs became available to patients who had bipolar disorder. Lithium helped for a while but her episodes escalated in both frequency and severity so she started ECT. That helped for a while but she still had to stay on nardil (an MAOI) between treatments. Her treatments became almost daily by the end when she was admitted to the hospital for the final time. I don’t think her case is typical though I’m sure it’s not exactly rare either. They told her that the cause of the bipolar disorder was related to hormones but they didn’t give her any kind of hormone treatments.
For me, I take a lot of meds and it seems like every time I go to the pdoc he changes something, either the dose or adding a new medication or withdrawing from another. Sometimes a med will work for a while and then I’ll have to get off it but in a few months or years if it’s tried again it works. Go figure.
My 29 yr old son was diagnosed at a few months shy of his 17th b’day with Bipolar II. I always felt that there was soemtthing “wrong” with him, even when he was an infant. He started being seen by a psychiatrist at 9 and a 1/2.I have not been sure that is the correct diagnosis for a couple of years now. He is Dual/Diagnosis. I would love to learn the name of a psychiatrist here in Columbia, SC who believes in using nutritional supplements as a part of his/her practice. Please let me know if you know of any one.
Symptoms appeared in my teens. Diagnosed at age 31.
When I was a toddler I threw crying fits for no reason and a doc had my mom chart them and I ran the cycle of the moon. I spent my entire childhood miserable and moody. I was diagnosed with depression when I had my first suicidal thoughts at age 28. I wasn’t diagnosed as bipolar II until I was 41. I’m now 48. This past year has been the best year ever in my entire life. I was acctually able to feel happy without being edgy at the same time. My meds are good right now.
I showed my first symptoms (depression) at 20. I was properly diagnosed at 34. It’s great to have the right diagnosis and be on the right meds. I haven’t felt this well for a long time.
I was diagnosed with BPD “officially” at the age of 25 after having seen psychiatrists on and off since I was 15. But, looking at my childhood and researching the symptoms along with witnessing one of my 10-year-old twin boys being currently treated for BPD, I would say I probably started showing symptoms at about age 7-8.
I wasn’t properly diagnosed until 1998, but I am quite sure, based on the symptoms, that I have been bipolar since my early childhood. My therapist says it is just as well since it was a largely unknown illness at that time (I am 62) and heaven knows what they would have done to me. Fortunately I was mild enough for many years to keep from killing myself (or someone else)and to benefit from the hypomania. I think I also have an utterly exhausted guardian angel.
i was diagnosed in ‘93 at age 32. or close to then, anyway. my father was very clearly bipolar, but was only diagnosed as depressive and that was at age 58. his father, also very clearly bipolar according to all we know of his behavior, may or may not have been diagnosed at all (deserted his family). my father’s maternal grandmother, who we also strongly believe to have been bipolar, was likely never diagnosed; she died in the 1950s at a very old age. i suppose i’m comparatively more fortunate to have been diagnosed when i was, then. afterward, though, i experienced ten years of psychiatric mismanagement (doctor competence, doctor demeanor, trial-and-error medications) before i happened upon my current doctor of six years. he’s tender-hearted, he listens well and speaks thoughtfully, and exceptionally knowledgeable; these traits have given him the wisdom to tune my medications to have the best results in giving me a more peaceful existence. sometimes we try a small change, hoping for even better results. some of the changes work and some don’t, but he’s vigilant over my mental health care. thank God for him.
I was diagnosed at seventeen. My symptoms started at four.
Seems to me from the postings so far the more we learn the sooner the diagnosis. I also know I was showing signs since age 6 when I walked into my parents room in the middle of the night and told them I was different from everyone else.
They took me to a child psychologist. I remember being in a room with toys and milk and cookies. It was soon after that visit the warning sign became more and more clear. It got to the point I wasn’t allow in the house unless I was in therapy. Yet no medications and no diagnosis came of it.
It wasn’t until my second suicide attempt that a doctor put it all together and finally diagnosed the Bipolar. At this point I had already been to hell and back taking my family and friends with me. That was in my 30’s. I’m now in my 40’s.
Today much more information about bipolar is available. We continue to develope new medications and found meds that previously didn’t work are now effective in combinations. We know for some people no medication and a more natural / hollolistic aproach helps just fine.
They have created CBT & DBT, learned the affect of exercise and diet, Have broken down levels of bipolar, located an area of the brain that controls these emotions, discovered trama can cause an onset of bipolar and the list goes on.
Did it take too long to diagnose me, probably. Do I look back at the life i could have had, No. I am the person I am today regardless of my bipolar. You have the option to let the illness control you or get help and learn how to control the illness. I realize it isn’t quite this simple but it is possible.
I live by the rule, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE HOPE YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MOTION and one step closer to recovery.
I was diagnosed with BiPolar II at age 18. I was first diagnosed with “Chronic” Depression at age 17, but started seeing a psychologist at 8 or 9 because I began having panic attacks. I now release as a child I was OCD. My anxiety was terrible and still is from time to time. I have been on some sort of medication for the past 5 yrs, but abruptly stopped taking my medication about a month ago due to problems with my doctor.
The past few years I was treated for Bipolar I. I’m not really sure what’s wrong with me, but I am doing more now without medication than I ever was on it..
My mother said after age 15 months I never took a nap; always whrling around and running off. Other kids could tell I was “different”, I felt it too.
thought it was because I’m very intelligent[154]; but I think it was BP.
I’ve been up and down, mostly slightly up. Used it to accomplish 3-4 things at once pretty well; but would then overstretch myself and then crash and get really mean and nasty for a time. My poor girls.
I was misdiagnosed 6-7 times by different drs over 25-30 years; of course, I never went when I was feeling “good”, only when I had crashed. They all prescribe antidepressants… omg, what a mess.
I now realize my episodes came with the seasons; esp the time change! Totally squirreled me up each spring especially.
Finally diagnosed correctly at 55, after years of periods of hypomania and mishandling of a lifetime of money, although I did do well considering I raised two children by myself.
I did have suicidal ideation since puberty – never knew that wasnt “normal” – but like i’ve told my kids, I always chose life!
I never gave up trying to find out what was “going on” with me.
So, you who are reading this, dont give up; keep trying, life is worth it. Enjoy what you can for that day – a sunrise, a sunset, a flower, a baby’s smile.
My daughter turns 3 this month and was diagnosed 3 weeks ago. There is family history of bipolar disorder(diagnosed after 30 or never truly diagnosed) and alcoholism. Wow is it a struggle to even get the medical community to accept the diagnosis, and finding suitable medication is even harder!
I was officially diagnosed at 22, but my doctor says he is willing to bet I was showing symptoms as early as 12.
I was diagnosed at age 41, after more than 30 years of struggling with depression, substance abuse, relationship problems, career and job problems and more. I am bipolar 1/mixed and I now receive monthly ECT treatments after the meds either didn’t work or gave me untolerable side effects. I still struggle, I am 44 and on SSDI after having a major depressive episode lasting over nine months. This illness is not easy, not just for those of us who have it, but on our loved ones too.
I was diagnosed Bipolar I at age 37, but probably had the disorder most of my life. I had terrible “fits” of rage as an adolescent, which followed through my late teens to early twenties. Most of my accomplishments can be attributed to Bipolar, which include becoming an Officer and a rated Army Aviator, a bachelor’s degree in three years, a Master’s degree in 7 trimesters – while working full-time for a Fortune 35 company. I was working for this Fortune 35 company when diagnosed, and then I was conveniently “down-sized”. I sued them and got a small settlement. After being diagnosed, I tried every medication combination known to man, and I currently take Abilify and Lithium. It is still rocky, over the past 5 years I have been hospitalized twice for mania, and have averted a few other hospitalizations. I am currently working toward my third degree in the attempt to find better employment in this wonderful economy.
I was diagnosed at the age of 17. They said it was just depression at 15.
I had my first psychotic episode at 27, I was diagnosed one year later.
I was diagnosed with bipolar at 40 after a misdiagnosis of depression. The doctor discounted talk therapy and only spent enough time to write a prescription. The antidepressant sent my mania rocketing and when my wife became desperate enough to write a letter to him, he finally started to ask questions. I changed doctors and have been doing well for the past 6 years. I realize now that I had periods of depression and mania my whole life.