Bipolar - can you be cured?

[CrackinKraken]

Is it possible to (a) receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder later in life (e.g.50+), and then (b) recover from bipolar disorder in the sense of no longer have symptoms and not need to take any medication?

I'm asking out of genuine curiosity as I don't know much about the condition at all. If this has happened to someone, would it cast doubt on the original diagnosis of bipolar, or is it entirely possible that you can have bipolar disorder for just a few years of your life?

As far as I know in my non medical opinion, and having just googled it, it's a lifelong condition. It can be managed by meds though. It would be unwise to be unmedicated.

No. Family member had it. Tried to convince his wife that he was cured. Then he was in hospital for an unrelated issue and was no longer able to take the meds so she saw him in his unmedicated state. It wasn't pretty in his case.

Not cured just well managed if the patient is compliant with treatment
I developed bipolar aged 48 after years of major depression

No. But if you find the right medication and take it as prescribed it can be well controlled and you can live a normal life.

In theory no, but someone very close to me received a diagnosis in their 20s, was very ill for several years, but has now been fine and medication-free for nearly 10 years. I don't know how to account for it to be honest. I witnessed the deep depressions, the mania, the psychosis. No doubt something was very wrong for a long time and heavy medications were needed. I can only assume it was something else that mimicked bipolar 🤷🏼‍♀️

You need the meds to control it.

I was surprised recently to learn that two of my colleagues have been dealing with bipolar 1 for decades - getting on with their daily lives, with careers and hobbies and families and homes to organise, all thanks to their medications and weekly or fortnightly contact with therapists. It made me wonder how many people there are out there, functioning well with bipolar.

@MabelMaybe
I have a relative who has been diagnosed with bipolar but 'doesn't believe in doctors' and self medicates with home grown weed and other substances. A life and a lot of talent very much wasted, and a trail of family destruction in his wake...

That's the one. The children of our relative are now adults and still hugely affected by the impact of an unmedicated parent growing up. Family destruction is a good way to describe it.

It’s like a cancer, it can go into “remission” but it can also rear its head after years of not being an issue.

Actually arguably yes. I've read psychiatric reports which opine for some mh impairments (including BP) getting older can lead to a lessening of symptoms. Of course not everyone, but sometimes it can happen, and of course the opposite can happen too.

It is life long and in some cases can be stabilized via meds, life adjustments, therapy. Some cases, like my mother’s, who has tendency for rapid cycling, it was relatively ok for 9 years and then back to rapid cycles for the las 22 years… as someone said above, it can destroy families and everything around it. Huge strength needed by the person who suffers it directly and everyone else to remain afloat.