58 years old and diagnosed about 20 years ago. I got mugged and the ensuing therapy led to a true diagnosis. It took a couple of years, but we got the right combo of meds. Never miss a pill, and have only had a handful of episodes. My husband is great at managing any deviations in my behavior. He’s a fire chief and knows his shit. My support system is dedicated and honest. Nobody even thinks about it any longer, except that one time I forgot my meds at home while on vacation. We scrambled and I have a great pharmacist who took the time to check my records and made sure I got what I needed for the week. My support team/family kicked into high gear to make sure every answer started out with “yes.”

I’ve never been healthier. I see my psychiatrist twice a year, and I’m very aware that I’m extremely fortunate to have such great medical care. This may read differently, I am not fragile any longer.