Do The Elderly Get Bipolar Disorder?

“I am 62 years old, and I was just diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Is it possible for an older person of my age to become bipolar or should I question this diagnosis? Can people of my age become bipolar?” 

While it is more usual for a person to be diagnosed with bipolar at an earlier age, it is not unheard of to be diagnosed in one’s sixties. Research evidence indicates that one may be diagnosed as bipolar throughout the life span. However, early onset cases are more associated with a family history of mood disorders. It is not yet clear whether late onset bipolar disorder is a “phenocopy” of the early onset disorder—sharing symptoms but having a different cause—or whether people with early and late onset bipolar disorder have a common underlying vulnerability that interacts with age specific triggers (Almedia and Fenner, 2006, Bipolar Disorders, 8, 56-64).

In your particular case, there are some factors that must be addressed. First, what is your family’s history with mood disorders and what have been your symptoms? Second, who was it that made the diagnosis and on what basis was it made? Third, what medications are you currently taking? I ask these questions because side effects of medication, as well as many symptoms of normal aging, such as memory loss, distractibility, and mild depression, can be misdiagnosed as symptoms of bipolar. It is also possible that there is an element of comorbidity, where symptoms of physical disorders such as stroke, heart disease, or diabetes are mistaken for a mood disorder such as bipolar.

It appears from your question that you are not certain of the diagnosis. If this is the case, I would encourage you to consult with a psychiatrist who specializes in “mature” adults. I would also suggest that you request a neuropsychiatric examination. This would differentially explore the incidence of cognitive deficits due to a physiological problem such as stroke, dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease as opposed to deficits that are potentially due to a psychiatric or psychological condition. While even this workup will not give you a fully definitive answer, it will supply much additional information about your condition and prognosis.

Dr. Manuel S. Silverman, PhD