I come to this sub now and then, because I have children with bipolar disorder and it's a great resource when working with their pdoc to figure out the best options for them, but for myself personally, there are times I'd really like to talk to another 50'ish person who's been successfully not had an episode for over a decade.  There are different things happening for me that I'd just like someone to talk to without worrying about discouraging the young people here.  Even saying just that gets me tense that someone might interpret their situation as hopeless.  It's not so dramatic as all that.  I'd just be very interested in speaking with others who've been doing this for a very long time and what they're experiencing now that is unique for what I'd call a veteran I guess.