People with bipolar disorder may wait 13 years for diagnosis. Survey shows many sufferers treated for other conditions, including depression, and are 20 times more likely to take their own lives. Bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder may wait 13 years for diagnosis.  People with bipolar disorder wait for an average of 13.2 years before they are diagnosed, and often spend years receiving treatment for other conditions, a survey of sufferers has found.