Thanks to all for the input on my inquiry. I've got to say that the notion of my BP condition getting worse over time is kind of a downer though I had one p-doc tell me this (I kind of blew it off at the time). To answer one question, yes I am medicated and thankfully have found a combination that has kept me stable for 4 years and counting. To answer another question, definitely, I had some moments of brilliance when I was manic (and even more moments of non-brilliance at the same time) but I had a very good run of time when I enjoyed a strong creative streak in stable times where I was able to produce noteworthy writings and music. I lost that ability for 4 years and I'm trying to figure out why. I guess it sounds like the meds are partly to blame. At least I'm going with the assumption that I might not be brain damaged. So I got that going for me.