Bi-Polar Disorder does not have to get worse. The longer and less aggressively one treats the illness the more ingrained certain behaviors and even brain chemistry can be hindered. If you are proactive in treating your illness as early and as faithfully as possible you will diminish the severity and regularity of the illness. Of course this is not a hard and fast assertion, as some people struggle even with early and proactive treatment. The other thing that may be of note is that being on medication has changed the way I feel the world and in that my writing and other artistic endeavors are not as vivid as they used to be. The medication stabilizes the mood and many BP artists depends on the intensity and swing for their muse. I know this to be the case for me. The good news is I have learned to reconnect with that side of myself without the need to be on an uncontrolled roller coaster. I hope this helps some.

In short, mania does not cause brain damage but the longer you leave it untreated the more your brain chemistry can change and the harder it is to change your perspective and views on life from the unhealthy mind of a person with BP to seeing the world in balance.