Jaco was/is one of my musical heroes; in my top few of all time. I would not say he "benefitted" from his severe Bipolar disorder. It is not clear if the creativity comes from the edge of having the extreme high of the mania, and many patients whose symptoms are controlled with medication, find they are just as creative without the madness; it is a myth that the disorder sparks the creativity, it just so happens that many creative people have Bipolar disorder. The Bipolar doesn't make them creative or help the creativity unless you include the energy level from mania...but it is a very chaotic energy which could not help someone channel their creativity, I don't think. I mean how does being up for 3 days straight with completely scrambled thoughts lend to creativity? When Jaco's disease got so severe, especially with the Manic episodes it destroyed his creativity and his career. Nobody at the record label would talk to him anymore; his 1981 Word of Mouth tour was a shambles, because he would get naked, paint himself and jump off bridges (amongst other antics), and in the end he became a street guy living on the pavement of the Village, pissing his pants and playing pick-up Basketball games when he wasn't pandering for spare change. He did improve with Lithium, but found the med sedating (it is only when one first takes it, then the sedation effect wears off), and he stopped it when it caused tremors in his hands ( a very common side effect). He self -medicated with coke and alcohol. So, I couldn't ever call Bipolar a trait which "helped" Jaco. He mighta been here today, if he was adequately treated, and it's just a real pity that the medications used today weren't available as alternatives to Lithium, when he was alive.