I suffer a bipolar disorder that had debilitated me for the longest time. Got meds and counseling. Used my 31 years of talents as part of my therapy. I have been in bands that did very well although I didn't really rely on being in a band to enjoy or improve on my abilities as a musician. If I get stuck in a rut with the material that I am playing, I break out a cd and listen to something new and emulate what I hear on a cd. Usually the gratification of learning something new, even if it took weeks, was good. Always had a relationship that life didn't take every moment away from my playing, be it 15 minutes a day or a couple of hours a day.