About Brien Blatt

Hi, I'm Brien. I've been speaking honestly about mental illness since before most people believed it was okay to do that, and I've also been deep in tech since it was still a niche thing — so a lot of my life has been spent somewhere between "what makes people tick?" and "what makes this machine tick?". I'm pretty sure I'm neurodivergent (or at least adjacent to it), which makes social stuff - especially reading cues - way harder than it should be. I live with Bipolar Disorder (which is what I was officially diagnosed with years ago), but I relate to a lot of autism and ADHD traits too — the overlap is real. A lot of what I write comes straight from that firsthand experience (plus a stubborn streak of perseverance that refuses to quit).

I write about living with mental illness the way I actually live it: honestly, sometimes darkly, with a sarcastic edge when it fits — but I take it seriously. I'm genuinely passionate about helping people understand mental illness and chipping away at the stigma that still surrounds it, which usually means asking uncomfortable questions and occasionally oversharing for a good cause.

As a writer, I try to make health and psychology topics feel human — approachable, never preachy, and never dressed up to sound prettier than the reality. I've spent a lot of my own time digging into research on mental health, and I strive to do the right thing in general — in my work and in life. I won't claim I always get it right — nobody does — but I care enough to keep trying.

Over the years, I've done a bit of everything when it comes to writing. I've ghostwritten for clients, contributed mental health articles to various websites, and handled SEO-focused content that actually gets read. I've also had work included in books like Stigma Fighters and other publications. Whether it's helping someone find the right words or making sure those words actually reach people who need them, I enjoy the craft — and I'm always learning more about it.

When I'm not writing, being the introvert I am, you'll usually find me alone working on one of my hobbies — with Lily, my very judgmental black cat, curled up nearby as my main company.

Every so often I'll be with one or both of my sisters and their boyfriends, or occasionally friends for board games when I feel like being social. That does happen occasionally, though it can become draining quickly and then I need to recharge -- I'm definitely grateful for my family, friends and their support, especially on the rough days.

I try to keep moving when I can — walking, exercising, stretching, that kind of thing. Occasionally I'll do puzzles. I haven't quite reached my ultimate goals in life yet, but I'm hoping to keep making progress and improving things little by little — ideally helping others along the way.