About Brien Blatt

Hi, I'm Brien. I started programming Windows applications in Visual Basic at age 11 (and later Delphi, C++, etc.), back when tech was still a niche thing. I moved into IT consulting and freelance projects through sites like RentACoder, then later into web development and SEO which I still enjoy. In my 20s, I started talking openly about mental illness, before most people thought that was okay. My life has always bounced between what makes a machine work and what makes a person work, and honestly I find both equally fascinating. I'm quite sure I'm neurodivergent and on the spectrum in some way or another. Social stuff, especially reading cues and eye contact, is much harder than it should be. I live with Bipolar Disorder, which is my official diagnosis, but I also relate heavily to autism and ADHD; and I feel that there is a real overlap with many of my experiences. Most of what I write comes from direct experience, plus a stubborn refusal to quit learning and growing.

The writing side has jumped around just as much. I've ghostwritten for clients, done technical SEO work that produces measurable ranking and traffic gains, and written mental health pieces for different sites. My work has shown up in books like Stigma Fighters and a few other places. I like seeing the results my work actually creates, whether that's a client's traffic graph moving or someone telling me an article helped them.

As a writer, I want health and psychology to feel approachable, not preachy, and not dressed up prettier than the reality. I've spent years digging into psychology on my own, and I've built a pretty deep understanding of mental health, trauma, and how the two intersect. I try to do the right thing at work and outside of it. I don't always get it right. Nobody does. But I care enough to keep trying.

I write about living with mental illness the way I live it. My writing is honest, sometimes dark, and sarcastic when the moment calls for it. It stays serious underneath. I want people to understand mental illness better, and I want the stigma to shrink. That means asking uncomfortable questions and occasionally oversharing when it helps.

When I'm not writing, you'll usually find me alone with one of my hobbies. Lily, my very judgmental black cat, is usually curled up nearby as my main company.

Every so often I'll see one or both of my sisters and their boyfriends, or friends for board games when I feel like being social. It can drain me fast. Then I need to recharge. I'm grateful for my family, friends, and their support, especially on the rough days.

I drive part time. It helps me focus and gets me away from screens. I try to keep moving when I can, with walking, exercising, stretching, that kind of thing. I also do puzzles. I haven't reached my ultimate goals yet, but I keep making progress. I try to help others along the way.