Bio
Brian Talarczyk was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974 and raised in the nearby suburb of North Haven, a vibrant community in which he enjoyed playing baseball, creative writing, and learning the guitar. After graduating from North Haven High School in 1992, he attended the University of Connecticut before moving to Washington, D.C. and beginning his career in technology.
In December 2001, Brian’s life took a complex turn when he was diagnosed with Type 1 Bipolar Disorder after having a severe manic / psychotic episode spawned by the sudden death of his father that spring, and the September 11th terrorist attacks in the fall. His psychotic escapades ferried him up and down the East Coast in search of his father, whom he believed was still alive, and global terrorists, who he accused of covering up his death.
After being detained by authorities in New Jersey, Brian’s psychotic episode culminated in Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital where he received appropriate treatments from a team of medical professionals and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In the aftermath of his hospital stay, Brian was overcome by extensive PTSD and debilitating depression – a harrowing experience which nearly claimed his life.
In the years that followed, Brian got himself back on his feet, but his mental health struggles persisted as he grappled with accepting his illness, navigating the stigma associated with it, and adhering to the balanced lifestyle it demanded. As time passed, he suppressed the need to proactively manage his mental health which ultimately led to a second psychotic episode and subsequent hospitalization.
I am Not Bipolar is a raw and compelling account of Brian’s bipolar experiences – a mental disorder shared by millions of people around the world, yet often not publicly disclosed. Brian’s memoir is, on one hand, a story of suffering through extreme mental health adversity, but on the other, a message of hope driven by one man’s desire to reclaim his identity and become the husband and father he always aspired to be.
Bio
Brian Talarczyk was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974 and raised in the nearby suburb of North Haven, a vibrant community in which he enjoyed playing baseball, creative writing, and learning the guitar. After graduating from North Haven High School in 1992, he attended the University of Connecticut before moving to Washington, D.C. and beginning his career in technology.
In December 2001, Brian’s life took a complex turn when he was diagnosed with Type 1 Bipolar Disorder after having a severe manic / psychotic episode spawned by the sudden death of his father that spring, and the September 11th terrorist attacks in the fall. His psychotic escapades ferried him up and down the East Coast in search of his father, whom he believed was still alive, and Middle-Eastern terrorists, who he accused of covering up his death.
After being detained by authorities in New Jersey, Brian’s psychotic episode culminated in Yale New Haven Psychiatric Hospital where he received appropriate treatments from a team of medical professionals and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In the aftermath of his hospital stay, Brian was overcome by extensive PTSD and debilitating depression – a harrowing experience which nearly claimed his life.
In the years that followed, Brian got himself back on his feet, but his mental health struggles persisted as he grappled with accepting his illness, navigating the stigma associated with it, and adhering to the balanced lifestyle it demanded. As time passed, he suppressed the need to proactively manage his mental health which ultimately led to a second psychotic episode and subsequent hospitalization.
I am Not Bipolar is a raw and compelling account of Brian’s bipolar experiences – a mental disorder shared by millions of people around the world, yet often not publicly disclosed. Brian’s memoir is, on one hand, a story of suffering through extreme mental health adversity, but on the other, a message of hope driven by one man’s desire to reclaim his identity and become the husband and father he always aspired to be.