Oh, By The Way, I Have a Mental Illness: I Hate Being Bipolar, but It Has Actually Helped Me Have a Great and Fulfilling Life

My name is Mike Trzcinski. I’m a business executive in Cleveland. I’ve written a memoir about my life with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition marked by drastic mood swings, from depression to amped-up highs, and back again. Years ago, it was known as manic depression

My book describes my experience with this illness. My goal is to offer encouragement and hope to people with bipolar (and other mental illnesses) and to reduce the stigma of these illnesses.

I hate being bipolar, but it has actually helped me to have a great and fulfilling life. It has made me more creative and empathetic than I might otherwise have been. p>I struggled for years coming to grips with my illness. The key, for me, was accepting that I was ill and being proactive about getting good help. Today, I take my medications, see my doctor, participate in support groups, exercise, pray, meditate and challenge myself through meaningful activities (including writing a book!).

I’m highly successful in most aspects of life. In my work life, I help companies and government laboratories evaluate new technologies that can be commercialized. In my personal life, I have a happy marriage and good friends. I love sailing on Lake Erie. I go on backpacking trips around the world. I’m a musician. I took five years of music theory and composition lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music and have written and recorded over 30 compositions.

Since 2012, I have been a volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in its Hospital Network Program (HNP). I give about 100 presentations and testimonials each year and have connected with thousands of hospitalized patients. I was honored to receive the NAMI Greater Cleveland Scott Adamson Memorial Peer Award in 2017.

I think my book is different than other memoirs of mental illness. I would cite three reasons for this:

1. I learned through my hundreds of NAMI presentations that my experiences are unique, positive and motivating to others. I realize everyone says "unique” but I think the stuff I've done fills the bill!

2. I include interesting stories about my backpacking on the island of Borneo in Indonesia and starting three humanitarian projects there, working with NASA, and serving our country by being an operative for a national security organization. I discuss how my illness helped me succeed in these endeavors.

3. People with mood disorders often have significantly enhanced creativity. I delve into the connections between creativity and mood disorders.

One reader of my book comments: "I feel I know Mike - and he's a man well worth knowing. And I feel I know a lot about his health challenge."

One reader, a woman who has bipolar in her family, comments: I am confident this book will be informative and inspiring to those with bipolar disorder, their family and friends, and anyone seeking to learn more about the condition.

I’m proud to say I have bipolar illness. It has enriched me. It’s contributed to exciting adventures and accomplishments in my life. It illuminates the most important pathway of my life – giving service to others.