Ways to Reach Zach Schwartz
Instagram: coolboyzach & bipolarboycomics
Twitch: zachator2
TikTok: zachator2
About Zach Schwartz
ZS: Hey! My name's Zach, and I'm from Boulder, Colorado! Right now, I'm a freshman (will be a sophomore) at Colorado State University, studying Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience on a Pre-Pharm route in the Honor's Program! In my free time, I love doing anything outdoors (like hiking, climbing, snowboarding, kayaking, etc), as well as hanging out with my friends, girlfriend, and family (and my two dogs, too)! On top of that, I love playing video games online with my friends!
Writing
HS: What type of writing do you do? Do you have any published works?
ZS: I tend to make short, infographic cartoons as well as short little stories about my own experiences with mental health! These cartoons are posted on my Instagram (bipolarboycomics). I'm also currently working on a longer story, but that won't be done any time soon!
HS: Why did you start writing? When did you start writing?
ZS: I started writing for a few reasons: 1. I thought that my own mental health journey had enough funny experiences to share! 2. I wanted to show people that they weren't alone in their own mental health journey. 3. I wanted to share DBT skills that have helped me through the years! 4. Posting about my own stories acts like a little diary for myself.
HS: Who are your inspirations? What are your favorite books/genres?
ZS: I'd say my biggest inspiration for my doodles is Ellen Forney. She's the author of Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me as well as Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice from My Bipolar Life. I'd say these two books in general were my biggest inspiration, actually! My favorite kinds of books vary a ton! I really love comics of all kinds, and I love myself a good horror story! Obviously, there's some good sci-fi and some fiction thrown in the mix, too. I also love reading non-fiction psychiatry research journals!
HS: How do you overcome writer's block?
ZS: Normally, I just sit with my thoughts until they come! Or, you try one thing, and if it doesn't work, you just try something else! I don't want to put pressure on myself for something that I'm doing for fun and to spread awareness.
HS: What do you wish someone had told you about writing?
ZS: That's it's easy to get started! All you need is something to write with, and your thoughts! Anything can be a story, and chances are, at least some people will relate to it.
HS: How do you get into the "mood" of writing?
ZS: I'd say I get into the "mood" of writing whenever I feel most motivated, or whenever I have something that I really want to share. For me, there's really no specific "mood" for writing!
HS: When starting a new book, what are your first steps?
ZS: I normally just start and see where my writing takes me. I'm not too great at planning, but it's worked out thus far!
HS: Briefly tell us about your works.
ZS: Right now, I am mostly working on an Instagram mini-series, but I hope to finish my full book by the end of the summer! You can follow my Instagram for more updates on it, but you'll also be able to read my mini-series posts!
HS: Anything else to share?
ZS: I also stream on Twitch! Right now, I only do it in my free time, but it's really nice to be able to talk with like people live! I love seeing people in my chat, and if you ever decide to drop by, feel free to ask any questions there too! My twitch is twitch.tv/zachator2 :).
Mental Health
HS: Describe your mental health experience.
ZS: I was diagnosed with ADHD very early on in my life, but I never went out of my way to get medication for it until my junior year of high school. That's when I'd say I reached my "ADHD plateau." That's my term for when the responsibilities of life more or less overpass your ability to manage them and your ADHD symptoms. That's when I decided to go to my psychiatrist to start medication. I tried my first ADHD medication, but my psychiatrist realized that I was also struggling with depression. She put the ADHD meds on hold, and I started my journey of finding an antidepressant. I started antidepressants, and after a month, life started feeling good again! Actually, life started feeling amazing. Maybe a little too amazing. At my next psychiatrist appointment, I told my psychiatrist about how good I was feeling! I was bombing hills on my skateboard, I was staying up all night to clean my room! I didn't even need sleep! Obviously, I was experiencing hypomania. My psychiatrist quickly took me off of the antidepressant, and I started looking for a 2nd-gen antipsychotic mood stabilizer. I don't want to go into too much detail here, but my journey has brought me into therapist offices, psychiatrist offices, an intensive outpatient program, the psych ward, and through many ups and downs. Even though bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness, I'm mostly stable and I've learned more DBT skills than I can count. On top of that, with the support from friends, family, my girlfriend, and others I've met along the way, I know that I'll be able to win the fight, and I hope to show others that they can do the same.
HS: If you yourself suffer from a mental illness, how do you deal with it each day? What are some of the methods you use?
ZS: SMEDMERTS! The name might sound silly, but Ellen Forney did a great job at coming up with an acronym that hits all of the bases. S - Sleep M - Meds E - Eat D - Doctor M - Mindfulness E - Exercise R - Routine T - Tools S - Support System I try to stick to these as much as I can, but some days are obviously harder than others. And that's okay! I've learned that I can't control my mood all of the time and that it's okay to have off days! Eat some comfort food! Go on a little walk! Watch your favorite movie!
HS: Why are you or why do you want to be an advocate for mental health?
ZS: I'm a mental health advocate because I know how hard it can be to deal with mental health firsthand. I just want to offer people some tips that have helps me, offer support if I can, and show people that they're not alone with their experience; I also acknowledge that everyone's experience is a little different, too!
HS: How are you trying to end the stigma of mental health?
ZS: By spreading the word! As time has gone by, I've grown more comfortable with my diagnosis (as well as learned how to manage it). Since I've gotten more comfortable, I'm making content on multiple platforms! I post my doodles to Instagram, I make TikTok's about my journey, and I'm more open about my story when people ask.
HS: Why should mental health be talked about within the community?
ZS: Mental health should most definitely be talked about in the community! It helps end the stigma, first of all. Second of all, it is important to talk about it so that knowledge can be spread, and misinformation can be snuffed out! I'll be honest, before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I didn't know very much about it. My parents were in the same boat! By spreading information, you can help end the stigma surrounding mental health and help inform others so there are fewer misconceptions about mental health in general!
HS: Anything else to share?
ZS: Your parents are their own, separate person. They're probably learning alongside you. Also, you never know what someone is going through, so be nice to people!
Mental Health In Writing
HS: Do you generally write about topics related to mental health? If so, how does this form of expression affect your ability to deal with your or your loved one's mental health struggles?
ZS: I think that putting something down on paper makes it easier to come to terms with it. I also find that even though I'm sharing my doodles to show others that they're not alone, when I see my comments or like or people saying "this is so relatable," I often find myself realizing that I'm not alone either.
HS: If you personally struggle with your mental health, do you find that writing (about mental health or just in general) helps you cope with it?
ZS: Personally, I think that journaling, doodling, and art therapy are all great tools to use. As I said, I think that putting something down on paper makes it easier to process, understand, and/or come to terms with something.
HS: Does your or your loved one's mental health get in the way of your writing? If so, how?
ZS: Yes, 100%. I have depressive episodes where I cannot bring myself to do just about anything, sometimes even getting out of bed can be hard. I know that I live with a mood disorder, and I know that I can't do anything about it, so I don't beat myself up over it. I just take some time to recover and know that all things pass.
HS: Anything else to share?
ZS: If you're struggling with a mental illness, make sure you're not beating yourself up! Small victories are still victories, and setbacks are just little speedbumps! Take some time to look back at how far you've come.