Tales from a Bruised Mind

A Ballad from a Bruised Brain is my first-ever book.

And it’s all about me.

I have never been one to talk about myself in excruciating detail, but in 2019, things changed.

In a very journalistic way, I had a bloody good story to tell, and so, with a huge amount of courage, I started writing ABFABB (a terrible abbreviation!).

The book begins with me racing through the streets of Brisbane with my terrified girlfriend in the passenger seat. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had become extremely delusional and psychotic. I believed with my whole heart that my car had been used by mechanics to smuggle drugs. It was a soul-destroying feeling.

That was my first-ever episode to what would be a incredibly traumatic few years.

ABFABB is a realistic retelling of events within my brain, about my brain. It’s the honest truth at what negative mental health can do. My story is by no means over, but the book is a look at the first four years of living with bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.

It was incredibly difficult to write, recall and to frankly live through again. The first time was excruciating, the next was just as soul-destroying and emotion driven.

My book is also not just about mental health. It’s about family, friends and loved ones, and the ending to my long-term and extremely-cherished relationship. At a time when I was extremely vulnerable and needing some support, my relationship came to an end.

So ABFABB is not just about my mental health, but the ripple affect that it had on others over time.

This is not just a book about my brain.

The book explores the affects that work and relationships have played in my life, and from time to time, how these things have had negative impacts on how I function as a human being day to day.

I see this book as being somewhat of a beacon of hope for others. I know there are plenty of people out there struggling who may not ever do anything about it. But I don’t want them to suffer in silence. People shouldn’t have to go through the shitstorm that I went through.

I hope that ABFABB can do the following for readers and the wider Australian community:

• Encourage people to speak up about their mental health struggles
• Make people feel that thjey are not alone in this world
• Inspire people who struggle to get the help they need
• Show that it is possible to still live a good life even with severe mental health difficulties
• Offer hope and support
• Tell a crazy story!

My book launch is happening initially in Brisbane, QLD, on Saturday March 23rd, 2024.

Come along and hear me talk about the book and what inspired me to write it!

Love,

Zak