Brain Stories

For nearly 60 years, Michael Stewart's life was marked by violence from his childhood, addiction, suicidal thoughts, and a serious mental health issue. 

Whether he was selling cars, getting put behind bars, or living on the streets, drugs and mental illness were two of the only constants in his life. For decades, Michael used for relief. "Drugs gave me the ability to open up and be more vulnerable than I had been before.&q...

What do Rachmaninoff, Mr. Rogers and Dr. Dre have in common?  Find out in this episode - where we pull back the curtain...on Brain Stories, and go behind-the-scenes for an inside look at the original music, and the highly original man who composed it:  Paul Swartzel.   He's funny, irreverent, a brilliant musician, devoted husband, loving dad, and someone who lives with a mental illness.  This episode chucks chronology straight...

This is the 3rd and final installment of Ronald Braunstein and Caroline Whiddon's 3-part story. In the previous two episodes, Ronald endured brutal ups and downs in his career, only to be fired from a final job, that left him never able to work again. Then he got a great idea to form his own orchestra, which he took straight to Caroline. Despite that nothing like it had never been done before, and that they had no money to pul...

This is the second installment of Ronald Braunstein's 3-part story. In the previous episode, Ronald reached spectacular highs, but also devastating lows. In this episode he applies for a job where Caroline Whiddon works. As he begins one more grueling comeback, they quickly team up. It's his last chance. It proves all he hoped, until it becomes his worst nightmare. 

Part 3, the finale of Ronald & Caroline's story,...

With almost superhuman effort, Ronald Braunstein became the youngest winner in the history of Europe's most prestigious conducting competition, guaranteeing him a career of massive success. He had rocketed to stellar heights. But plagued by mood swings he would not understand for years, he would fly, crash, rise up and crash again. Until he reached a low he thought would destroy him.   

Episode 6 is the first installment of a 3...

This is an interview episode. Why? Because the story of Lindsay’s family was very well told in the bestselling book, Hidden Valley Road. The book chronicles her family of 12 siblings, six of whom developed a serious mental illness. There’s no need to tell it again. But there is always more to say. And in this episode, Lindsay says it. 

The Episode Producer was Boen Wang whose other work can be found at boen.cool. 

Bob Kolker’s book, ...

Gwen was 10 when she arrived to California from China, the hopes of her entire family on her shoulders. But her dream collapsed in college as she discovered that her grandmother, mother and her all grappled with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). In order to really take care of her family, she would have to forge an entirely new understanding.

The Episode Producer was Sarah Haufrect whose other work can be found at sarahhaufrect...

Living in a gang neighborhood, concealing his sexual orientation, Adrian already had a full plate when he learned that schizophrenia was hereditary.  His dad had it.  And at 13, he was sure he was going to develop it too.  It was only a question of when. It took him two decades to learn what you truly inherit when your parent lives with a serious mental illness.

Adrian first learned about mental illness at the National Alliance on M...

The first time Anita heard of her son’s schizophrenia was during his court-martial, after he’d been thrown in the brig for fighting.  It was the start of a 20-year cycle of recovery, relapse, arrest, and then involuntarily medicating him in a place where everything is involuntary: prison.  But she was not just battling an illness   She faced something that is virtually invisible, and everywhere.

The Episode Pro...

Xavier was a senior in college when he got a panicked call from his brother.  This was his closest brother, his older brother whom he deeply admired, and he was telling Xavier that he had killed their dad.  It would take Xavier nearly a decade to truly repair his relationship with his brother, though not for the reasons you would expect.   But in the process, what he discovered would change the entire approach to schizophrenia for ...

This is the trailer for Brain Stories, a ground breaking documentary series profiling those who live with a mental illness and the people who support them.  

There are 13 episodes of true-life stories, surprising, moving and unflinching.  

Welcome to stigma-free story telling.  

Check out the episodes and go to our website for more information and links at   www.BrainStoriesProductions.com

Find out more about this episode and the Brain...