Dave Dahl

• Dahl has publicly identified himself as having Bipolar I disorder. The diagnosis followed his severe mental-health crisis in 2013, when a forensic psychological examination found that he had experienced a severe manic and psychotic episode. He has since discussed the diagnosis publicly in interviews. [1][3]

• Dahl has described experiencing a severe manic and psychotic episode in 2013. During the crisis, he became disorganized and agitated and drove his Cadillac into police vehicles; he later said he remembered little of what happened. Afterward, he was hospitalized for psychiatric care and remained hypomanic for a period following the episode. [3]
• He has also spoken publicly about periods of depression and problematic alcohol use as part of his broader mental-health history. [3][4]

• During his final prison sentence, years before his Bipolar I diagnosis, Dahl sought psychiatric help for severe depression. He was prescribed Paxil and later switched to Effexor, which he has said helped him disengage from persistent negative thoughts. [4]
• Following his 2013 episode and subsequent diagnosis, Dahl received psychiatric treatment. Court records and reporting from the period document requirements that he continue medication and mental-health care. [1]

• Dahl has described recovering from his 2013 manic and psychotic episode as a long process, saying that it took considerable time for him to recover mentally. [3]
• In later interviews, he has continued to describe depression and bipolar disorder as conditions requiring ongoing management rather than as difficulties that are permanently resolved. [5]

• Dahl has spoken publicly about bipolar disorder, depression and addiction and has emphasized the importance of recognizing mental illness and seeking treatment. [3][5]
• He has also advocated for second chances for people with criminal records. Drawing on his own years in prison, Dahl became closely associated with Dave’s Killer Bread’s practice of hiring people with criminal backgrounds and with the idea that meaningful work can help people rebuild their lives after incarceration. [2]

“I didn’t know I could be bipolar, and I discovered that I could be big time.”

— Dave Dahl [3]