Becky Brasfield, MA

‍Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, embraces her diagnosis and has been in recovery. In her own words, “For me, getting a proper diagnosis was important—I needed to be honest with myself about what I was confronted with.” She sees her condition as a result of suffering first childhood trauma and then racism and sexism in college. She is taking medication, which, she says, is necessary, “because the damage that was done by all that trauma was so severe.” She was hospitalized, incarcerated, had suicide attempts and addiction problems; her psychiatrist told her she would never be able to work. She then had a number of leadership positions in governmental and non-profit mental health organizations, was a research analyst and policy fellow at the Human Services Research Institute, and was included among Crain’s Notable Black Leaders and Executives. A turning point occurred when she rejected medical authority “over my own ability to understand myself and my health care” and joined peer support movement. She argues that, although “there are some great psychiatrists out there,” the field as a whole is “dysfunctional,” and she advocates for mental health recovery, disability rights, and social reform.

Website: https://beckybrasfield.com/

Books and other publications: