Austin City Council member taking leave sparks new conversations about mental health
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s a decision Austin City Council Member Natasha-Harper Madison said was “one of the most difficult” she’s had to make. For the first time, we’re hearing from the council member about mental health challenges she’s faced and the medical leave she took earlier this year to address them.
Harper-Madison announced in September that she was taking a weeks-long break from City Hall and her role at the dais to seek treatment tied to mental health, something she said was the right call. But she told KXAN the decision was also hard, especially because she’s the only Black Austin City Council member. She worried about the lack of representation in her absence.
“Being the only one comes with a whole lot of expectations and I feel very responsible for meeting those expectations as frequently as possible,” Harper-Madison said.
Without help, she didn’t have much to give. Her cup was empty. In a sit-down interview with KXAN, Harper-Madison described the feeling of being busy, but not getting anything done. She needed to take a knee.
“I was terrified to come forward. I already worry so much about what people think about me in this role,” she said.
Her decision to step away was not only met with support from her colleagues, it started a conversation. And as it turns out, Harper-Madison wasn’t alone on the dais.
“At that point I decided it was time for me to just be a good advocate for mental health problems and talk about it rather than just hide it,” Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said.
Kelly has been diagnosed with PTSD and an anxiety disorder, but she wasn’t talking about it, something she said “really took a toll.”
It wasn’t until Harper-Madison stepped out for treatment that Kelly decided it was time. She started bringing her specially trained service dog, Frank, to work every day. He’s become a regular at City Hall and even has a City-issued badge.
“It has been an incredible difference to have him [Frank] in my life. I got to the hospital less, I take less medication, I’m overall in a much better and mood and I don’t feel like I’m always just like on edge waiting for the next shoe to drop,” Kelly said.
Frank — who went through roughly a year of training for his certification — is able to detect when Kelly is on the verge of a panic attack, able to wake her from night terrors and alert her when someone is coming up from behind to avoid her being startled.
He also wears a vest with lots of patches, a conversation starter that Kelly said has allowed her to bring up the challenges she’s faced. A common ground between the two members, who don’t often see eye-to-eye politically, that Harper-Madison said feels “wonderful.”
“This building that I work in, our city manager, I offer him my applause. Our mayor, my colleagues, my applause and my deep gratitude. Not everybody has colleagues that will stand by your side and have your back when you need to take a minute,” Harper-Madison said.
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