The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Robert S. Cox Special Collections & University Archives Research Center
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Unzicker, Rae

Rae Unzicker Papers

1979-1997
1 box 1.5 linear feet
Call no.: MS 818
Depiction of Rae Unzicker
Rae Unzicker

Rae Unzicker’s exposure to the psychiatric system began at a young age. Growing up in an abusive home, her parents sent her to psychiatrists off and on for years before she was involuntarily committed. While there, she was quickly introduced to the chaotic and damaging atmosphere of a psychiatric institution, exposing her to mandatory drugs, seclusion rooms, forced feeding, and work “therapy” that required her to wash dishes six hours a day. Once she was release, Unzicker’s road to recovery was long, but after several suicide attempts and stays at other treatment facilities, she ultimately counted herself–along with her friend Judi Chamberlin, an early leader in the movement–a psychiatric survivor. Like Chamberlin, Unzicker embraced her role as an advocate of patient’s rights and for the radical transformation of the mental-health system. In 1995, President Clinton appointed her to the National Council on Disability; two years later she was elected president of the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA). Unzicker was widely known for her public appearances, conferences and speeches, and her writings, including numerous articles and contributions to the book Beyond Bedlam: Contemporary Women Psychiatric Survivors Speak Out. A survivor of cancer of the jaw and breast, Rae Unzicker died at her home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on March 22, 2001 at the age of 52.

Although a small collection, Rae Unzicker’s papers document her activities as a leading advocate for the rights of mental health patients, including transcripts of speeches and videotaped appearances, correspondence and feedback related to workshops and conferences, press kits, and newspaper clippings. The most important materials, however, are her writings. It is through her poems and her full-length memoir, You Never Gave Me M & M’s, that Unzicker’s story and voice are preserved.

Background on Rae Unzicker

“To be a mental patient is to be stigmatized, ostracized, socialized, patronized, and psychiatrized.”

From “To be a Mental Patient” by Rae Unzicker, 1984

Public servant and disability civil rights activist, Rae Unzicker spent her adult life advocating the fair treatment and equal rights for psychiatric patients, including their right to decide if and how they receive treatment. Unzicker’s advocacy was grounded in her own experiences, for she knew firsthand the damaging atmosphere of psychiatric institutions. From the age of 12, she found herself in and out of therapists’ offices, hospitals, and mental institutions. It was not until the age of 24 that her road to recover really started to see significant positive changes, although she continued to have high and low periods throughout her life. Despite her continual struggles, Unzicker considered herself a psychiatric survivor, and she was determined to create change in the care of mental health patients.

Born Carole Renetta Engles in 1948, Rae grew up in Ottawa, Kansas, where she graduated from high school in 1966. During high school, Unzicker was known for her poetry, oratorical skill, and interest in journalism. During her senior year, she won the American Legion Oratorical Award as well as a Senior High Journalist of the Year award and a journalism scholarship awarded to her by The Ottawa Herald. After graduation, she continued to pursue journalism and worked on the yearbook staff at the University of Kansas, until her hospitalizations and relationship with her parents left her unable to neither attend nor afford classes. She did eventually graduate with a B.S. in Journalism in 1970.

After a very traumatic year which included being raped and having a therapeutic abortion, Unzicker moved to Sioux Falls, where she made her home until her death in 2001. In Sioux Falls, Unzicker began working for the local news station, KSOO-TV. It was the beginning of a promising career, but suffering from the same doubts and anxiety that plagued her in high school and college, she attempted suicide multiple times which resulted in her termination from the news station. Despite the unfortunate outcome of her time at the station, it was during this time that she began seeing Dr. Robert Hughes, who was extremely influential in her recovery. He was the first to refuse to indulge her threats of suicide and the first to reward her with consistent positive feedback. It was this positive reinforcement and encouragement for her accomplishments that started to change the way Unzicker saw herself and how she reacted to situations. However, after another failed suicide attempt, Hughes refused to see Unzicker as his patient. This act changed Rae. She came to recognize that she had hurt someone who cared about her and whom she considered a friend, and from this, she pushed herself to join the “healthies,” using the lessons Dr. Hughes had taught her.

Rae married Jim Unzicker (1932-1998) in 1974 and became a mother to five step-children. Together Rae and Jim operated a film and advertising company. After being married for a few months, Rae drafted a manuscript of her memoir, You Never Gave Me M & M’s. This book recounted her childhood and early adulthood, including her stays in mental hospitals, those who helped her, her revelations about her condition, and ultimately her call for change in the understanding and care of mental health care patients. The final chapters of this book can be seen as a manifesto for her founding of the South Dakota Mental Health Advocacy Project in 1979. As the book recounts the horrors and turmoil Rae faced emotionally and physically, it ultimately ends with a message of hope, an honest and almost surprising message considering Rae’s mental state only a few years earlier.

As part of her advocacy for the rights of mental health patients, Rae spoke at multiple conferences and workshops around the country and in Europe. She appeared on multiple television shows including The Phil Donahue Show. She even ran a campaign, albeit unsuccessful, for a position in the South Dakota House of Representatives. Despite her unsuccessful campaign, she continued to advocate for human rights in South Dakota and beyond. She was honored for her contributions to the betterment of society by Women’s Day magazine, when she was named an Outstanding Woman in America in 1987. However, the ultimate recognition of her contributions to the fight for people labelled with psychiatric disabilities came when President Bill Clinton appointed her to the National Council on Disability (NCD) in 1995. She served on this council until her death in 2001, and she is often credited with the conception and editing of From Privileges to Rights: People Labelled with Psychiatric Disabilities Speak for Themselves (2000), which was a report to President based on testimony from people with psychiatric disabilities. The report called for those with psychiatric disabilities to be treated as citizens and to be afforded the same rights applied to all other citizens. Rae’s work at the national level did not stop with the NCD. She became President of National Association for Rights, Protection, and Advocacy (NARPA) in 1997.

Rae was a prolific writer, and wrote numerous speeches and articles on the subject of mental health care. Late in her life, she published a chapter in Beyond Bedlam: Contemporary Women Psychiatric Survivors Speak Out (2000); this book offered a look at the experiences of women who were survivors of the psychiatric system, what lead them to treatment and how they were treated. In her chapter, “From the Inside,” Rae describes how she felt that something was wrong with her from a young age, how her abusive home life and the unhelpful treatments she received in hospitals only made problems worse. She paints an abysmal portrait of mental health care, calling its “help” a lie. Written nearly forty years after her first experience with psychiatry, “From the Inside” served as a reminder of how much change was still needed in the care of mental patients.

Approaching the end of her life, her battle with breast cancer worsened as the cancer returned in 1999. Then in 2000, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Finally, she lost her battle with cancer at the age of 52 in 2001, in her home in Sioux Falls.

Described as energetic but tempestuous by David Kohn, one of her “refugees,” Rae was a witty and charming woman and a phenomenal public speaker. Yet, she did have a darker, troubled side that she continually battled her entire life. However, it was ultimately her struggle that informed her career as a mental health activist, and is what drove her to pursue equal rights for all mental health patients.

Contents of Collection

Rae Unzicker’s papers document her activities as a leading advocate for the rights of mental health patients. Although small, the collection provides insight into Unzicker’s life, thoughts, and passions. Newspaper clippings of Unzicker’s articles from Sunday, a review column in a Sioux Falls paper, showcase her wit and zeal, as well as her interests in theater, local events, and politics, including a series about the local Problems Living Center. Transcriptions and drafts of her speeches and appearances reveal the major points of Unzicker’s advocacy and exhibit her allure as a public speaker. Unzicker’s papers also include a plethora of correspondence and feedback related to workshops and conferences; these letters give thanks, endorsement, and encouragement, and demonstrate the large number of audiences Unzicker reached with her appearances and words. Although the collection lacks much of Rae’s personal correspondence, it includes a particularly moving letter written to her parents; this letter of reconciliation offers insight into Rae’s relationship with her parents as well as her recovery. Unlike her speeches or letters, which offer brief descriptions of her experiences with the mental health care system, Unzicker’s memoir, You Never Gave Me M & M’s, provides the most complete account of her childhood and early adulthood, including her first attempt at suicide, her first encounter with a psychiatrist, and the numerous highs and lows she faced on her journey to recovery. The collection includes two full copies of the manuscript, one of which has handwritten edits.

In addition to these materials, the collection includes videotaped appearances, photographs, a press kit, resources for mental health care (such as articles, poetry, and worksheets), Rae’s poetry and creative writings, and newspaper clippings about Rae and her husband Jim as well as various issues in mental health care.

Collection inventory
Awards: articles, photographs, programs

1984-1987
Box 1: 1
Biographical Documents: resume, biography, and personal correspondence

1978-1993
Box 1: 2
Brochure: Birch, Bill

undated
Box 1: 3
Brochure: Shannon, Bill

undated
Box 1: 4
Campaign material and press kit: South Dakota House of Representatives

ca.1981
Box 1: 5
Canvas Bag: “WAPR AMRP Ireland ’93”

1993
Box 3
Chamberlin, Judi: greeting card from Laura

undated
Box 1: 6

Greeting card, possibly from Laura Van Tosh, transfers Unzicker’s papers to Chamberlin.

Conference and talk brochures

1982-1990
Box 1: 7
Invitation: Mason, Jeff

1991
Box 1: 8
Letters to Rae: thanks, endorsement, and congratulations

1980-1997
Box 1: 9
Newspaper Clippings: Jim and Rae Unzicker

1972-1992
Box 1: 10
Newspaper Clippings: state of mental health care

1972-1992
Box 1: 11
Newspaper clippings: theater performances

1967, ca. 1972
Box 1: 12

Two clippings featuring Unzicker in theatrical performances.

Photographs: albums of Rae Unzicker

undated
2 albums
Box 1: 13
Photographs: headshots of Rae Unzicker

undated
Box 1: 14
Photographs: Rae Unzicker

undated
Box 1: 15
Photographs: Rae Unzicker, Judi Chamberlin, and Laura Prescott

undated
Box 1: 16
Photographs and drawings: Rae Unzicker

undated
Box 1: 17
Press Kit

ca. 1997
Box 1: 18
Resources for therapy and mental health

1984-2000
Box 1: 19
Resources for therapy and mental health: poetry and short stories

1984-2000
Box 1: 20
Resources for therapy and mental health: worksheets

1984-2000
Box 1: 21
Speeches and articles collected by Unzicker

ca. 1985-2000
Box 1: 22

Includes written materials by Judi Chamberlin, Laura Prescott, Estelle Reiner.

Unzicker, Rae, Transcript from Donahue Show

1980
Box 1: 23
Unzicker, Jim, Writings, notes, and speeches

undated
Box 1: 24
Unzicker, Rae, Abstract for presentation at “Myths and Truths”

undated
Box 1: 25
Unzicker, Rae, Advertisements

1977-1994
Box 1: 26
Unzicker, Rae, “Another Point View” Series

ca.1970
Box 1: 27
Unzicker, Rae, “Current Trends for ‘Mental Patients’ and Others”

1989
Box 1: 28
Unzicker, Rae, “Cynic’s Primer: How to Develop at Healthy Hate”

undated
Box 1: 29
Unzicker, Rae, “Fried Eggs”

undated
Box 2: 1
Unzicker, Rae, “From the Inside,” book chapter in Beyond Bedlam

1995
Box 2: 2
Unzicker, Rae, “Godfather”

undated
Box 2: 3
Unzicker, Rae, “Hype and Hope of Stigma”

ca.1985
Box 2: 4
Unzicker, Rae, “Listening to Critical Voices”

undated
Box 2: 5
Unzicker, Rae, “MADvocacy: Attila Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”

1985
Box 2: 6
Unzicker, Rae, “Making Trouble”

undated
Box 2: 7
Unzicker, Rae, Memoir: You Never Gave Me M & M’s, Manuscript with edits

ca. 1975
Box 2: 8
Unzicker, Rae, Memoir: You Never Gave Me M & M’s, Manuscript without edits

ca. 1975
Box 2: 9
Unzicker, Rae, Memoir: You Never Gave M & M’s, Notes and Synopsis

ca. 1975
Box 2: 10
Unzicker, Rae, “My Own Story”

undated
Box 2: 11
Unzicker, Rae, Newspaper and magazine articles on non-political issues

1971-1973
Box 2: 12
Unzicker, Rae, Newspaper and magazine articles on political issues

1972-1994
Box 2: 13
Unzicker, Rae, Newspaper articles on Problem-in-Living Center

1973
Box 2: 14
Unzicker, Rae, Notes from speeches given at NARPA

1989
Box 2: 15
Unzicker, Rae, Notes on Bodymind

undated
Box 2: 16
Unzicker, Rae, Notes on presentation about speaking in public

undated
Box 2: 17
Unzicker, Rae, Other writings: poetry, plays, inspiration

ca.1967
Box 2: 18
Unzicker, Rae, Other Writings: prose

undated
Box 2: 19
Unzicker, Rae, “On Language and Liberty”

undated
Box 2: 20
Unzicker, Rae, “On Passion: A Personal Statement,” article

undated
Box 2: 21
Unzicker, Rae, “Owning Your Own Experience”

1991
Box 2: 22
Unzicker, Rae, “Plexiglass”

undated
Box 2: 23
Unzicker, Rae, “Report on 1994 National Symposium: Involuntary Interventions”

1994
Box 2: 24
Unzicker, Rae, “Resolved: That Involuntary Treatment is Never Justified”

1986
Box 2: 25
Unzicker, Rae, “Right to Refuse”

undated
Box 2: 26
Unzicker, Rae, Speech for AALS

undated
Box 2: 27
Unzicker, Rae, Speech for APA Advocacy

undated
Box 2: 28
Unzicker, Rae, Speech for NMHA

undated
Box 2: 29
Unzicker, Rae, Speech given at AMI Conference

ca. 1990
Box 2: 30
Unzicker, Rae, Speech given at “Education, Rights, and Responsiblities”

ca.1989
Box 2: 31
Unsicker, Rae, Speech given at NAPAS, two drafts

1997
Box 2: 32
Unzicker, Rae, Speech on behalf of NAMP given at Alternatives ’88

1988
Box 2: 33
Unzicker, Rae, Speech on behalf of the National Association of Psychiatric Survivors

1990
Box 2: 34
Unzicker, Rae, Speech to South Dakota Community Support Program

1981
Box 2: 35
Unzicker, Rae, Speech to Seventh CSP Learning Community Conference

1985
Box 2: 36
Unzicker, Rae, Speeches: miscellaneous notes and drafts

undated
Box 2: 37
Unzicker, Rae, “These are the days…”

undated
Box 2: 38
Unzicker, Rae, “There is no group of people more feared…”

undated
Box 2: 39
Unzicker, Rae, “To be a Mental Patient…”

1984
Box 2: 40
Unzicker, Rae, “Top Ten Reasons to Oppose Forced Treatment”

1994
Box 2: 41
Unzicker, Rae, “Wake Up” story

undated
Box 2: 42
Unzicker, Rae, “What It Takes to do the Possible”

1986
Box 2: 43
Unzicker, Rae, “Why you haven’t come a long way, baby”

undated
Box 2: 44
Unzicker, Rae, Women and Mental Health

undated
Box 2: 45
Videos

1983-2000
Caplan, Paula, “Call Me Crazy”

1996
Box 4
“Children’s Express”

1988
Box 4
Civic Dialogue NAMP”

1988
Box 4
Collins, Rhonda, “we don’t live under NORMAL CONDITIONS”

2000
Box 4
Lawrence & Schiller, “Dakotacare History”

1996
Box 4
Light, Allie, “Dialogues with Madwomen”

1993
Box 4
Johnson, R. J., “Look Who’s Laughing”

1994
Box 4
“May 1988 CASE Management Conference, Keynote (Rae Unzicker)”

1988
Box 4
NARPA, “‘Crazy Women’ Madness, Myth, & Metaphor”

1990
Box 4
National Empowerment Center, “Recovery is for Everyone”

1996
Box 4
“Oprah, Peter Breggin, Dennis Clark, Leonard Frank, and Rae Unzicker”

1987
Box 4
PBS, “Prozac Show PBS”

1997
Box 4
“Rae: Mpls Shock Show (Ep)”

ca. 1987
Box 3
“Rae: Sally Jesse Raphael”

ca. 1983
Box 3
Ryerson Communications, Inc., “This is Freedom: Self Determination Across America”

1998
Box 4
“Sally Jessy Raphael: Rae/Pat”

ca. 1983
Box 5
Administrative information
Provenance

Acquired from Donor, 2013.

Processing Information

Processed by Brittany Mayo, May 2014.

For materials related to the civil rights for mental patients, see:

  • Judi Chamberlin Papers (MS 768)
Copyright and Use (More informationConnect to publication information)

Cite as: Rae Unizcker Papers (MS 818). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.

Subjects

AntipsychiatryEx-mental patientsPeople with disabilities--Civil rightsPeople with disabilities--Legal status, laws, etc.Psychiatric survivors movement

Contributors

Unzicker, Rae

Types of material

MemoirsVideotapes