We analyzed separate interviews of two adults about their experiences with psychiatric disability, the mental health treatment system and recovery using critical discourse analysis (CDA). Our goal was to contribute a more detailed portrait of the process of recovery from serious psychiatric disability by exploring the commonalities and departures within the interviews. To foreshadow the conclusions, each participant's representation of self shifted across two domains. Furthermore, these representations shifted reflexively with changes occurring in their environments and social support systems. This research sheds light on the nature of disease-centered subjectivities and the construction of practice and policy contexts that build on the domains where the adults demonstrate the greatest agency and ability. Practical implications for mental health research, policy and practice are shared.
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