Black Woman CEO Hid Depression Behind Façade Of ‘Having It Together’

Lisa Brown Alexander shares her journey to wellness in her book “Strong on the Outside, Dying on the Inside.”

It’s OK for Black women to admit they’re not superwomen. In the case of Lisa Brown Alexander, people saw a professional Black woman who had it all together on the outside. But underneath the surface, she was hiding a well of psychological pain that is rarely addressed in the African American community.

Alexander is the president and CEO of Nonprofit HR, which she founded in 2000. The company is a full-service human resources firm that focuses exclusively on the nonprofit sector. As a leader in this niche market, Alexander’s client roster boasts some big name organizations, including the ASPCA, Goodwill Industries and Amnesty International.

Alexander shares her journey to wellness in a memoir titled Strong on the Outside, Dying on the Inside, which she developed from her daily journal. The Howard University alumna was on a fast track to success in her career. Everything seemed perfect, so people in her professional and personal circles were shocked when Alexander revealed a five-year battle with depression.

“I took pride in being a strong Black woman,” she told NewsOne. “We tend to take care of others but not ourselves. It just wasn’t a good look for a Black professional woman to have depression.”

“The moment I began writing in my journal, the more I needed to write,” she stated. “And the more I wrote, the better I felt. I couldn’t stop.”

Her descent into psychological darkness started with postpartum…

Please read original article- Black Woman CEO Hid Depression Behind Façade Of ‘Having It Together’