Remembering My Mom and the Grandmother My Girls Never had the Chance to Meet…

Remembering My Mom and the Grandmother My Girls Never had the Chance to Meet…

Many of you know that each year, I like to select a cause near and dear to my heart that has had a personal impact on my life. It is a way for me to help others and an opportunity for my family to reflect on the many blessings in our lives.

When I asked my girls, ages 12 and 10 what we should do this year, they wanted to support a cause to honor my mom, their grandmother and the disease that took her from us. A story that most of you do not know is that my mother suffered from mental illness and substance abuse.

My mom, a lovely mother of 4 did not know how to ask nor get the help she needed. She suffered silently and ultimately lost her battle with it on December 23, 2006. She was 54 years old. Sadly, my daughters never got to meet her.

Caron’s mission is extremely important to me and my family – your support will help me to honor my mom and hopefully will help someone before they lose their battle. It also creates a teachable moment for my girls. These conversations are important ones for us all to have with our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews. To let them know it is ok to ask for help and for them to begin to understand the importance of giving back.

That is why I am sharing my story and asking you to join me in making a charitable gift to Caron, a non-profit behavioral health care center. In light of May being Mental Health Awareness Month and a month (well actually six weeks) where I will be running two big obstacle course races, I am kicking off my fundraising.

You can be part of this effort to help someone receive the treatment that they need. Scroll down for a link to donate. It is easy and could possibly save someone’s life.

About Caron:

Caron Treatment Centers has been providing substance use disorder (SUD) and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention and addiction medicine education in Florida for almost 20 years and for nearly 70 years at its headquarters in Wernersville, Pennsylvania.

Twenty percent of U.S. adults experience mental health issues and for one in 20, the condition can be seriously debilitating, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Caron Florida’s Mental Health Program addresses the much-needed care gap for individuals who can live independently but require personalized attention with 24/7 support as they engage in an integrated therapeutic program that addresses their mental, spiritual and physical health. Caron’s program treats adults who are dealing with ADHD, anger management, anxiety, bipolar disorders, depressive disorders, dual diagnosis, obsessive compulsive disorder, personality disorders, thought disorders and trauma.

The Mental Health Program’s individual and group therapies are the foundation of Caron’s clinical programming. Individualized treatment meets each patient’s needs and strengths and may include evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT), eye movement and desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), psychopharmacology, and safe and sound protocol (SSP).

“The Caron difference has always been the delivery of a person-centered integrative model of care bringing together expertise, cutting-edge research and available science from the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, psychopharmacology and psychology,” said Anna Green, Lead Mental Health Clinician for Caron Treatment Centers.