New nonprofit Walt’s Waltz working with SC Universities to better understand mental illness – WYFF4 Greenville

Susan Crooks' son Walt loved music, being outside, philosophy, and teaching science and technology at Clemson - his family called him a Renaissance man. But alongside a life full of love, she tells WYFF4 that Walt also struggled."I guess it started 20 years ago with his anxiety and depression, said Crooks, And it just kinda started to show maybe even a little before that, 13, 14, and you know I had him go to a therapist, on one point they put him on a little bit of medicine, and then we did keep seeing about it."But years of doctors, medications and other treatments didn't work for him.Walt ended his life in August. He was 35 years old. "My son didn't want to die - he wanted to live, said Crooks, "My son...died from anxiety and depression - that is what he died from."In her grief, Susan is finding strength in launching a new non-profit called Walts Waltz, named for her sons love of time. She's now working with Clemson University, Furman University, and the University of South Carolina to develop the foundation to create safe spaces to talk about mental health, breaking down the stigma of silence by adopting a new three-stages model to identify severity of a mental crisis. "What we want people to understand is where they're at. And even if they're at a one, they might want to talk with people and get some help. But if they're at a three - this would kind of alert them to, you know, I'm actually really struggling, she said. If you or someone you care about is in crisis, help is always available. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255 Walt's Waltz: https://www.facebook.com/waltswaltz/National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://namisc.org/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm

Susan Crooks' son Walt loved music, being outside, philosophy, and teaching science and technology at Clemson - his family called him a Renaissance man.

But alongside a life full of love, she tells WYFF4 that Walt also struggled.

"I guess it started 20 years ago with his anxiety and depression, said Crooks, And it just kinda started to show maybe even a little before that, 13, 14, and you know I had him go to a therapist, on one point they put him on a little bit of medicine, and then we did keep seeing about it."

But years of doctors, medications and other treatments didn't work for him.

Walt ended his life in August. He was 35 years old.

"My son didn't want to die - he wanted to live, said Crooks, "My son...died from anxiety and depression - that is what he died from."

In her grief, Susan is finding strength in launching a new non-profit called Walts Waltz, named for her sons love of time.

She's now working with Clemson University, Furman University, and the University of South Carolina to develop the foundation to create safe spaces to talk about mental health, breaking down the stigma of silence by adopting a new three-stages model to identify severity of a mental crisis.

"What we want people to understand is where they're at. And even if they're at a one, they might want to talk with people and get some help. But if they're at a three - this would kind of alert them to, you know, I'm actually really struggling, she said.

If you or someone you care about is in crisis, help is always available.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255

Walt's Waltz: https://www.facebook.com/waltswaltz/

National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://namisc.org/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm

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New nonprofit Walt's Waltz working with SC Universities to better understand mental illness - WYFF4 Greenville