She Helped Others Thrive. Then She Found Her Own Way Forward

• Published: 5/6/2026

For years, Carol Nash, DM/IST, MBA, MIS built her life around helping others.

As a professor with multiple degrees, she taught, guided and encouraged her students to live fully. On the outside, she looked strong and steady. But inside, she was carrying more than anyone could see.

“I constantly cried over small things,” Nash said. “But I accepted that this is how I lived.” She buried herself in work to avoid her feelings. It worked for a while. Then, her body began to break down.

In 2011, while teaching a health class, Nash got very sick. She lost more than 30 pounds in one month. Her skin darkened. Her ankles swelled so badly she could barely walk.

At a doctor’s visit, everything changed. The doctor stopped the exam and called a heart specialist right away. Nash was rushed into treatment for serious heart problems. Then came more news: tumors in her thyroid. “At least they found it in time,” she said, trying to stay hopeful.

What followed were major surgeries and long hospital stays. Just when she thought the worst was over, another tumor appeared in her neck. Doctors prescribed heavy medication-13 pills a day- to avoid radiation.

One night, while grading papers, she heard something strange. “I thought it was my teacup,” she said. “But it was my teeth falling out.”

The medication had weakened her jaw.

Even then, Nash pushed forward. She had her teeth repaired and returned to teaching. But her heart problems continued. Ambulances were called to her classroom more than once. Still, she tried to stay in control.

“What does Carol do?” she said. “She puts everything underneath her feet and stomps on it, and she thinks it’s gone away.” But it didn’t go away.

Her health forced her into early retirement. The work she loved was gone. Her income stopped. Medical issues and bills piled up. She used her savings just to survive.

Then came more loss. Family struggles. Losing her home and her car. The weight became too much. “You have all these degrees, but you couldn’t do anything with the degrees you paid money for. This put a great damper on my spirit,” Nash said. “I got to a point that I became numb. I didn’t care about life anymore.”

One day, in that dark place, she made a decision she never thought she would. She attempted to take her own life.

“I wasn’t very successful at it, as you can see,” she jokingly said. “But I woke up the next day and thought, I really need to get some help.”

That moment changed everything.

“It wasn’t my personality,” she said. “I was always telling others to live life to the fullest. But I had a hard time lifting myself out of depression.”

She realized she could not do it alone.

Nash searched online and made a call to Parkland Health. She scheduled an appointment at Garland Health Center, unsure of what to expect.

It wasn’t easy. She had spent her life helping others and now she had to ask for help herself. “I talked to a counselor, and she triggered old memories,” Nash said. “Things I thought I had dealt with, but I hadn’t.”

Those sessions opened the door to healing. She was referred to behavioral health services, where she met a psychiatrist and later a counselor who became a steady support in her life.

“Finding someone who isn’t judgmental really helped,” she said. “Visiting my counselor feels like seeing an old sister.”

With therapy and medication, Nash slowly began to feel like herself again. Her mood improved. Her family noticed the change. “My daughter was very happy,” she said. “Everyone started feeling happy around me.”

Today, Nash speaks openly about her journey. She wants others to know they are not alone, and that help can make a difference.

“Stop and do a self-evaluation,” she said. “Are things aggravating you? Are you feeling depressed? If something feels off, pick up the phone and call someone.”

Her message is simple and urgent: “You’re OK to get the help that you need.”

Nash knows how easy it is to hide pain. She also knows how powerful it is to face it. “We aren’t in control of the world around us,” she said. “But we are in control of how we handle things.”

If you’re struggling right now, know that you are not alone.

Talk to someone you trust. Reach out to a counselor, doctor or mental health professional.

If you’re ready to take the next step, ask your provider for a referral to the Parkland Behavioral Health team, or visit www.parklandhealth.org/behavioral-health

If you’re in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or go to the nearest emergency room.