Author: Maureen Focht, M.S.

ISBN 1-932279-18-0 

Ms. Focht holds a Masters degree in Educational Counseling from National University in Sacramento, California. She is an educator for the Family-to-Family program through the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and a training specialist for the nationally known "Parent Project," working with foster children and distressed families. She also "has dedicated herself to improve the lives of those who live with mental illness in the family." Now, she may add published author to her resume.

 Through her book, Silent Heroes, Ms. Focht has truly captured what it was like to grow up with a mother who suffered with schizophrenia and depression. The oldest of three children, she knew her mother, Margie, before the mental illness struck. She shares the details and, in turn, commemorates her silent hero -- her father, John.

Most of us remember our mothers cleaning, cooking, baking and washing our clothes. We may also recollect special trips or vacations. Maureen's mother performed all these chores and more. And, there were family trips. It was a happy time. Shortly after a trip to Colorado, Maureen's other journey began. The journey away from “normal.”

Around the time Maureen turned twelve-years old, her teenage path darkened. Her father worked nights, there were two more children, sons, and her mother, who could be found staring out of the living room window. It was the beginning of mental illness, with happy days far and few between. Maureen's mother became the "elephant in the room."

Maureen's father held the family unit together -- sometimes with super-glue and at other times, with a prayer. He didn’t have had much information about mental illness, but he didn't tolerate his wife being treated differently either. Mom was still their mother and Margie, forever his wife.

Being a child, Maureen did not have the support or guidance only a mother can give -- leaving her at a loss. She could have easily turned to drugs, alcohol or bad behavior to act-out. Instead, she chose the road that led her to help others. She learns that her maternal great-grandmother had been institutionalized, thereby genetically predisposing her mother to mental illness. She may carry the gene, passed through the females in her family, but Maureen is a healthy survivor. The dread of becoming like her mother has not materialized. And, she has awakened from the fog that was her life through it all. 

In the 60’s, not much was understood about mental illness. In spite of that, John cared for his wife and family. In the end, he had to make a tough decision - carry on, “by the familiarity” his wife “felt having him in her life,” or institutionalize his beloved Margie. He found his own solution -- as we all do.

Ms. Focht says, "one in four households, a loved one suffers from a brain disorder." And that "the term "brain disorder" spans a wide spectrum, from depression, to autism, to schizophrenia to phobias."  She further explains, "a brain disorder is defined as any disorder or disease of the brain. Alzheimer's, post-traumatic stress syndrome, eating disorders, and Tourette's syndrome all fall under the umbrella of brain disorder." And, "some of these conditions are also called neurobehavioral conditions or neurobiological disorders." She finishes by saying, "others are referred to as mental illness,"

Maureen's maternal grandparents moved away to California. During that time, a close neighbor-friend dies. Maureen's father "was convinced that there was a direct connection between the move and his wife's illness." Maureen speculates, "Perhaps, this deep sense of loss triggered, or at least contributed to, her illness.”

As Ms. Focht begins each poignant chapter, she draws on wisdom from special people such as Helen Keller, Buddha and Norman Vincent Peale. She addresses teens with depression, listing the symptoms one should look for; care-taking pressures; and the consequences of maternal depression. Maureen answers questions about predisposition to mental illness, men with schizophrenia and how one discovery leads to another. She has included other pertinent stories that further detail what people who live with those afflicted with mental illness endure. Maureen also mentions acceptance and forgiveness -- important in order for family members to survive.

Completing this labor of love, Maureen has offered resources at the back of the book that catalog contacts for issues such as mental illness, schizophrenia, depression and bipolar.

Finally, Maureen has a Breaking The Silence contest. The first recipient is Alan Alda. For more information, please visit her website at www.thesilentheroes.com.

Silent Heroes has earned the Writers Marketing Association Fresh Voices Award for 2006 in the Psychology/Mental health category and was a Best Book News 2005 Finalist Winner in both the Psychology/Mental Health category and the Social Change category.

This book is a must read!