Some stories are written to be read. Others are written to be felt. Tracey Crump’s story belongs to the second kind: raw, unfiltered, and deeply human. A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Tracey is an author, a psychiatric nurse with over two decades of experience, and a woman who has walked through unimaginable loss. Her book is not a polished tale of triumph but a living testament to survival, born from love, shaped by grief, and offered as hope to those struggling quietly in the shadows.
From the Road to Recovery: An Unconventional Career Path
Tracey’s professional journey began far from hospital corridors. She started her adult life as a commercial driver, unaware that her future would be anchored in healing others. In 2002, she entered healthcare as a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA). Driven by purpose, she returned to school, advanced her education, and became a nurse. By 2005, she began working at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where she would go on to build a 20-year career in psychiatric nursing.
This dual exposure to both physical endurance and emotional resilience laid the foundation for her unique understanding of mental health.
Loss That Redefined Life
No amount of training could prepare Tracey for the personal tragedies that followed. She lost two sons, one in a household accident and the other to suicide. These losses fractured her world and plunged her into profound anxiety, depression, and grief. Although deeply painful to revisit, Tracey began writing notes during her darkest moments. What started as fragmented thoughts became a lifeline, eventually evolving into a memoir that chronicles her journey through loss and healing.
Writing the book meant reliving trauma. There were moments when she had to stop, step away, and then return. That start-and-stop process was not a weakness, it was survival. It was the only safe way she could tell her story.
When Medicine Wasn’t Enough
Tracey sought help, consulting multiple doctors and trying various medications. Yet the weight of grief remained. She spent endless hours in bed, questioning her purpose and her will to move forward. What ultimately helped was not just clinical care, but honesty, faith, and the courage to confront pain head-on. Her message is clear and resonant: “We cannot just go through grief, we have to grow through grief.”
Living on Both Sides of Mental Health
What truly sets Tracey apart is her lived duality. She is diagnosed with major depression and anxiety, and she is also a practicing psychiatric nurse of 20 years. She understands the system from the inside and the pain from the heart. This rare perspective gives her work authenticity that cannot be manufactured and reassurance to those who feel unseen.
A Voice That’s Being Recognized
Tracey’s advocacy and storytelling have earned growing recognition. She has been featured on the Pink Parachute Podcast Diaries, received the International Eminence Excellence Award 2025, and has been invited to the NAACP Awards in Los Angeles, California, in February 2026. She also admires Author CI of Skepp Urban Novels for impactful storytelling that resonates with real-life struggles.
Books, Belief, and a Bigger Vision
Tracey writes both nonfiction and children’s books, using stories as tools for healing, awareness, and connection. Her guiding belief is simple yet profound: no matter what happens in life, you must continue to look forward and trust God.
Looking ahead, Tracey plans to launch a podcast dedicated to those struggling in silence, a safe, judgment-free space where conversations around mental health, my grief, and rules for healing can exist openly.
Because at the heart of everything she does is one unwavering truth: no one should suffer in silence.
