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ANN ARBOR,
MI - Being the daughter of an Indiana State Police officer,
Tammi Landry was surrounded by law enforcement officials nearly
her entire life. She remembers her father's colleagues as being
strong, proud, brave men who went out every day to make the world
a better place - no matter what emotional effects their profession
may have had on their lives.
 And
even her father seemed to uphold that honorable facade during his
26 years on the force. But in early 2001, Landry and her family
discovered that his work had a much deeper impact on his life. It
wasn't until her father took his own life that they realized that
he had been suffering from depression.
"Not once
did I ever think 'my dad's mentally ill.' He had good and bad days,
but I just thought it was the way he was," says Landry. "But
when it led to suicide, it was an incredibly devastating thing,
and I began to feel like I was the only one this had ever happened
to."
However, Landry
soon realized she wasn't alone. And now, through a local walk she
helped organize called "Into the Light," she hopes to
let others with depression and those who have family members with
depression or have committed suicide as the result of depression,
know that they're also not alone.
The purpose
of the "Into the Light" walk, sponsored by the University
of Michigan Depression Center and the Ann Arbor Chapter of the
American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention (AFSP), is to raise public awareness about
depression and its link to suicide. It will also work to educate
the community about the help and treatment available for the 1.5
million Americans at risk and the 500,000 in episode in Michigan.
The walk, which
will take participants through Ann Arbor on Sunday, Aug. 18, is
a seven-mile journey to represent the one in seven Americans who
suffer from depression. A shorter route is also available for registrants.
"We want
people to know how common depression is and that it really is okay
to ask for help," says Landry, the co-founder of the Ann Arbor
AFSP. "Especially after the events of Sept. 11, people now
more than ever need to know there is effective treatment out there."
Still, like
Landry's father, many people perceive depression as a sign of weakness
instead of a condition that requires medical treatment. But the
walk hopes to correct any false beliefs by bringing the truth about
depression and the ways to treat the illness to light, says John
F. Greden, M.D., director of the U-M Depression Center.
"Education
is the best way to get people to change misperceptions about depression,"
he says. "It's an illness, and if people seek treatment and
stay with that treatment, we'll be able to eliminate any tragic
outcomes, such as suicide, from occurring."
Depression
is one of the most disabling disorders in the world. It affects
21 percent of women and 11 percent of men at some point in their
lives. Although the exact causes of depression are unknown, the
current thinking is that depression is a brain disorder that is
in part hereditary and is often associated with current or early
life stress.
But recognizing
depression can be difficult. Depression, Greden says, is an illness
that often presents itself with many physical symptoms - fatigue,
pain, loss of appetite. It's also characterized by feeling of sadness,
helplessness and irritability, which may not be apparent to health
care providers.
Often, physicians
just treat the symptoms while the underlying syndrome goes undetected.
And when depression goes untreated and its painful symptoms persist,
patients may become overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and
find it difficult to continue in life.
"Depression
can be treated before it transitions into suicide," says Greden.
"But the biggest barrier we face is that it's an illness that's
not talked about and in many cases it's being hidden from family
and friends. As a result, no steps are taken to correct it."
Greden hopes
the walk will encourage families to be more open about depression
and recognize the signs of this illness so that their loved ones
can be treated effectively.
The walk
will begin at 9 a.m. Registration will be open at 8 a.m. at Pioneer
High School, 601 West Stadium, Ann Arbor. Pre-registration is
not required, but is encouraged at www.depressioncenter.org.
The walkers will travel through Ann Arbor and then finish at the
high school. The registration fee is $10 per walker.
This year's
inaugural walk has been made possible through the support of local
businesses and individual donations.
Facts about
depression and suicide:
- Approximately
86 Americans take their own lives every day
- Depression
costs U.S. companies about $70 billion each year in medical expenses,
absenteeism, decreased productivity and other related costs
- Major depression
is the most disabling illness worldwide among persons five and
older
- More Americans
suffer from depression than coronary heart disease, cancer and
AIDS
- About 15
percent of the population who suffer from depression will attempt
suicide if untreated
Special notes
on this release
Reporters/Editors:
Several local walkers are willing to share their stories related
to suicide and/or depression to help increase public awareness.
Please call (734)764-2220 to set up an interview.
Written
by: Krista Hopson
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