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Erase Stigma of Mental Health Disorders

TUESDAY, 31 AUGUST 2010


Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, a former Dallas Cowboys running back and one of the top performers in National Football League history, has been named the official spokesman for a special mental health outreach by University Behavioral Health of Denton, an Ascend Health Corporation mental health hospital.

Walker, whose 2008 autobiography, Breaking Free, told the story of how he overcame dissociative identity disorder, is now working with University Behavioral Health in a special initiative to raise awareness of mental health disorders and dispel the stigmas attached to them that keep people – particularly men – from seeking help.

As part of the cooperative effort, University Behavioral Health has instituted a special Breaking Free treatment program. It is a specialized, integrated therapy program that focuses on adults who face multiple mental health disorders or a combination of mental illness and drug or alcohol dependency, also known as co-occurring disorders. Walker will help publicize the University Behavioral Health program in a variety of community-centered outreach efforts connected with his frequent public appearances, as well as in promotional materials including television advertisements.

“There is no better spokesman for the cause of erasing the stigma of mental health treatment among men than Herschel Walker,” said Dr. Nishendu Vasavada, Corporate Medical Director at Ascend Health and the key clinical professional in the University Behavioral Health Breaking Free program. “As a football star and physical fitness aficionado, he is a man’s man, and if he wasn’t afraid to seek help, no man should be.”

Walker, who won a Heisman Trophy as a college player at the University of Georgia before launching his pro football career, is still one of the top all-time performers in the NFL. He gained 18,168 total rushing, receiving, and kickoff return yards over a dozen seasons. Now he is actively involved in the Mixed Martial Arts fighting league competition, with a major bout scheduled for October.

“When I told my story in Breaking Free, it was a great relief to be able to talk openly about my mental health battle,” Walker said. “It was almost as liberating as overcoming my disorder in the first place. This joint initiative with University Behavioral Health will do a lot of good in reaching out to men, and women, who may be resisting the treatment they need because of embarrassment.”

Source: www.pr.com

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