Herschel Walker - Heisman Tropy Winner & Mental Illness Sufferer

I would never wish mental illness on anyone, especially when I see what my husband and son go through - but it is nice to see celebrities and sports figures, who have suffered in silence for so long, speaking out about such a painful topic.

We’ve all heard the words, tossed about, without a care - words like "psycho," "schizo" and hershel walker "wacko." Or you’ve witnessed the jokes about "loony bins" and straightjackets. You might even have read about celebrities like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan who must be "off her meds and out of therapy."

But if you or a loved one has a mental illness, you know that these words and jokes aren’t just harmless fun.  These types of actions perpetuate the stigma attached to mental illness. Stigma is painful and shaming, but we can both cope with it , combat it or help support our loved one so they can.

Herschel Walker once played Russian roulette as he struggled with a personality disorder.

Can you imagine being so detached from life, living in such a dark place, that you would even consider such conduct?  How horribly painful!

Walker suffers from dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. His experiences are chronicled in his book, Breaking Free, which is to be released this week.

The 46-year-old Walker was a Heisman Trophy winner at Georgia and played 12 seasons in the NFL, including three (1992-94) with the Eagles.

He says he had the condition during his playing days but did not realize it. He does not remember winning the Heisman in 1982 or darker events, such as threatening his wife at the time.

Many celebrities are speaking out about their experiences with mental illness. Hershel Walker is stepping out in the company of such celebrities as Nobel Prize-winning economist John Forbes Nash Jr. (schizophrenia); actresses Patty Duke (bipolar disorder), Lorraine Bracco (depression) and Brooke Shields (postpartum depression); newspeople Jane Pauley (bipolar disorder) and Mike Wallace (depression); athletes Terry Bradshaw (depression) and Muffin Spencer-Devlin (bipolar disorder); writers Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., (bipolar disorder), Art Buchwald (depression) and William Styron (depression); and such public figures as Tipper Gore (depression) and Kitty Dukakis (depression, substance abuse).

    April 16, 2008 | Filed Under Mental Illness 

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