Activists aim to break stigma associated with mental illness; Suicide Prevention Walk set Sept. 10

Danville resident Lorrie Eanes-Brooks was so depressed she tried to kill herself twice, and her anxiety became so bad she left a cart full of groceries in Wal-Mart to escape being in public.

Today, she helps others struggling with mental illness as a local field ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a volunteer for Recovery Refuge.

Eanes-Brooks wants to bring awareness to mental illness and spread the message that mental health is just as important as physical health. There is no shame in seeking help, she said.

"One of my goals in life is to break that stigma," Eanes-Brooks said Thursday.

The foundation is holding the second annual Danville-Pittsylvania County Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk on Sept. 10. Free and open to the public, the event will raise money for the foundation, with half of the amount coming back to the region - if it meets the organizers' goal of $40,000 - that includes Danville and Martinsville and Pittsylvania, Henry and Halifax counties.

Festivities will include hot dogs, speakers, live music and kids' activities such as face-painting and balloon animals, said LeAnne Hardy, the event's organizer. There also will be a memorial program for suicide victims, Danville Area Humane Society adoptable pet section and Veterans Suicide Awareness section.

Local veteran organizations have been invited to the event, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offices will be there, Hardy said. Terry "The Walking Marine" Sharpe, a Vietnam War veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, will also attend, she said.

The U.S. loses 22 military veterans a day to suicide, and Hardy has taken the issue on locally.

"We've kind of jumped on that ? as a special project this year," Hardy said.

Last year's walk had more than 500 participants and raised more than $45,000, she said. Nearly 300 have signed up for this year's walk so far, and Hardy expects almost that many more to register at the event.

Nearly $10,000 has been raised, she said.

Virginia has a higher suicide rate than the national average, and there are more suicides than homicides in the Dan River Region, Hardy said. Danville lost 41 residents and Pittsylvania County lost 49 to suicide in 2013, she said, referring to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hardy's brother, Nowlin "Slick" Hardy, died by suicide in 2013 at 36. He had struggled with drug addiction and an undiagnosed mental illness.

As for Eanes-Brooks, 46 and a 1988 graduate of George Washington High School, she first attempted suicide at 17 by trying to overdose on Tylenol.

"I threw up all night and went to school the next day," Eanes-Brooks recalled. She also is an organizer of the walk.

Though she excelled academically and participated in extracurricular activities, she was depressed and anxious. She struggled with a sense of impending doom and feared being among groups of people.

"Those two things together caused major trouble for me," she said, adding she could not have a conversation that made sense.

Though she experienced feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, she continued to thrive.

"I always excelled at things," she added. "It's kind of the paradox of the situation because I was a cheerleader in high school and I was in social clubs."

She tried to kill herself again at 21 with a mixture of allergy medication and Tylenol. She also slit her wrists. Her then-husband found her unconscious and she was hospitalized.

"I woke up with a tube down my throat," Eanes-Brooks said.

She was diagnosed with depression at the time, but it wasn't until about six years ago that she was diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

"I didn't want to leave my house," she said. "I didn't feel comfortable going out in public."

She now relies on her Christian faith, self-awareness and knowledge about her condition, breathing exercises and helping others to cope with her illness and alleviate symptoms. She wants to let others know they can have mental illness and maintain a good life.

She is an Avon representative with a team of 80 working under her. She is a volunteer peer recovery specialist for Recovery Refuge, which helps those with addiction and mental illness. She's also a volunteer wellness recovery action plan facilitator with the organization.

In addition, she is a volunteer event coordinator for Recovery Refuge, which is one of the walk's sponsors.

Her goal is to remove the stigma of seeking help for mental illness. After all, no one hesitates to get help for a cardiac emergency, Eanes-Brooks said

"When it's a mental illness condition, people tend to hesitate about asking for help," she said. "It's just as important to maintain your mental health as it is to maintain your heart health."

Depression - and other mental illnesses - is a medical condition like cardiac issues, Hardy said. It needs to be looked at as a health issue instead of as a mental disorder, Hardy said.

"We're trying to get it moved from behavioral health to an actual health issue," she said.

With help for depression or anxiety, people can still lead their idea of a successful life, Eanes-Brooks said.

"Where you are now is not where you have to stay," she said.