Former Dallas Cowboy to Talk with Collin County College Students Regarding Mental Illness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) October 7, 2011 -- Herschel Walker, former football player and Heisman Trophy winner, will be speaking to students of Collin County College Central Park Campus on Oct. 11, 2011 from 1-3 p.m. Walker will speak on the topic of mental health illnesses and how to identify symptoms.

Leveraging his challenging personal experience with dissociative identity disorder, Walker, 49, will talk about his journey and how he managed to overcome his mental health challenges. Knowing all too well how a mental illness can affect young adults, Walker will encourage individuals to seek help for themselves or for those struggling with mental health or chemical dependency problems.

Walker, a former college and professional football player, played college football for the University of Georgia, where his advanced skills earned him the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Walker’s professional career with the National Football League included playing for the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2008, Walker revealed his experience with dissociative identity disorder in an autobiography titled “Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder”. In his book, Walker shares the impact that caused him not to remember pinnacle moments of his life and nearly drove him to suicide on more than one occasion. Part of his recovery was the writing of his book.

“Hershel’s story is all too common in our country, especially among college students,” said Dr. Nishendu Vasavada, corporate medical director at University Behavioral Health of Denton (UBH Denton). “The difference is Herschel is a public figure, and his courageous act of bringing attention to the matter is critical for letting those who are suffering from mental health and chemical dependency problems to know that it’s okay—and help is available.”

UBH Denton has worked with Collin College’s Active Minds program, a student organization that increases awareness of mental health and provides resources for education, to bring Walker to the college.

The purpose of the event is to inspire students to talk about mental illness and make them aware of symptoms in themselves and others.

“Many times individuals who have a mental illness are not aware of it,” said Dr. Vasavada. “That’s why it’s important for us to stimulate conversation. If young adults can recognize the symptoms and seek help, they stand to gain much more in their studies as well in life in general.”

According to a 2008 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, it is estimated that at least 2.4 million young adults aged 18 through 26 had a serious mental illness in 2006. For UBH Denton, this number is alarming.

Dr. Vasavada says through public forums such as this, young adults better themselves and strengthen the future of our country.

Walker will begin speaking at 1 p.m. at the Collin County College Central Park Campus Conference Center (2200 W. University Dr., McKinney, TX 75070) on Oct. 11, 2011. This event is open to students and the general public. For more information, please contact Michelle Lee at 940-765-2455.

About University Behavioral Health of Denton

University Behavioral Health of Denton is a private psychiatric hospital specializing in mental health and chemical dependency care. This freestanding hospital provides a wide range of services and programs that offer evidence-based treatment proven to have positive outcomes for patients. Inpatient and outpatient services at UBH Denton offer supportive and compassionate care through specialty programs that are tailored to meet the needs of individuals. As a community service, UBH Denton provides free confidential assessments. For more information, please call 940-320-8100-4000 or visit www.ubhdenton.com.

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