Monday, June 28, 1999
Journey for mental health makes strides
BY SUSAN VELA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BOWLING GREEN — Motorists have tried to run Stuart Perry off the road as he's attempted a 1,000-mile walk across the nation, but nothing so far has knocked him off course.
The 40-year-old Georgian witnessed his father's suicide, took a long slow turn into clinical depression and plunged into hallucinations and delusions before he “came out of his coma.” Now he's determined to share his tale of recovery.
For every driver who has tried to run him off the road, there have been many more who have walked with him, thanked him for his efforts, given him thumbs-up signs, tossed him money and shared their own stories.
“There are just too many great things that have taken place,” said Mr. Perry in a telephone conversation from Bowling Green recently. “It's been unreal. The truckers have been so good to me. People need to hear this story. They've needed some uplifting.”
Mr. Perry is a mental health advocate for the State of Georgia and has spoken at the Rosalynn Carter Institute in Georgia, which focuses on mental health issues. He has shared his story on radio shows and given speeches across the nation.
But he's never delivered his message — that recovery from clinical depression through medication, counseling and, yes, perhaps walking — is possible.
This “is the first time I walked a thousand miles before,” said Mr. Perry, whose goal is to end the stigma of depression and mental illness. “I wanted to go across the country. There are so many people out there that need this help. ”
Mr. Perry left his hometown of Americus, Ga., on May 1 and, since then, has walked through Georgia and Tennessee, sometimes riding between appearances that are drawing crowds of 25 to 100. He will share his story with area residents Thursday.
He is welcoming people to join him at noon that day at Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky, 605 Madison Ave., in Covington before walking to the Northern Kentucky Police Memorial, between the Kenton County Building and the Suspension Bridge, for a 12:30 p.m. rally.
He will then walk to Cinergy Corp., at Fourth and Main streets, in downtown Cincinnati to give a 1:30 p.m. speech and then walk some more to a 3:30 p.m. “grand rally” on the front lawn of the United Way Community Chest building, 2400 Reading Road.
He will leave on July 5 for Louisville before heading to Indiana. His appearances will end on July 30 in Chicago.
“I see that good is happening,” Mr. Perry said of his “journey for life.”
“It's so nice to feel good and be happy again.”
Mr. Perry had an athletic scholarship and was playing football at Troy State University in Troy, Ala., when he went home during his junior year, had breakfast with his father and left the table.
His father followed him into a room, held a shotgun to his own chest and shot himself. Mr. Perry was 21.
He dropped out of college, took over the family's service station and married his high school sweetheart. He now realizes that his desire to hold onto something from his father made him take over the family business.
But, over time, stress from the business and feelings of guilt and being haunted by the suicide took a gradual, but frightening toll. He was depressed and the malady debilitated him so badly that he ultimately started hallucinating, hearing voices and thinking about hurting his family and himself.
His depression climaxed soon after he turned 30. He was at work, and started talking about how he didn't want to die and didn't want to commit suicide. Before he was taken to the hospital, he had grabbed the cash register and taken it outside.
“It was a bond with (my father),” he said. “I had gone fully psychotic.”
It took years before he could get on with his life. He originally was misdiagnosed and given medications that didn't help. But then he was prescribed Prozac. It worked, as did the exercise he received when he was taken to a field of long grass, given a push lawn mower and told to mow.
“The grass was about a foot tall,” he said. “Up and down the fields, that's what I did for seven months. The medication got into my system and I began waking out of the coma. I started to get all my sensations back. Everything started to come back. I've recovered and been seven years in remission.”
His advocacy career began about 21/2 years ago when he spoke at the Rosalynn Carter Institute about his struggles and recovery. Soon after, the State of Georgia invited him to become a full-time mental health advocate.
Mr. Perry still uses a push mower and he still walks about five miles a day. He's also still in counseling and taking Prozac.
“I'm just like anybody else,” he said. “I still get the blues. But, if I do have a setback, I know that I can deal with it.”
To sign up to walk with Mr. Perry on July 1, call Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky, 292-2486.
Money stacked against HMO bill
Shirey may have dodged the ax
Commandments fight spreads
Rainfall isn't too far off normal
Use courtesy near funeral processions
Church will rebuild after collapse
Powerball bouncing toward $130M
Boone Co. growth crowds 50-year-old nursery
Take action against aging
Authors offer advice for staying young
GET TO IT
Smallest sculptures steal a big Carnegie show
Bike patrol grows for summer
Camper fire delays I-75 traffic
Counties weigh 911 dispatch merger
Dancing, fun draw Irish to downtown celebration
Family fest adds a day - and a wedding
Gay pride flag burned at capitol in protest
Journey for mental health makes strides
Library branch renamed after retiring director
Mason to deliver with new post office
TRISTATE DIGEST
