Former Detroit Lion speaks out for suicide prevention
A former NFL quarterback is touring Upper Michigan and spreading the word about preventing suicide in the area.
Eric Hipple was at Lake Linden–Hubble High School this morning. The former Detroit Lion talked to students about the symptoms of depression and just how dangerous depression is. Hipple said he has been affected by depression and suicide for much of his life following his NFL career.
“Depression happens to be one of the main things that I talk about because I went through it. I lost a son to suicide. So it is very important to me that the word gets out. There are things to do and there is treatment available. Ultimately, the presentations are about the positive things we can do to be more resilient, to be positive, to engage and interact and what mental health really is,” University of Michigan’s Depression Center Outreach specialist Eric Hipple said.
With the depression and suicide issues in the Upper Peninsula, Lake Linden–Hubble High School was happy to have a speaker present this topic to the kids.
“This is an extremely important subject at the teen-age years. This is when the students are experiencing these things. They are not familiar with some of these symptoms. So this is a great program and a great way to address it. I think that when you have a recognizable name, in this case, a well-known athlete, the students can relate to them and realize that all people go through some of the same problems,” Lake Linden-Hubble High School Superintendent Craig Sundblad said.
Hipple has been traveling all over Upper Michigan and is giving these presentations at no cost to the schools.