BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — There are stunning statistics when it comes to our nation's mental health as one in five adults suffer from mental illness.
On October 23 at UB’s Center for the Arts, a powerful short film will premiere about a local man who shares the tragic mental illness journey of his brother with the film highlighting the impact of depression and bipolar disorder.
I share stories of the incredible challenges families face when it comes to mental illness.
“It's a story, really about one brother with mental illness trying to save another brother with mental illness,” explained Dan Lukasik, mental health advocate.
Lukasik’s grief over the loss of his brother Paul is so deep, that he was compelled to create a short film titled My Brother Lost in Time: A Bipolar Life. It covers, not only his brother's struggle with mental illness but his own battle with depression.
"Paul never believed he had a mental illness,” Lukasik states in the film.
Lukasik met with me to discuss the reason behind the film and how he has teamed with the Patrick Lee Foundation to present it to our community.
"To be honest, I feel like he's sitting with us right now, holding my hand and saying – ‘You go Dan — I’m in this with you',” Lukasik reflected.
Dan is a lawyer and mental health advocate, who created Lawyers with Depression.
His brother Paul was diagnosed with bipolar and died nearly two years ago at the age of 58.
Dan told me his brother never accepted his illness and recalls the day police let him know about his brother's death.
“It was like a tremendous gut punch, almost like a wrecking ball had collided with my chest and my stomach, and my wife was driving, and my adult daughter was in the backseat, all I could do was like cry, but something much more deeper than crying, and all I could repeat is that my baby brother is dead,” recalled Lukasik.
That loss is now turning to action. Through this film, Dan is looking to help other families dealing with mental illness.
“My brother can't be here today, but I can be and that’s the point,” Lukasik noted.
"People like Dan and myself, if we can help just one family, will feel very good. We don't want them to feel like they're by themselves. What we want to do is we want to help them,” described Patrick Lee, founder, Patrick Lee Foundation.
Patrick Lee knows firsthand that grief. His son Patrick Lee, Jr. was diagnosed with schizophrenia more than 40 years ago and died in 2017 at the age of 57.
Lee created the Patrick Lee Foundation in memory of his son, noting serious mental illness affects one out of 20 people.
“Like all parents, like all friends, you think of all the good things. I never think about the sorrow, the agony, I just think about his smile, how he liked people,” replied Lee. “I know what people go through; what families go through. First, it's usually denial – can’t be my son, can't be my daughter, not my brother, not my sister, and then you say, what do I do? Who do I see? That's when you find out that, unfortunately, here in America, our facilities, personnel, and mental health have sadly been negated.”
The Patrick Lee Foundation’s Executive Director Jane Mogavero said telling personal stories of mental illness can make a difference in breaking mental health stigmas.
“I can't find one human being that I’ve met that hasn't had some connection to it, be it a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, a loved one, whether we acknowledge that and are open to talking about it as a different case, but everyone has been touched by it,” stated Mogavero.
Lukasik said there are about 220,000 people living in Erie County who at some point, were diagnosed with depression.
“My God – that’s three football stadiums that the Bills play and 136,000 people are living with depression right now, here in Erie County,” declared Lukasik.
The Patrick Lee Foundation is working to generate more philanthropy to help the mental health cause in our community, but government funding is lacking.
“What we haven’t gotten is the funding from our local, state, and federal governments. But through philanthropy for programs in a film like Dan are helping to end the stigma,” Lee noted.
Lukasik said those with mental illness remain his “heroes”
“My brother was my hero,” remarked Lukasik.
Lukasik and the Patrick Lee Foundation want to reach the Western New York Community with this short film to let them know there is help for individuals with mental illness and their families.
"A broken mind is not like a broken arm. We have to recognize that,” Lee responded.
Lukasik also developed a website to help Western New Yorkers find help for mental illness.
Next week's premiere was sold out at UB’s Center for the Arts, so they've added a second screening at the North Park Theatre in north Buffalo, on November 17 at 11 a.m.
October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental illness or suicidal thoughts, there is always help – just call 9-8-8.
