Walk raises hope, research money

RALEIGH -- When Jimmy Gibbs is on a high, he's on top of the world. He's optimistic and cheerful and loves to spend money.

He can spend more than $10,000 in a matter of months, in fact, and spiral into debt because he feels so good.

And when Gibbs, 47, is feeling down, he's lower than low. He can barely get out of bed, and he might feel suicidal.

But things are getting better. With the help of 12 different medications, Gibbs said, he feels more in control of his rapid cycling bipolar disorder, a severe form of the illness he was diagnosed with in 1995.

Gibbs shared his story before leading a team from the Triangle chapter of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in the 21st Annual Thad and Alice Eure Walk for Hope at Angus Barn, which saw a record 3,000 participants Sunday and raised more than $400,000 for mental health research.

"I have good days and bad days," Gibbs said. "But I much prefer being out here to volunteer than to wallow in self-pity in bed."

Most participants walked 10 kilometers, roughly 6.2 miles, from the Angus Barn restaurant on Glenwood Avenue, around Umstead State Park and back to the starting point. For the first time, a 10K run was added before the walk to encourage more participation.

"It's emotional to be here and also very rewarding. My father would absolutely be so proud," said Van Eure, chairwoman of the Foundation for Hope, which sponsors the walk. Van Eure is the daughter of the late Thad and Alice Eure, who together opened Angus Barn in 1960 and started the foundation in the '80s after a family member was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The walk remains one of the only fundraisers for mental health nationwide devoted to clinical research, organizers said.

Since its establishment, the walk has raised more than $2.5million to fund research in the Triangle.

David Rubinow, chairman of the psychiatry department at UNC-Chapel Hill, said the money often goes to new researchers who want to gather pilot data that they'll need in order to apply for more hefty National Institutes of Health grants. The walks' "seed money" has attracted an additional $89 million for local research through these national grants.

The money also helped start the Center for Women's Mood Disorders at UNC-Chapel Hill, which looks at illnesses such as postpartum depression.

Research is not enough to combat strong stigmas against people with a mental illness, Rubinow acknowledged. That's why walks like this are important, he said.

"It's incomprehensible that people can still maintain an idea that mental illness is a moral failing rather than a serious medical disorder," Rubinow said. "People here are combating not only stigma but also a complete lack of enlightenment."

Gibbs spent the last 15 years seeking treatment and support -- including three hospital stays -- but he said he still hasn't told very many friends about his diagnosis.

"You don't see it from the outside, but I feel it from the inside," he said. "It has been a rocky road for me, but today is my coming out day."