Brought to you by the Depression Is Real Coalition, The Down & Up Show is dedicated to the reality of depression. Each week our hosts will talk with some of the world's top experts on depression, as well as people who have been impacted by this illness. The reality of depression is that it is a debilitating and potentially deadly medical condition that affects more than 15 million Americans every year. The other reality of depression is that there is hope.

Eric Hipple

Eric Hipple is a former NFL quarterback whose ten-year career was spent entirely with the Detroit Lions, from 1980 to 1990. His accomplishments include two playoff bids and a divisional championship. Following his football career, Hipple enjoyed further success working in the auto industry and as a motivational speaker, and from 1995-2000 hosted an NFL pre-game show in the Detroit market.

However, Hipple's life took a tragic turn in the year 2000, when his 15-year old son Jeff died by suicide. After struggling with depression himself in the aftermath of his son's death, Hipple decided to devote his energies to helping others to detect and treat depression, and to break down the stigma surrounding depressive illnesses. Now, Hipple is an Outreach Coordinator and spokesperson for the University of Michigan Depression Center, and has given more than fifty presentations to middle school, high school, and college students, staff, and faculty on the importance of early detection and prevention of depression. His primary message is one of hope: that depression is a treatable illness. ÒIf I can make a difference in someone's life, then Jeff didn't die without a purposeÓ says Hipple. Hipple also serves on the board of the Mental Illness Research Association (MIRA), and the American Association of Suicidology (AAAS).