DOWNTOWN — The Kings County Hon. Betty Weinberg Ellerin Permanent Commission on Women in the Courts held a program on Thursday, Oct. 23, in recognition of National Depression and Mental Health Awareness Month.
The event, hosted in the Jury Assembly Room at 360 Adams Street, featured attorney Daniel Lukasik, the Judicial Wellness Coordinator for the New York State courts, who led a discussion on depression, resilience and the power of human connection.
“I myself have lived with depression for 25 years — a long time,” Lukasik said. “I have depression today. This morning, I took my antidepressants. I go to therapy. I do the things I’m supposed to be doing.”
Lukasik spoke openly about his experience managing mental illness while working in the legal profession. He explained that his advocacy began after his younger brother, who suffered from bipolar disorder, took his own life.
The event also served as the Brooklyn premiere of Lukasik’s short documentary, “Travels with George: A Journey Through Depression, Connection, and Friendship.”
The 18-minute film follows his friendship with George, a boy he met a decade ago while struggling with depression. Through scenes of conversation and reflection, the film explores themes of loneliness, compassion and the healing power of mentorship.
“Sometimes people think connection is small, but it’s not,” Lukasik told the audience. “When someone comes into your life and listens, really listens, you don’t feel alone. You feel courage.”
The program also highlighted the prevalence and cost of untreated mental illness.
One in five adults in America experiences a mental illness each year, and 51% of youth between the ages of 6 and 17 live with a mental health condition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 34, according to the National Institute on Mental Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that depression results in roughly 200 million lost workdays annually and costs the U.S. economy $193 billion each year, largely due to lost productivity.
Lukasik’s film also highlights Compeer, a volunteer-based organization founded in Rochester in 1973 by Bernice “Bunny” Skirboll, which pairs individuals living with mental health challenges with trained companions who offer friendship and support.
“Friendship is just the core of our existence,” Skirboll said in the documentary. “People do need people.”
George, who formed a close bond with Lukasik through Compeer, said the relationship changed his life.
“Especially coming from a person that didn’t grow up with a father, having that mentorship and that friendship with somebody that’s able to lead you and give you guidance and advice is very positive,” George said.
“I thank God every day that he gave me Mr. Dan to teach me and lead me in ways that I probably wouldn’t have done correctly if he wasn’t there.”
“Travels with George” will have its official premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7 P.M. at the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo. The documentary, produced in association with Compeer and St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, will also air on PBS in November.
“I think mentorship, friendship is so important for people with mental illness because there’s that loneliness that’s involved,” Lukasik said.
“It is so important for someone who’s struggling to have that regular, nourishing connection. I want people to remember that not only the person that you help and mentor is being helped, but you yourself are being helped.”
Lukasik has shared his story across the country, giving more than 200 presentations on stress, anxiety, burnout and depression.
He speaks candidly about growing up in a traumatic home with an alcoholic father, his rise to become a successful trial lawyer and his diagnosis of major depression at age 40 while serving as managing partner at his firm.
Confronted with the stigma surrounding mental illness, he founded Lawyers with Depression fifteen years ago to provide education, resources, and community for attorneys struggling in silence.
After a 30-year career as a litigator, Lukasik now serves as the Judicial Wellness Coordinator for the New York State Office of Court Administration, where he develops mental health programming for 15,000 court employees.
He also teaches a course on mental health and well-being in the legal profession at the University at Buffalo School of Law.
Lukasik lives in Lancaster, New York, with his wife and daughter and continues to volunteer at St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy, where his long friendship with George, the subject of his documentary, continues to inspire his work.
Compeer is recruiting volunteers to mentor individuals coping with mental health challenges.
Volunteers can make a difference through consistent, caring friendships, spending time together, sharing a meal or simply listening. Compeer’s website has more information on becoming a volunteer and supporting the organization’s mission.