Local Blogger To Be Honored For Raising Awareness For Suicide Prevention
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A blogger known for taking the photos of the who's who in Philadelphia is being honored tomorrow night by the local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicidal Prevention. He has helped reduced the stigma around suicide.
If you've attended local charity events in Philadelphia, you've likely seen Hugh E. Dillon behind the lens.
"I shoot a lot of the parties and local events in Philadelphia," he says.
But before the glitz and glamour of celebrities, Dillon says he suffered from deep depression after he came out as gay to his family and friends in the 1980s.
"Everyone really turned their back on me," say Dillon, "it really hurt. And I drank. I became a raging alcoholic, drug addict, I was homeless for a while."
Dillon says depression and alcoholism lead to three serious attempts at suicide. The first one was with pills and whiskey.
"It was a cry for help," he recalls, "I called someone and they broke the door down to save me."
He called a suicide hotline, but it didn't help.
"They told me to call my parents," he says, "but I blamed them for all of my problems."
The last suicide attempt was with a gun. It was so scary, Dillon decided to get help.
"I really woke up and I said no one is going to help me, but me," he says.
Dillon says he got off the alcohol, went back to school to become a paralegal and regained the trust of his family. He found new friends and got therapy for his depression. When he was laid off from his law firm he started his own business, Philly Chit Chat. Then one day, after AFSP asked him to cover one of their events, he decided to share his story to raise awareness.
"I thought, I have a lot of followers, maybe my story could help someone," he says, "I had to live in my truth."
AFSP will honor Dillon with the Lifesaver Award tomorrow for his support of their events and for his courage in sharing his story. Dillon says it's his mission to raise awareness about suicide prevention and to let people know that depression is treatable.
"I understand that it's difficult, I went down that path," he says, "but there are rewards if you are willing to do the work....and there are people out there who love you and will help you."
AFSP's 2015 Gala will take place at the Loew's Hotel. To purchase tickets, go to www.afsp.org/philadelphia.
