Washington, D.C., April 7, 1998 — Today the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) launched a dramatic television and radio public service announcement (PSA) campaign on anxiety disorders.

The PSAs portray the severely disabling fears associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and send the hopeful message that people living with these frightening mental illnesses can be successfully treated. and

"Many of the 19 million Americans with anxiety disorders continue to suffer because of stigma and the widespread lack of understanding that these are brain disorders, as responsive to treatment as other medical disorders," said NIMH Director Steven E. Hyman, M.D.

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., Dr. Hyman described recent advances in neuroscience that have revealed how and where memories of fear are stored in the brain, and how traumatic experience alters brain structure. "Our hope is that knowledge of brain dysfunction will lead to the development of highly targeted treatments that will greatly improve the lives of people with severe anxiety disorders," Dr. Hyman commented.

People with anxiety disorders experience feelings of overwhelming fear and anxiety that are chronic, unremitting and worsen progressively when left untreated. Tormented by panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares and other frightening symptoms, some people even become housebound. They may also suffer from depression and alcohol and drug abuse.

Marc Summers, former television host of Nickelodeon's Double Dare, a children's game show, lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), one of the anxiety disorders profiled in the PSAs. Symptoms of OCD include recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) or rituals (compulsions) that seem impossible to stop or control.

At the news conference, Summers reported that he first experienced the symptoms of OCD when he was a young child, but was not diagnosed until he was an adult. In his case, he was plagued by ritualistic cleaning and organizing.

"When I was a kid, I thought that if I did not clean and organize things perfectly, something bad would happen to my parents," he said. "I was so caught up in the rituals, I didn't even realize I had a problem."

Summers recalled the many hours he spent performing rituals, prior to getting treatment, as well as the negative impact his behavior had on his family. He explained, "That's why it's so important to teach people how to identify these illnesses, so they can understand how to get treatment."

There are a variety of effective treatments available for anxiety disorders. These include medication, specific forms of psychotherapy known as behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, or a combination of medication and therapy.

The PSA campaign is one component of the NIMH Anxiety Disorders Education Program that has already reached millions of people with information about anxiety disorders. The PSAs are available here on the Web site. NIMH also provides consumers and medical and mental health professionals with information about these disorders through a toll-free number, 1-88-88-ANXIETY.