Psych Week on Discovery Health Opens the Dialogue on Mental Health

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- More than one in four Americans meet the criteria for having a mental illness -- but we rarely see or hear about it.  This May, Discovery Health will open a meaningful dialogue on mental health with PSYCH WEEK, a weeklong programming event from Sunday, May 2, through Thursday, May 6.  With premieres airing nightly at 9 PM (ET/PT), PSYCH WEEK will profile individuals dealing with a spectrum of afflictions and addictions, from anxiety disorders and schizophrenia to multiple personalities and bizarre compulsions.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081114/NEF006LOGO )

"Discovery Health is putting an unprecedented emphasis on mental wellness, presenting an unfiltered look at a variety of rare and common mental disorders through the eyes of the people who live with them," said Laura Michalchyshyn, president and general manager of Discovery Health, Planet Green, FitTV and TreeHugger.com.  "With PSYCH WEEK's six premiere programs and expansive online offerings, Discovery Health hopes to defuse preexisting taboos and raise awareness for mental health—while also providing our audience with information and resources to help improve their own lives."  

On Sunday, May 2, at 9 PM (ET/PT), PSYCH WEEK kicks off with two back-to-back premiere programs, beginning with ANXIOUS, an hour-long special chronicling the journey of two people battling severe anxiety disorders as they attempt to control their anxiety to ultimately reclaim their lives.  Then at 10 PM (ET/PT), Discovery Health debuts ENRAGED, an hour-long special following the daily lives of two individuals whose intense, uncontrollable anger has wreaked havoc on their lives—and on their loved ones.

Other PSYCH WEEK premiere programs include:

• THE WOMAN WITH 15 PERSONALITIES

Premieres Monday, May 3, at 9 PM (ET/PT)

THE WOMAN WITH 15 PERSONALITIES presents a unique look at a person living with dissociative identity disorder, a condition in which a person displays several distinct identities, each with its own perception of the environment.  This hour-long special reveals how this often misunderstood illness affects their daily lives, and provides insight into what it is like to manage multiple personalities who all want a voice.

• BORN SCHIZOPHRENIC

Premieres Tuesday, May 4, at 9 PM (ET/PT)

This hour-long special examines the world of children with schizophrenia through the eyes of the Schofield family, whose 7-year-old daughter January is one of only two children ever to receive this diagnosis.  In spite of her genius IQ and typically soft-spoken manner, Jani regularly battles vivid hallucinations, delusions and uncontrollable violent rage.  BORN SCHIZOPHRENIC presents an in-depth look at the family's daily life as they navigate the process of raising a schizophrenic child.

• MY STRANGE ADDICTION

Premieres Wednesday, May 5, at 9 PM (ET/PT)

This hour-long special refines the blurry line between normal behavior and compulsions, showcasing four individuals battling obsessive behaviors that are on the verge of taking over their lives.  Featuring a look at the mental and psychological aspects of obsession, MY STRANGE ADDICTION presents the firsthand accounts of the fixations of a woman who eats chalk, a fanatical runner, a compulsive shopper and an excessive tanner.  

• BIPOLAR MYSTERIES: FAMILIES IN CRISIS

Premieres Thursday, May 6, at 9 PM (ET/PT)

In this hour-long special, Discovery Health's cameras follow a small community of mothers of bipolar kids as they juggle their multitude of medications, mood shifts and far-flung scheduling routines.  Once isolated and completely helpless, these mothers of bipolar children are for the first time finding solace—in each other.

Online at DiscoveryHealth.com, visitors can access a comprehensive Mental Health Guide, as well as quizzes, slide shows and Q&A with renowned experts.  The site will also feature special blog posts on mental wellness and exclusive video content, including webisodes from select PSYCH WEEK programs.  

ANXIOUS is produced for Discovery Health by Discovery Studios.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for Discovery Studios, Robin Sestero is executive producer.  ENRAGED is produced for Discovery Health by Lively Family Inc.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for Lively Family Inc., Joe Woodward and Leanna Crouch are executive producers.  THE WOMAN WITH 15 PERSONALITIES is produced for Discovery Health by LMNO Productions.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for LMNO Productions, Eric Schotz and Lisa Bourgoujian are executive producers.  BORN SCHIZOPHRENIC is produced for Discovery Health by Homerun Entertainment.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for Homerun Entertainment, Barry Gribbon and Greg Spring are executive producers.  MY STRANGE ADDICTION is produced for Discovery Health by 20 West Productions.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for 20 West Productions, Melissa Cutlip and Jason Bolicki are executive producers.  BIPOLAR MYSTERIES: FAMILIES IN CRISIS is produced for Discovery Health by LMNO Productions.  For Discovery Health, Alon Orstein is executive producer and for LMNO Productions, Eric Schotz and Ruth Rivin are executive producers and Sarah Koch and Margarita Drago are co-executive producers.  

About Discovery Health Media

Discovery Health Media includes the Discovery Health and FitTV television networks and online assets, including www.discoveryhealth.com, as well as its Continuing Medical Education (CME) business and Discovery's first stand-alone VOD service, Discovery Health On-Call.  Discovery Health Media is part of Discovery Communications, the number-one nonfiction media company, reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries.  Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks are led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater, with digital media properties including HowStuffWorks.com.  Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman.  For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com/.

SOURCE Discovery Health