About Freedom From Fear
Freedom From Fear (FFF) is a national not-for-profit mental health advocacy association founded in 1984 by Mary Guardino. Ms. Guardino founded FFF as an outgrowth of her own personal experiences of suffering with anxiety and depressive illnesses for more than 25 years. The mission of FFF is to impact, in a positive way, the lives of all those affected by anxiety, depressive and related disorders through advocacy, education, research and community support.
FFF is nationally recognized for the many mental health resources they have developed. Some include:
- National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week, founded in 1984. Each year, during the first week of May, thousands of healthcare providers and organizations participate. This project provides free mental illness screenings and educational programs, educates the consumers about anxiety and depressive disorders and assists those suffering with these disorders to find treatment.
- The Sharon Davies Memorial Awards Program, which was created to provide grants to individuals to assist them in the area of mental health research.
- A large selection of films and videos have been produced by FFF. The Pain of Depression: A Journey Throught the Darkness, our most recent, award winning film, has appeared on more than 350 PBS stations.
- Our website, freedomfromfear.org, which offers a variety of opportunities to learn about anxiety and depressive disorders. The website includes current research findings and educational materials and videos.