Mourning the Loss of an Anxiety Advocate

What began with a personal phobia in the 1970’s paved the way for the development of the prominent Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Under the leadership of founder Jerilyn Ross the ADAA sought to provide hope amidst the anxiety related to fear.

According to the ADAA, “Ross’ vision was to bring together clinicians, researchers, and patients to advance scientific knowledge, provide training, and help those who suffer from an anxiety disorder find treatment and hope. She was an ardent public advocate, traveling the country to deliver the message that anxiety disorders are real, serious, and treatable. She appeared on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ ‘Today,’ ‘Good Morning America,’ and hundreds of other national television and radio shows and was quoted as an expert in several hundred newspaper and magazine articles.”

Her obituary in the Philadelphia Enquirer read, “Ms. Ross was a 25-year-old teacher on vacation in Salzburg, Austria, when she was struck by a sudden fear of heights – a fear that would, in time, make her a public figure. In 1978, after learning to manage this dread, she joined the practice of Robert DuPont, a prominent psychiatrist in the Washington area, to help others with phobias.”

Jerilyn Was Not Alone

Although there was a period of time that Ross felt as if she was the only one to experience the anxiety associated with fear it was her willingness to face those fears that led to the moniker, “The Phobia Lady”. Her experience and empathy took Ross to radio where she visited with many others who shared similar fears in the Washington D.C. area. She would be a frequent guest on both radio and television and she would win award for both her broadcasting and writing skills in the area of phobias.

The Organization She Left Behind

According the the ADAA website, “The Anxiety Disorders Association of America is the only national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to informing the public, health care professionals, and media that anxiety disorders are real, serious, and treatable.

ADAA leads the way, advocating for improving the lives of millions of people:

• Promotes professional and public awareness of anxiety and related disorders and their impact on people’s lives.
• Encourages the advancement of scientific knowledge about causes and treatment of anxiety and related disorders.
• Links people who need treatment with the health care professionals who provide it.
• Helps people find appropriate treatment and develop self-help skills.
• Works to reduce the stigma surrounding anxiety and related disorders.

Remembered

Many media representatives views Ross and the first source they would go to if they had questions about phobias and their effects. She is survived by her husband Ron Coen. In the end it was not a struggle with fear that claimed her life, but cancer. Ross was 63.

The Reason We Exist

We are aware of many sites that simply list the names of phobias and what they mean. Our intent with the Fear of Stuff site is to offer empathy and information. For some the totality of the fears presented seem outside the realm of possibility. Yet for so many the fears others may assume are pretend are the stuff of nightmares. No, we didn’t know Jerilyn Ross personally, but we’d like to believe we have something in common with this pioneer.

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