Silver Spring, MD (January 30, 2004) - The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) will hold its 24th Annual Conference, entitled "Normal and Pathological Anxiety: Implications for Treatment," at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, FL, March 11-14, 2004. This year's conference focuses on how anxiety is transformed from routine to out of the ordinary and its implications for effective treatment.

The conference provides education about the nature, management and treatment of anxiety disorders; this information is geared toward health care professionals, individuals with anxiety disorders and their families, and the general public. These meetings also serve as a forum for the presentation of the latest research and practices available for anxiety disorders.

Attendees include psychiatrists, psychologists, academic researchers, clinicians, therapists, family and general counselors, and individuals interested in self-help. The conference includes a broad range of half-day workshops, training sessions, research sessions, clinical sessions, and consumer-oriented education/self-help sessions. Leading national and international experts will discuss topics including PTSD, phobias, panic disorder, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

In addition, there will be seven symposia, each devoted to the in-depth exploration of the following topics:

• Novel Approaches to Treating Refractory Anxiety Disorders"
  
• Advances in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Pathophysiology, Psychotherapy and Pharmacology "
  
• Panic Disorder: Current Challenges and New Directions"
  
• GABA: Mind & Matter"
  
• Relieving the Burden of Illness from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder: Integrated Pharmacological and Psychosocial Strategies"
  
• The Evolution of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Improving Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes "
  
• Examining Anxiety in the Clinical Setting"
  

The Keynote address will be delivered by Scott Rauch, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Rauch will describe modern neuroimaging methods and illustrate how these tools have been used to advance neurocircuitry models of anxiety disorders.

For program and registration information, visit www.adaa.org or call (240) 485-1001 for Conference information.

The ADAA is the only national, nonprofit partnership of researchers, health care professionals, and individuals with anxiety disorders. The ADAA is dedicated to the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of anxiety disorders. It is the Association's goal to promote professional and public awareness and understanding of anxiety disorders; it also seeks to increase the availability of effective treatment, reduce the stigma surrounding anxiety disorders, and stimulate research.