FIRES OF THE MIND

Discovery Health Channel

Begins May 20, 7 p.m.

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Mental illness strikes one in every five Americans in any given year. Yet despite the high incidence, serious mental disorders are still profoundly stigmatized.

“Fires of the Mind,” a well-made four-segment series that premieres Sunday on the Discovery Health Channel, attempts to dispel some of the frightening myths that cloud the public’s perception of four severe mental conditions: schizophrenia, depression, autism and anxiety disorders. By weaving together first-person narratives from patients, their families and friends, each sensitively handled hourlong segment illuminates what happens when the mind is seized by one of these disorders, and the devastating ripple effect it has on loved ones.

Using evocative three-dimensional graphics, the gripping and often inspirational stories are complemented by insights from doctors and researchers who explain what goes awry in the brain’s circuitry.