Vinny of 'Jersey Shore' to release book and website to help others with anxiety

On last week's episode of Jersey Shore, cast member Vinny Guadagnino took himself off the show and went home to Staten Island after revealing his long struggle with clinical depression. The show, which is typically centered around trivial fights and sloppy drunkenness, took a rare serious moment to shed light on a problem that so many suffer from, often unknowingly.

Guadagnino spoke about his condition on the show and explained that his anxiety, stress and depression had gotten to be unmanageable and he needed to be around his family where he could try to get treatment rather than in the house in Jersey. After the show, MTV aired a PSA starring Guadagnino, who says in the ad, "When I was feeling anxious and stressed, I knew I had to take a step back and get help."

Now, just one week after the episode aired, Guadagnino has announced that he has launched a new website, halfofus.com/vinny, where you can find more information about stress and anxiety. According to Alternet.org, the website also encourages people to talk about their own experiences with anxiety and other forms of mental illness, and offers ways for others to get help.

The Jersey Shore star is also coming out with his own self-help book called Control the Crazy: My Plan to Stop Stressing, Avoid Drama and Maintain Your Inner Cool, reports GossipCop.com, and will be about the different ways to manage stress and anxiety.

Although the topic is often taboo, psychiatrist Sue Varma told MTV News that publicizing these issues was a brave and important thing for someone in Guadagnino's position, and will help take away the stigma often associated with mental illness. "As private as it is, if you're a public figure like he is, and you're dealing with an issue, you can bring awareness to it," Varma said. "It will help other people suffering from [an anxiety disorder] to come out without fear of being ostracized. It will get people talking and get people help."