Medstar Television.
Language
English
Description
Focusing on Native American populations, this program profiles an eight-year-old Apache boy who was born with FAS, showing how alcohol ingested by the mother crosses the placenta and enters the bloodstream of the fetus and describing common birth defects, learning disabilities, mental handicaps, and behavioral problems typically associated with the disorder. The program also examines babies born to cocaine-addicted mothers, illustrating how the drug...
Language
English
Description
Part of the aging process is inevitable-but only part. This program explains the effects of aging on the human mind and body, explores the "damage" and "cell clock" theories about why cells wear out, and examines the lifestyle habits that affect both longevity and the quality of life; these include exercise, regular checkups for cancer, proper diet, moderate drinking, and no smoking. The program points out that it is never too late to mend one's ways....
Language
English
Description
In this program, the hospital's protocol for rape victims is outlined, the importance of a detailed physical exam following a rape is discussed, and the collection kits used by physicians to gather such evidence as samples of hair and traces of semen are described. The program stresses the importance of a rape victim having a counselor with her throughout the emergency room visit. A police department lab technician explains how information can be...
Language
English
Description
This program covers both chemical and behavioral addiction. It describes the signs of compulsive behavior, and analyzes such possible causes of addictive behavior as neurotransmitter imbalance and genetic and environmental factors. Examining the physiological and psychological mechanisms of chemical addiction, specifically to cocaine, the program profiles several recovered cocaine addicts, discusses several studies of addiction in laboratory rats,...
Language
English
Description
This program profiles a young woman obsessed with the desire to be thin. It has taken her four hospitalizations and years of outpatient therapy to help her overcome her problem. Doctors in this program discuss the characteristics of anorexia nervosa and bulimia and identify those most likely to be affected by these disorders. Self-starvation and binging and purging can lead to cardiac problems and a cessation of the menstrual cycle. And although great...
Language
English
Description
This program distinguishes between the two types of arthritis and describes the nature of the diseases and the treatments: in the case of osteoarthritis, described as a wear-and-tear disease, arthroscopic surgery, cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory medications, and surgical joint replacement; in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, various medications, from aspirin to gold salts and methotrexate, and surgery, including the benefits of early surgical...
7) Child Abuse
Language
English
Description
This program deals with the delicate subject of sexually and physically abused children. A therapist who deals with sex offenders describes the common characteristics of offenders; a clinical social worker trained to talk with sexually abused children discusses the effects of abuse on the child and explains how she gets children to re-create what has happened to them by using anatomically correct dolls. The program offers tips on selecting a daycare...
Language
English
Description
This concise explanation of alcoholism combines expert commentary with one family's experience. A sober alcoholic, his wife, and their daughter discuss the progression of his alcoholism and its devastating impact on their lives. Experts explain how family members often act as enablers, unintentionally making it easier for the alcoholic to keep drinking. Finally, the program addresses treatment options for alcoholics and sources of support for families....
Language
English
Description
This program discusses the nature, symptoms, and psychotropic medications used to control hallucinations, paranoia, and other evidences of schizophrenia; it focuses on the deinstitutionalization of patients, explaining the problems of releasing patients with mental disorders into communities with insufficient resources to deal with them.