No More Headaches; Taking Control Of Depression

The two latest entries in the award-winning series of medical tapes for the general public from the Xenejenex Corporation focus on "tempests in the mind": severe headaches and clinical depression. No More Headaches, the less accomplished of the two, has a slightly misleading title in that the tape is not aimed at casual headache sufferers, but rather those who have chronic tension, migraine, and cluster headaches. Still, that's no small portion of the populace. It's estimated that some 18 million people suffer the debilitating effects of migraine headaches, which young Jerry Mangive describes as feeling like "an elephant stomping on my head." More rare is the cluster headache, an incredibly painful cyclical headache that can drive sufferers to pound their heads against the wall to try to rid themselves of the blinding pain. After the interviews with the headache sufferers and doctors who specialize in the treatment of headaches, the program outlines some potential paths for diminishing or alleviating headache pain: elimination of certain foods, biofeedback, modifying sleep schedules, relaxation techniques, exercise, and medication. Very little is actually understood about the origin of headaches and while offering some help, No More Headaches is not really the "guide to quick relief" promised on the cover. Still, for major headache sufferers this program suggests possibilities for treatment. Taking Control of Depression, hosted by Ed Asner, is a compelling look at a little understood disease. Emphasizing the fact that clinical depression is a disease and not merely a case of "the blues," the program points out the symptoms (which might include fatigue, sleeplessness, weight loss, inability to concentrate, etc.) and talks about the causes of depression (often a chemical imbalance in the brain). Although the tape mentions several different types of depression--clinical, major, endogenous, melancholic, unipolar, and bipolar--it offers no explanation of the differences between these classes of depression. However, as a general guide to depression the program is quite informative and ably mixes interview footage of sufferers of depression with the advice and commentary of doctors. The tape concludes with a look at the two major forms of treatment: drugs and psychotherapy. A very good program on a baffling disease, Taking Control of Depression is highly recommended. No More Headaches is recommended. (Available from: Xenejenex Corporation, 300 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810; (800) 228-2495.)