The Diane Rehm Show; Spasmodic Dysphonia; Part 1

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Series
The Diane Rehm Show
Episode
Spasmodic Dysphonia
Segment
Part 1
Producing Organization
WAMU-FM (Radio station : Washington, D.C.)
Contributing Organization
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-526-348gf0nt9c
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Description
Episode Description
"Several years ago, National Public Radio talk show host talk Diane Rehm began experiencing problems with her voice. Without warning, her voice would suddenly crack or break, and at times she felt like she was choking. As the problem worsened, she felt a frightening strangling sensation. She consulted various specialists, including otolaryngologists, speech therapists, and neurologists, but no one could tell her what was wrong. "Early last year she took a leave of absence, and after months of more doctors and tests, she found an answer at the John Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. The diagnosis was spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological disorder affecting about 1 in 5000 Americans. She received treatment for the condition and returned to air in June after a three-and-a-half-month absence. "Soon after, Ms. Rehm decided to produce a program to explain her absence and to raise awareness about this widely misunderstood problem. The response was remarkable. In e-mail, in letters, and by phone, listeners shared the stories of their own struggles with spasmodic dysphonia. In the same month, Diane Rehm wrote a feature about her experience for the Washington Post. In December, Ted Koppel of ABC's Nightline interviewed Ms. Rehm on his program, spreading the word to thousands more. "In this segment, Diane talks with the team of doctors who diagnosed and treated her condition."--1998 Peabody Awards entry form. Guests are Dr. Paul Flint, an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at Johns Hopkins University Medical Institution; Dr. Susan Miller, voice pathologist at Georgetown University; Dr. Laura Primakoff, a psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy; Dr. Steven Bielamowicz is director of the Voice Treatment Center at George Washington University Medical Center. And Dr. Susan Fiester, a psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist in private practice in the Washington area. They talk about spasmodic dysphonia in general and Rehm's case in particular and take calls from listeners.
Broadcast Date
1998-06-17
Asset type
Episode
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:46:44.184
Credits
Producing Organization: WAMU-FM (Radio station : Washington, D.C.)
AAPB Contributor Holdings
The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia
Identifier: cpb-aacip-9a9a6c8e995 (Filename)
Format: Audio cassette
Duration: 0:52:00
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Citations
Chicago: “The Diane Rehm Show; Spasmodic Dysphonia; Part 1,” 1998-06-17, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed April 25, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-348gf0nt9c.
MLA: “The Diane Rehm Show; Spasmodic Dysphonia; Part 1.” 1998-06-17. The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. April 25, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-348gf0nt9c>.
APA: The Diane Rehm Show; Spasmodic Dysphonia; Part 1. Boston, MA: The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-526-348gf0nt9c