Schizophrenia is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and people often find themselves in a cycle of discontinuing and switching therapies. Studies have shown that approximately 40% of people with schizophrenia do not respond to therapy, and up to 60% experience a partial or inadequate improvement or intolerable side effects during therapy.

The FDA recently approved a new medication for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, representing the first new class of medicine in more than 30 years. This new treatment option leverages a novel pathway and represents a new mechanistic approach to addressing the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Dr. Gus Alva, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatry Association will be available to discuss the significance of this new treatment for adults living with schizophrenia and their care partners, and its potential to transform the treatment landscape.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30 YEARS, THE FDA HAS APPROVED THE FIRST DRUG REPRESENTING A NEW CLASS OF MEDICINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA.

ADULTS LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA HAVE A NEW TREATMENT OPTION TO HELP MANAGE THEIR CONDITION THAT INTRODUCES A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIA.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE INFORMATION IS DR. GUS ALVA,  DISTINGUISHED  LIFETIME FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHIATRY ASSOCIATION.

BIO

Dr. Gus Alva is the medical director of ATP clinical research (a premiere private clinical research company specializing in neuropsychiatric investigations). He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He is a forensic psychiatric consultant for the Orange County Superior Court and a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Alva received his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG). Residency training was completed at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, where he served as chief resident during his final year of residency.

Dr. Alva has served as a principal investigator for the past 10 years conducting investigations in a myriad of neuropsychiatric conditions: Alzheimer’s and other dementias, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and psychotic conditions. As a clinician and investigator, Dr Alva’s focus is on the genetics, neuroimaging, and latest treatments available for each aforementioned condition, as well as aspects of ethnicity and their correlation within clinical situations. He has published numerous articles, and presents at both national and international meetings and conferences.

He is the immediate past-president of the Orange County Psychiatric Society. Dr. Alva is also a member of many professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Orange County Medical Association, the California Psychiatric Association, the American Board of Forensic Medicine, the American College of Forensic Examiners, the California Hispanic American Medical Association and the International Congress of Geriatric Psychopharmacology.

IMORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: INDICATION

COBENFY (xanomeline and trospium chloride) is a prescription medicine used to treat schizophrenia in adults.

It is not known if COBENFY is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not take COBENFY if you:

•        have urinary retention problems that cause your bladder to not empty completely or not empty at all

•        have moderate or severe liver problems (impairment)

•        have gastric retention problems that cause your stomach to empty slowly

•        are allergic to COBENFY, xanomeline, or trospium chloride, or any of the ingredients in COBENFY

•        have an eye problem called untreated narrow-angle glaucoma

Before taking COBENFY, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

•        have an enlarged prostate, problems passing urine, or a blockage in your urinary bladder

•        have liver problems

•        have or have had gallstones or problems with your bile ducts or pancreas

•        have stomach or intestinal problems, including constipation, ulcerative colitis, slow emptying of your stomach, or myasthenia gravis

•        have an eye condition called narrow-angle glaucoma

•        have kidney problems

•        are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COBENFY may harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant or think you are pregnant during treatment with

COBENFY. o               There is a pregnancy exposure registry for women who take COBENFY during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of women exposed to COBENFY and their baby. If you become pregnant during treatment with COBENFY, your

healthcare provider will register you by calling 1-866-961-2388 or online at https://womensmentalhealth.org/research/pregnancyregistry/atypicalantipsychotic/

•        are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COBENFY passes into your breast milk or if it can harm your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking COBENFY with certain other medicines may increase your risk of side effects from COBENFY or the other medicine

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A mental health crisis is playing out on the streets of New York City.

Decades of disinvestment and stigmatization have left our city’s behavioral health system with insufficient resources and inadequate capacity at almost every level.

The result: We are failing New Yorkers with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, leading to a vicious cycle that impacts not only people struggling with mental illness but also their loved ones, neighbors, and community.

Here is how the cycle plays out. People with untreated psychiatric conditions that require being admitted for in-patient care are unable to get access to a bed because Manhattan has lost a significant number of in-patient psychiatric beds.

Instead, they return to the streets when discharged prematurely.

Those who are lucky enough to get a bed and are successfully stabilized need ongoing treatment through community-based outpatient services, peer-support programs, and long-term supportive housing when they leave the hospital.

But here again, patients often run into a lack of capacity and, without care, become seriously vulnerable to falling through the cracks of our healthcare system and are likely to land back on the streets and subways.

Once out of care and facing instability, this disastrous mental health cycle plays itself out over and over again.

To help better support these New Yorkers, my office is releasing “Breaking the Cycle,” a policy initiative outlining several key recommendations to tackle the leading causes of this crisis. These include:

Adding 600+ long-term psychiatric beds
Addressing shortages of clinical staff in behavioral health
Speeding up the development of supportive housing
Expanding community-based and peer-led programs
Doubling mental health teams for street outreach
Implementing these initiatives will not be easy. Some will require significant investment and political capital.

But we cannot be deterred. No matter the price, our city has a moral obligation to build a system that better serves New Yorkers with serious mental illness.

The urgency of this issue demands immediate and decisive action. We must transform our city into a place where everyone, regardless of their mental health, has access to the necessary support and resources to live with dignity and hope.

NYC Must Lead Boldly on AI

Manhattan knows we need more housing…way more housing. With the average rent topping $5,000 a month, it’s no wonder everyday New Yorkers are demanding solutions, and fast!

We’re looking at it from all angles – identifying 171 sites borough-wide where new housing is possible, approving housing projects in the pipeline more quickly than ever, and keeping up the drumbeat for supporting new construction.

Last week, Politico profiled the BP’s efforts to make way for more housing in the borough and the overwhelmingly positive response from Manhattanites.

If you would like to read more, check out our last newsletter, in which the BP put our commitment to tackling the housing crisis front and center. Want to see more housing built? Sign our petition here.

Do you enjoy helping your community? Do you have some extra time?

Year round, the Manhattan Volunteer Corps helps out with community clean-ups, clothing drives, boroughwide events, and more. It’s a great way to give back to your fellow New Yorkers and get to know your neighbors across Manhattan.

No matter what you’re interested in or what your skills are, we’ve got a spot for you on Team Levine. We’ve got a packed schedule for 2024, so sign up now to join the Manhattan Volunteer Corps!

Featured: BP’s Manhattan Composting Initiative

NYC Public Schools kindergarten applications are open now through January 19, 2024. Kindergarten offers will be available to families on March 27. Apply and learn more about kindergarten admission here.

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https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/20/milestone-broadcast-corporation-2024-investment-merger-sponsor-donor-presentation/

Also here are three important Health and Wellness Stories this Week:

What migraine is and its prevalence, Good News interviews Dr. Bert Vargas, Associate Vice President of Neuroscience US Medical Affairs at Lilly and Kellie Huckelberry, a patient who has been living with migraine for the last 25 years.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CHILD HAS A RARE AND DEBILITATING DISORDER CALLED RETT SYNDROME.

LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

IS NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE

THINK, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT’S

NOT ALWAYS PORTRAYED

ACCURATELY ON TV SHOWS

AND IN THE MOVIES.

Also here are the links to the entire 6-Hour Broadcast, broken down into 3 Parts Approximately 2-Hours each. Great People Doing Great Work for PEACE. 

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-1-pause-the-world-for-peace-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/02/part-2-pause-the-world-for-love-2023/

https://pausetheworldforpeace.org/2023/11/09/part-3-pause-the-world-for-hope-2023/

Thank You. Stay Safe & Healthy in Peace, Love & HOPE,

Paul Sladkus & Pause the World for Peace and Good News Corporation Teams, nonprofit, 501 C 3, est. 2002.

Good News Corporation, a nonprofit, www.pausetheworldforpeace.org

212 647 1212, C – 917 687 1790

New York & Montauk, New York

LET’S GROW TOGETHER. GOOD NEWS MOTTO: ALL WE ARE IS WHAT WE ARE WITH EACH OTHER. ZEAL

For more information contact: 

Reverend Paul Sladkus, All Faiths and Spiritual 212 647 1212

New York, NY, Montauk, NY

PS – SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR FRIENDS AND MEMBERS: Looking for a vacation rental, SHORT TERM, in Montauk, here is our listing https://goodnewsplanet.com/montauk-manor-rental-suite-403-paul-sladkus/ call me. Paul 917 687 1790

The post GoodNewsLetter: Holiday GIFTS for YOU! Giving Tuesday is Still Happening, Pause The World For Peace, has Holiday Gifts for YOU! appeared first on Good News!.

HOWEVER, WHILE THERE IS NO CURE FOR THE CONDITION, RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE FOR THE APPROXIMATELY 2.8 MILLION ADULTS WHO ARE LIVING WITH THIS CONDITION.

JOINING US NOW (DURING INVISIBLE DISABILITIES WEEK OCTOBER 15-21) IS CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIST, DR. CHRISTOPH (CHRIS-toff) CORRELL (Coh-Rell) TO DISCUSS THE REALITIES FOR ADULTS LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE AND HOW TREATMENT CAN HELP THEM LIVE LIFE ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

POTENTIAL QUESTIONS
· Tell us about schizophrenia. What has your experience been working with adult patients living with schizophrenia?
· What are some of the challenges that adults living with schizophrenia face?
· What treatment options are available for those living with schizophrenia?
· What’s important to consider and talk to your healthcare provider about when deciding what the best course of treatment may be for you or a loved one?
· Any parting thoughts or advice you’d like to share with those who have been or have a loved one who lives with or has been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia?

BIO-Christoph Correll, M.D., is a board-certified general psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist based both in New York, USA, and Berlin, Germany. Dr. Correll is a professor of psychiatry and molecular medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, and professor and chair of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Charité University Medicine in Berlin, Germany. He completed his medical studies at the Free University of Berlin in Germany and Dundee University Medical School in Scotland. Dr. Correll has authored and co-authored over 850 journal articles, including the recent poster “Efficacy and Safety of Paliperidone Palmitate 6-Month Formulation: A 3-Year Analysis in Adults with Schizophrenia.” He has also served on several expert consensus panels on the use of antipsychotics across a range of psychiatric disorders, and since 2014, the beginning of this metric, he has been listed every year by Clarivate/Web of Science as one of the “most influential scientific minds” and “top 1% cited scientists in the area of psychiatry” (https://hcr.clarivate.com).

Important Safey Information
INDICATIONS
INVEGA HAFYERA (6-month paliperidone palmitate) is a prescription medicine given by injection every 6 months by a healthcare professional and used to treat schizophrenia. INVEGA HAFYERA is used in adults who have been treated with either:

INVEGA SUSTENNA® (paliperidone palmitate) a 1-time-each-month paliperidone palmitate extended-release injectable suspension for at least 4 months

INVEGA TRINZA® (paliperidone palmitate) a 1-time-every-3-months paliperidone palmitate extended-release injectable suspension for at least 3 months

INVEGA TRINZA® is a prescription medicine given by injection every 3 months by a healthcare professional and used to treat schizophrenia. INVEGA TRINZA® is used in people who have been adequately treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA® for at least 4 months.
INVEGA SUSTENNA® is a prescription medicine given by injection by a healthcare professional.
INVEGA SUSTENNA® is used to treat schizophrenia in adults.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA®?
INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® may cause serious side effects, including:

Increased risk of death in elderly people with dementia-related psychosis.
INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® increase the risk of death in elderly people who have lost touch with reality (psychosis) due to confusion and memory loss (dementia). INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® are not for the treatment of people with dementia-related psychosis.

Do not receive INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® if you are allergic to paliperidone, paliperidone palmitate, risperidone, or any of the ingredients in INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA®. See the end of the Patient Information leaflet in the full Prescribing Information for a complete list of INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and
INVEGA SUSTENNA® ingredients.
Before you receive INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA®, tell your healthcare professional about all your medical conditions, including if you:
· have had Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
· have or have had heart problems, including a heart attack, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm, or long QT syndrome
· have or have had low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood
· have or have had uncontrolled movements of your tongue, face, mouth, or jaw (tardive dyskinesia)
· have or have had kidney or liver problems
· have diabetes or have a family history of diabetes
· have Parkinson’s disease or a type of dementia called Lewy Body Dementia
· have had a low white blood cell count
· have had problems with dizziness or fainting or are being treated for high blood pressure
· have or have had seizures or epilepsy
· have any other medical conditions
· are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® will harm your unborn baby
o If you become pregnant while taking INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA®, talk to your healthcare professional about registering with the National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics. You can register by calling 1-866-961-2388 or visit http://womensmentalhealth.org/clinical-and-research-programs/pregnancyregistry.
o Infants born to women who are treated with INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® may experience symptoms such as tremors, irritability, excessive sleepiness, eye twitching, muscle spasms, decreased appetite, difficulty breathing, or abnormal movement of arms and legs. Let your healthcare professional know if these symptoms occur.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® can pass into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare professional about the best way to feed your baby if you receive INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® works.

Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to receive INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® with your other medicines. Do not start or stop any medicines during treatment with INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® without talking to your healthcare provider first. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show to your healthcare professional or pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Patients (particularly the elderly) taking antipsychotics with certain health conditions or those on long-term therapy should be evaluated by their healthcare professional for the potential risk of falls.

How will I receive INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA®?

Follow your treatment schedule exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.

Your healthcare provider will tell you how much you will receive and when you will receive it.

What should I avoid while receiving INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or
INVEGA SUSTENNA®?

INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® may affect your ability to make decisions, think clearly, or react quickly. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how INVEGA HAFYERA, INVEGA TRINZA® or INVEGA SUSTENNA® affects you.

Avoid getting overheated or dehydrated.

#schizophrenia #christophcorrell #invega #healthcare

The post LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IS NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT’S NOT ALWAYS PORTRAYED ACCURATELY ON TV SHOWS AND IN THE MOVIES. appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “THERE IS HOPE FOR ADULTS LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA   TO LIVE A FULL AND NORMAL LIFE   May is Mental Health Awareness Month ” on Spreaker.

The post THERE IS HOPE FOR ADULTS LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA   TO LIVE A FULL AND NORMAL LIFE   May is Mental Health Awareness Month  appeared first on Good News!.