CURESZ Foundation

Lesley McCuaig write about the benefits of talk therapy from both her perspective as a clinical counselor and as a person living in recovery from schizophrenia. https://lnkd.in/gHxSTqDq

FDA REMS PROGRAM ABOLISHED: What does it mean for you? Join S&PAA and a panel of leading experts on March 12 at Noon ET to talk about the implications of FDA's momentous decision to eliminate its clozapine REMS restrictions. This is only one week away! We'll discuss what pharmacies, insurance companies, prescribers and others can do to help make clozapine accessible to the people who need it, and what people with schizophrenia can do in the meantime. The announcement of the REMS removal has led to a flurry of questions among clozapine stakeholders about how to cut through the complicated web of insurance rules and other barriers that people with schizophrenia, prescribers and pharmacies have faced for years. Register now to secure your spot and get your questions answered! https://lnkd.in/eP-vJW3Y

Today is a wonderful day for persons with psychosis being treated with clozapine! The FDA has decided to end the REMS program to monitor blood work for those on clozapine (REMS stands for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy). For many years, persons taking clozapine were sometimes prevented from accessing their medication due to errors in the REMS system or slight delays in blood work. As of today, blood work monitoring will be up to the treating physician, and not be subject to the red tape that has gotten in the way of so many patients over more than three decades. https://lnkd.in/gZJD-bP6

I was homeless for four years before antipsychotic medication cleared my mind and made me actually want to live in a home and contribute to society again. Reducing access to the underutilized antipsychotic clozapine can lead to homelessness. https://lnkd.in/gjB5aGxq

So proud of our CURESZ on Campus club at Wayne State University in Michigan. This team of students is making a great impact, supporting and educating their peers.

About "anosognosia" which is lack of insight, common in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Lesley McCuaig discusses her own journey to insight into her schizophrenia, and what helped most along the way. Today, in recovery, Lesley works as a professional counselor. https://lnkd.in/eNvacu7M

Some of the most promising research in schizophrenia involves discovering genes that play a role. Summary of this article: SETD1A, a gene associated with schizophrenia, stunts the growth and branching of dendrites and reduces the number of dendritic spines. Reinstating the normal expression of SETD1A in mouse models restored working memory function. https://lnkd.in/gNRDErJC

Dr Xavier Amador writes about the great need to make it easier to get clozapine, as it is the "gold standard medication" for psychosis. Currently the REMS program established by the FDA makes it difficult for doctors to prescribe it and pharmacists to fill it. https://lnkd.in/gvPc6eyb

Dramatic increase in schizophrenia in Canada tied to the use of weed. https://lnkd.in/g5HgDf7M

A psychotic episode can be compared in severity to a heart attack. Both must be managed with aggressive medical treatment. https://lnkd.in/gYN_KAwY