Governor Proclaims Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week 2024

TARDIVE DYSKINESIA AWARENESS WEEK

2024

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a condition characterized by involuntary muscle movements of the face, torso, and extremities that can vary in frequency and amplitude; and

WHEREAS, TD is a condition that may occur with certain medications used to treat mental illness; TD results from treatment with dopamine receptor blocking agents (DRBAs) used for both psychiatric and non-psychiatric conditions, and can persist even after discontinuing treatment; and

WHEREAS, anyone taking an antipsychotic medication may develop TD, but the elderly, women, and individuals with a mental illness are at a greater risk of developing TD; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that over 600,000 Americans suffer from TD; according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, one in every four patients receiving long-term treatment with an antipsychotic medication will experience TD; and

WHEREAS, years of research have resulted in recent scientific breakthroughs, with two new treatments for TD approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration; and

WHEREAS, TD is often unrecognized and patients suffering from the illness are commonly misdiagnosed; regular screening for TD in patients taking DRBA medications is recommended by the American Psychiatric Association; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages individuals and organizations to raise awareness and educate others of Tardive Dyskinesia, and to support those affected by it;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 5 – 11, 2024, as “TARDIVE DYSKINESIA AWARENESS WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.

________________________________________

Roy Cooper

Governor

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this third day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.