Honda Supports Narcolepsy Community to Raise Awareness with PSA

WORCESTER, Mass., Nov. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to spread awareness about the often disabling symptoms of the lifelong sleep disorder narcolepsy, American Honda Motor Co Inc., in collaboration with Wake Up Narcolepsy and other narcolepsy community leaders, plans to distribute a new public service announcement (PSA) to enable empathy and understanding. A broadcast schedule follows.

"We in the narcolepsy community applaud Honda's efforts to join us in working to speed narcolepsy awareness by spreading awareness, the vital first step toward diagnosis, treatment, and a more normal life for people with narcolepsy (PWN)," said Monica Gow, executive director and co-founder of Wake Up Narcolepsy (WUN).  

WUN worked closely with Honda and its communications partner Rubin Postaer and Associates (RPA) to produce the PSA, to provide an accurate portrayal of narcolepsy and foster the understanding of a disorder affecting some 200,000 Americans.

"The more we learn about narcolepsy, the more we want to support leaders in the narcolepsy community and raise not only awareness, but true understanding about what it's like to live with  this debilitating sleep disorder," said Tom Peyton, associate vice president, advertising and marketing, at American Honda. "Honda is pleased to do its part to help people everywhere living with narcolepsy by encouraging greater understanding of this challenging condition through our new PSA." 

A Disabling, Lifelong Sleep Disease

Narcolepsy is poorly understood, even by much of the medical community. Consequently, it is common for 8-10 years to pass from initial onset of symptoms until the proper diagnosis is achieved. Misdiagnosis and mistreatment are common, leading to years of unnecessary suffering.

The disease is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. Additional symptoms can include:

• Cataplexy – sudden episodes of muscle weakness or complete collapse triggered by strong emotion, such as laughter or surprise. 
• Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations – dreamlike, often terrifying auditory, visual or tactile hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up.  
• Sleep paralysis – the inability to move while falling asleep or waking up.  
• Automatic Behavior – for example, when writing before falling asleep, the PWN may scribble rather than form words, but not remember the episode.  
• Most PWN don't sleep well at night. Poor nighttime sleep worsens daytime sleepiness.

Symptoms most often begin between ages 11 and 17. Children with undiagnosed narcolepsy often have trouble studying, focusing, and remembering things, and may appear hyperactive. These frailties can have a stigmatizing effect by peers and lead to social isolation, and compromised academic and career achievement.

Treatment is available, but even then life with narcolepsy is never normal. THERE IS NO CURE.

Wake Up Narcolepsy

WUN is a nonprofit organization working to speed narcolepsy awareness through greater awareness, and fund medical research for a cure. Learn more at www.wakeupnarcolepsy.org.

PSA Broadcast Schedule

SOURCE Wake Up Narcolepsy

Related Links

http://www.wakeupnarcolepsy.org/