I posted this in the schizoaffective forum, but I would like y'all's opinion on it as well. Does this sound like more than bipolar to you, or am I overreacting in my fear? Do most of you have mild psychotic symptoms outside of episodes, or am I weird (and likely schizoaffective)?
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Hi, everyone. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but lately I've been concerned that I might really be schizoaffective. Here is why:
-I've definitely hallucinated outside of a mood episode. However, all of my hallucinations are pretty mild. (seeing something out of the corner of my eye, hearing bits of music, hearing voices that say "hey" or my name, etc.)
-I can think of at least one time when I was likely delusional and not experiencing serious mood symptoms. I thought that I had cancer and was dying.
-I have a lot of cognitive symptoms. It's hard for me to understand what people say sometimes. I have a terrible memory (though it used to be pretty good). Despite these symptoms, I'm still able to function fairly well.
-I'm very withdrawn. When I was younger, I avoided being around my family because I felt like they were judging me. I also implicitly felt like they could read my thoughts. I have very few friends, though I am a very friendly person.
-I've scored high on most of the schizophrenia screening tests that I've taken. Yes, I know that this does not mean much.
So, can any of you relate to any of this? I know that if I have schizoaffective d/o, the psychosis is fairly mild. How much more severe are your symptoms?
Should I bring up the issue of a possible schizoaffective disorder with my psychiatrist? Sometimes I wonder if it even matters; I'm already on an antipsychotic for the bipolar. However, I suppose that having the correct label would be helpful.
Thanks!
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