Hi, well I am in the USA so I can't answer your question specifically ... however, I can pass on info that my pdoc (psychiatrist) gave to me a couple of years ago. My therapist at the time was wondering if I was schizoaffective rather than bipolar ... he was not qualified to diagnose me as he is not a doctor, but he talked to my pdoc about it. My pdoc then talked to me and told me that he still stood with his original diagnosis of my having bipolar 1 with occasional psychotic features. What he also told me that I want to share with you is that he said [e]ven if you were to have schizoaffective disorder rather than bipolar disorder ... the treatment/medications would be the same.

If you can, purchase the two Torrey books via Amazon.com - I believe they ship international. It talks about schizoaffective, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. What I have taken from it (and I have read up on it fairly extensively) is there is a certain amount of "overlap" between the illnesses.

My pdoc conveyed to me that treating the symptoms of mental illness are the most important. Granted, a diagnosis is important - but treating symptoms is what helps us get better.

So, that is my unprofessional/layperson's opinion and my pdoc's opinion on schizoaffective vs. bipolar disorder. Can you ask your health care practitioner/pdoc about it? Tell him/her about your hallucinations? If that is a safe thing to do in your country? It sounds like there is a cultural stigma or misunderstanding about mental illness, though...that must make it difficult to get treatment.

Do you take any medications? Any antipsychotics? Take care.