I've been reading about the differences in delusionary states between the manic phase of bipolar and sz. Patients with bp tend to have many delusions that crop up but last for a short time (hours-days) while people with sz have delusions that last for longer.

From what I've learned from this forum over the years (having participated in both the sz and bp forums) bipolar patients tend to experience hallucinations that are brief as well (sometimes fading as soon as they are perceived or a voice that just says a few words) while schizophrenic patients experience more constant hallucinations of voices conversing, commenting on what they are doing, etc.

Taking this all together, I think it is likely that I am purely bipolar, not schizoaffective. I have had delusions that lasted for months, but they are not nearly as common as the more rapid ones. And my hallucinations are more typical of what I've seen in bp patients.

So even though I've experienced psychosis outside of mood episodes, I'm still gonna call myself bipolar because the form of the psychosis is more bipolar.

I think that mental illness is a fascinating subject. I could read about this stuff for the rest of my life. So many questions to be answered, with potential applications of helping so many people.