[franz kafka]

My inpatient doctor diagnosed me with schizoaffective disorder instead of just bipolar. Her reasoning is that I have psychosis detached from my mood episodes.

I know she's right, but still I'm reluctant to see myself differently. I've only just gotten used to bipolar and now I'm something else?

I know this isn't the right board to put this on, but I still feel bipolar. Am I still welcome to post here even?

[still_crazy]

hi. Schizoaffective is a weird diagnosis. A lot of people who are diagnosed SZA at one point will end up with a different diagnosis later on. There's not all that much research on SZA, either. As I recall, it was once considered "good prognosis schizophrenia" or something, because the presence of affective symptoms was a good thing (?). Anyway, traditional psychiatric wisdom holds that SZA people don't do as well as people with Bipolar I, but the long term outlook is better than Schizophrenia.

I wouldn't worry about it, honestly. I'm in a similar position. My former doctors say I have "Schizophrenia, with a mood disorder" and my current doctor calls it "Bipolar I, mostly psychotic depression." Either way, the psych drugs are pretty much the same. I mean, I take Abilify instead of the Seroquel they seem to give to most schizophrenia and sza patients, but that's about the only difference I think.

Diagnoses aren't all that important. I think its probably best to just focus on getting better and moving on, no matter what labels are applied to you.

I agree with still_crazy. The meds are more or less the same, so there isn't too much to worry about

Even therapy doesn't matter in my opinion (in terms of SZA vs BP therapy). Therapy is so individualized that diagnoses don't matter. It's all about improving whatever you're struggling with.

Sooo.. i wouldn't worry too much about Dx's

And no, don't worry about posting here. Plenty of SZA people post here. I'm not one of them tho... but there are plenty, I'm sure of it!

[Victoria'smom]

I stay on the BP board even though I'm sure I'm SZA and I stay here. No matter what Dx. I have this board is my home. If you feel more comfortable here stay posting here.

[franz kafka]

I can't help it but the diagnosis matters to me. It says something about my symptom pattern and (statistically) my prognosis. I do realize that BP and SZA are very close to one another.

Thanks for the welcoming responses.

[hypomaniac-eric]

I was originally diagnosed with schizoaffective back in 2001 or about. Probably because of my belief in aliens and UFO's. And the fact I believed two different dogs I seen, that disappeared, were aliens in disguise.

[Victoria'smom]

I'm not saying that whether it's BP or SZA doesn't matter. It does, meds are similar but prognosis and symptoms are different.

My therapy looks a lot more like someone with SZ then BP. My treatment plan is most likely more intense and honestly I doubt anyone except me to recover, not really, not fully. All we can do with SZA or BP is make sure we have a mental health team we can trust.

[Naynay99]

hey. i get the whole not knowing how to feel about hearing a new diagnosis.
it shouldn't matter, esp if the treatments are similar, and yet it does...

(Having contradicting dx from different pdocs makes me question whether i have MDD with AD induced hypomania or BP 2. i already take a mood stabilizer so who gives a crap what it is called, right? and yet it still sort of bothers me...
and i think the extra stigma attached to the bp dx confuses things even more.)

but i wouldn't use this different label as a predictor of your future prognosis.
anyway, i dont have much helpful advice. just wanted to say that i hear you.
hang in there.

I've been diagnosed with everything under the sun at one point, including SZ and SZA. It seems I'm somewhere between SZA and BPI.
Like others have said, the dx doesn't really matter and the treatment is pretty much the same. And you're welcome to keep posting in this subforum

[Moose72]

I was diagnosed sza once but my new Pdoc said "nah. Bipolar all the way". It's a spectrum. Don't get too stuck on one part.