[Psychend098]

Hi all
I've had mental health symptoms since my teens. It wasn't until later, in my twenties that I developed bipolar symptoms. When I first sought help, I went to a group health psychologist who diagnosed me as schizoaffective based on tests. The olanzapine did nothing for my mood and they kept taking me off anxiety meds. It wasn't until I was hospitalized that they added bipolar type on and lithium has been a godsend. Now, I'm wondering if im schizoaffective bipolar type or just bipolar type considering my psych otic symptoms are when I'm depressed or have bipolar symptoms and the olanzapine did little aside from sedating me. Do I seek another psychiatrist and take it from there? I'm currently only on lithium. The antidepressants didn't work or not enough, haven't needed my anxiety meds, still have to pick up my sleep meds and I already mentioned the Other drug. Thanks in advance.

[RedDawn]

The diagnosis doesn't truly matter as long as you're getting the help you need.

Technically someone who only has psychotic symptoms during mood episodes has bipolar with psychotic features, not schizoaffective bipolar type.

For schizoaffective, you need to have psychotic symptoms and bipolar symptoms independently.

[zbmom]

Schizoaffective is basically bipolar disorder with schizophrenia. So RedDawn is right, if you only have psychotic features when manic you have bipolar with psychosis. If you have psychotic features any other times (and you're bipolar) you're probably schizoaffective.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I'd like to add you can also have psychosis with depression with bipolar disorder.

[tecomsin]

The psychiatrist I have seen since my first hospitalization 11 years ago all agree I have bipolar, but on the other hand I haven't talked about my long lasting delusions that seem to have lasted longer than any mood episode. For instance, I was convinced for about a year that not only were foreign agencies spying on me in my home but I also was hearing clicks and bangs (only inside my house) that I thought were to manipulate my behavior, to program my brain. It was incessant, and went on for about a year. I never told anyone not even my long term psychiatrist. I wasn't manic for the whole year. I am usually depressed but can present as 'euthymic'. My first psychosis was when i was manic but now I am thinking that schizoaffective might be the right diagnosis or

it is possible (I can hope) that delusions and hallucinations will not visit me again as long as I refrain from cannabis.