Schizoaffective: Bipolar II?

No absolute diagnosis yet, but my current psychologist says my cycle patterns are more typical of bipolar II - rapid and moderate (mostly), yet he is adamant I am schizoaffective (psychosis lasting for 3 months without significant mood swings (possibly thanks to stabilisers)). DSM-IV seems to refer to full manic or mixed or depressive episodes in the SZA criteria. A while back my psychiatrist diagnosed me BP-I on the basis of my being psychotic and highly agitated during the consultation and notched that down to mania. I'm not sure I was truly manic. (But arguably I may not have been in the best position to judge that accurately).

Assuming my BP-II diagnosis is accurate, where would that put me on the current diagnostic classification system (DSM or ICD)? Moody Fruitcake NOS? Or is there actually something that captures this scenario descriptively?

someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe shizo includes the bipolar dx(or major depressive dx)???

Thanks. I guess I am being thrown off by this: http://www.health.am/psy/schizoaffective-disorder/

"A. An uninterrupted period of illness during which, at some time, there is either a Major Depressive Episode, a Manic Episode, or a Mixed Episode concurrent with symptoms that meet Criterion A for Schizophrenia"

Is the reason for specifying a Manic episode and not a hypomanic episode because somehow the psychosis has to be linked to the Mania (or Major Depression in that case) rather than occurring independently of it?

If you have moderate psychosis and moderate mood disorder, does it become not worth treating because it drops below the radar?

I'm not sure, so don't take my words for advice, but I don't believe Bipolar is part of Schizoaffective. I know for a fact that there is Bipolar-Type Schizoaffective, which I have, but I don't believe Bipolar is part of Schizoaffective. The way I understand it, is that Schizoaffective is a cross between a mood disorder and Schizophrenia. It doesn't fully fit into either category, so it forms one of its own.

Like I said, don't take my word for it. I'm only a teenager going based on what I've learned.

That and I asked my psychiatrist if I was Bipolar anymore and they told me no, I was Schizoaffective. So I'm just assuming the two are different things.

And whatever you have going on should be treated. I think so, at least. If something is bothering you, it should be treated. Even if it isn't such a big thing, just moderate.

I don't know if with schizoaffective disorder if it has to be bipolar 1 or not. I think that my situation is more like yours that I have more of bipolar 2 rather than the full blown mania. The only thing that I have that is part of bipolar 1 is the grandiose delusions. Otherwise I don't do anything horribly dangerous when I am in mania and it is sometimes even beneficial to me to have it because I am hyper productive in my manic episodes. I do spend a bit more like I am an artist and once i spent $400 on a pastel set that I didn't use. Its been years so that amount might be a bit off. I don't spend tens of thousands or anything like that. When I am building balsa model airplanes at the same time as being hypo manic I spend a few hundred dollars on model kits (they are about $20-100 a piece) and I don't use them for a long time in fact I still have some from that episode and its been years! I also rapid cycle into many episodes a year but mainly depression and if I am manic (or hypo manic for that matter) I crash into a depression after that episode is over. Its been like that for years and that is more typical of a bipolar 2 diagnosis and I have schizoaffective disorder. The reasons why the amounts i spend is lower than a typical manic episode is the fact is that I don't have much money in the first place so this is huge for me. I also talk extremely fast while hypomanic. As I said before 99% of my episodes are depressive. I know though a long time ago for some odd reason the doctor diagnosed me as bipolar 1. How I was first diagnosed as that has a funny story to it. The psychiatrist flipped through pages of the DSM and landed on bipolar 1 and she said, "yep, this fits you perfectly." I think she also made a comment on how I talked was like mania. I also talk 24 hours a day. Back then I didn't realize that bipolar is even a possibility in me because I didn't see the ups in myself only the downs. But looking back in college, I wrote constantly and it was clear at times i had delusions and thought I am going to be a billionaire and thought I was going to change the world. Sometimes I think my art is so good that I am going to make millions even though most artists starve. I have a lot of people helping my art in real life (this is not a delusion) and I still make nothing with my art. Some people claim to love my art but no one buys any. I also know someone who is clearly bipolar 1 and I am not like him at all. He hasn't been formally diagnosed with it though. He always comes up with these ideas that will make millions (he claims) and then he doesn't follow through with anything. he has clear manic episodes followed by depressive episodes. he is not schizoaffective to my knowledge though.

When do the cross from bp1 to schizzoaffective? I've had hallucinations several times. On an anti psychotic which I'm not sure is working but oh we'll.

I am under the impression that bipolar and schizophrenia are on the same spectrum so there's a lot of cross-over.

Im bipolar I ... but I have loads of halucionations so I was recently started on " Fanapt" mainly to knock off the hallcinations ( day 8 and they are still here ) ..

I also agree with Tosspot .. so much just crosses over for each " illness" I think alot of pdocs wind up changing our diagnosis because often everytime i see my pdoc im in a differant mood ,2 months ago i was "indifferant " to him, last month I was in a very angry irratated mood .. last week seen on an emergency appt and I was mad angry crying pisssed off constantly aplogizing mood ...

Lucky for my Pdoc i see a T weekly and My T really can see how im doing in general and gets in touch with my Pdoc if im getting bad ,,,ie: reason for emergency appt .

I know alot of people say "dont worry about a Label" ,,,, well I think if a person wants or needs the label so they can learn about it ( same as say diabetes or any other health issue ) I feel everyone is thier own best advocate.

Question anything your not sure about

Although I find my pdoc intimidating I do like that he told me he didn't care what bipolar I was, 'bipolar is bipolar" and that helped me a lot. I have a solid dx and I learn about, but I don't bog myself down with the specifics. My original dx was "Bipolar II, with bipolar I mania" But now I just tell people I'm bipolar. Lay people are afraid of both.