Possible Schizoaffective

Yesterday I had an attack of psychosis when my moods were stablized having increased the Lithium a few days ago. In which I heard the voice of Satan and started having visual hallucinations where the walls were pulsating and various objects were shrinking and growing. I had delusional thoughts that members of my family were Satan. Again there were no mood symptoms.

This isn't the first time. The first time I had psychosis I never had any mood issues, but mood symptoms followed shortly, then paranoia afterwards, then mood symptoms then psychosis. This seems to me more like Schizoaffective and most people around me agree.

I'm probably wrong just like the stupid moron I am. BUt it seems to connect. The more I read about the symptoms the more it seems to ring close to home. It's like I went from Paranoid Schizophrenia to Bipolar and back. Coincidence?

No way this is Bipolar or Schizophrenia. But I must be wrong. I plan to see my psychiatrist soon. But until then I want your opinions. I know I have OCD, which has been 95% treated.

PLEASE RESPOND. Someone. Anyone?

Hi,

I don't know what to tell you, but I want you to know I care. How soon is your appt. with your pdoc? I think you're very wise to read about the difference in the disorders and we have a lot of good information right here on PC.

You are definately not a moron!

I wish you the very best,

Jan

IOf you were interested in keeping up with what was going on January, I would read the topic in the Bipolar section of the same title if you haven't already. I think this topic should be closed.

*************************TOPIC CLOSED****************************

Actually, I did go read about it so I could discuss it with you. I am bipolar, so I know about that. I was just a bit confused on the schizoaffective disorder. I wanted to make sure I didn't tell you something wrong.

Jan

Thing that doesn't make sense to me is that I've never had a manic or mixed episode. I've had similar periods of distress, but never a full episode. Yet they still say that I qualify for a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder because of psychosis. Still though, it seems independent of the mood symptoms. But as you have read my pdoc said wait and see.

It took a while to get all my dxs, and it was most frustrating. It was like putting a puzzle together. I agree with you that your dx makes no sense since you've never had a mixed or manic episode. Please let me know what your Dr. says.

Jan

Yeah, I mean, I fit the criteria more for Paranoid Schizophrenia. My mood disturbance was mood lability not manic or mixed episodes. Plus the disturbance was shorter when compared to the psychosis, which keeps coming back. But, it just seems that I'm not Schizophrenic. Schizoaffective is out the window because ther has never been full mood episodes.

I've read that Schizophrenia is often misdiagnosed as Bipolar and Vice versa. I'll ask my doctor when I see him next.

Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common type of schizophrenia in most parts of the world. The clinical picture is dominated by relatively stable, often paranoid, delusions, usually accompanied by hallucinations, particularly of the auditory variety, and perceptual disturbances. Disturbances of affect, volition, and speech, and catatonic symptoms, are not prominent.

Examples of the most common paranoid symptoms are:

* delusions of persecution, reference, exalted birth, special mission, bodily change, or jealousy;
* hallucinatory voices that threaten the patient or give commands, or auditory hallucinations without verbal form, such as whistling, humming, or laughing;
* hallucinations of smell or taste, or of sexual or other bodily sensations; visual hallucinations may occur but are rarely predominant.

Thought disorder may be obvious in acute states, but if so it does not prevent the typical delusions or hallulcinations from being described clearly. Affect is usually less blunted than in other varieties of schizophrenia, but a minor degree of incongruity is common, as are mood disturbances such as irritability, sudden anger, fearfulness, and suspicion. "Negative" symptoms such as blunting of affect and impaired volition are often present but do not dominate the clinical picture.

The course of paranoid schizophrenia may be episodic, with partial or complete remissions, or chronic. In chronic cases, the florid symptoms persist over years and it is difficult to distinguish discrete episodes. The onset tends to be later than in the hebephrenic and catatonic forms.

Diagnostic Guidelines

The general criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia (see introduction to F20 above) must be satisfied. In addition, hallucinations and/or delusions must be prominent, and disturbances of affect, volition and speech, and catatonic symptoms must be relatively inconspicuous. The hallucinations will usually be of the kind described in (b) and (c) above. Delusions can be of almost any kind of delusions of control, influence, or passivity, and persecutory beliefs of various kinds are the most characteristic

Perhaps I have both. I fit the criteria for both Paranoid Schizophrenia and Bipolar in adolescents and the psychosis appears seperate from the mood symptoms. Who knows?

I have a friend who had auditory hallucinations with his bipolar. He become very paranoid and the voices told him to do terrible things. He is much better now, but it sure was rough. I hope your Dr. can make a specific dx so you can have the right meds so you'll feel better quickly.

Jan

But my psychosis is seperate from mood symptoms. So that basically means Schizoaffective.

do you have the negative symptoms too???

it does puzzle me this desire that people have to put themselves into little boxes...

No, but what did I say earlier in this thread? it's like paranoid Schizophrenia (no negative symptoms in that) and Bipolar the next minute. psychosis, mood, psychosis, mood, on and on.

Why are you so confrontational alexandra_k? What do you have against me? I can't wonder if Bipolar doesn't fit which it doesn't seem to? Even my pdoc said the Bipolar diagnosis is changable, not certain.

i'm just not seeing why it is so important to pinpoint a precise dx when even your pdoc said 'the bipolar diagnosis is changeable, not certain'.

diagnoses aren't certain. inter-rater reliability (where clinicians agree on a diagnosis) is very poor for the majority of diagnostic categories.

is there a further fact of the matter as to what is wrong with someone? not really.

does it make a difference to your treatment what dx you have? not really.

i'm sorry you feel confronted. i never intended for you to feel confronted by anything i've said.

sure you can wonder... but i wonder what is behind all the wonder.

fear that you won't get better?
belief that you won't get better and a little dx label to back that up?

i'm not really seeing the issue here...

Phil, you know this page?

http://www.psych.uic.edu/pmdc/presen...rder/index.htm

4-5 articles down seems to imply the opposite of what you're saying to me; you have to have mood disorders to "transfer" to Schizoaffective?

i have almost like ur symptoms voices of poeple sounds of leaves moving ,people knocking at my window illusions ,delusions ,halluciations of dark lights ,clouds ,objects shrinking,words in the books and *in the exams* melting and leaving the sheet white words wrriten inm the sky
being doubtful about how my family members act and if they are trying to get me ...
but never thought of it as u did ,i mean never thought of it seriously!\
i don't know why but i don't wanna have any thing like Possible Schizoaffective or bipolar!

Well, Hi there! It looks like you got plenty of opinions but I figured I give you one more... I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder among other things, and have dealing with them for the past 3 or 4 years. It rang a bell with what you described as far as the "visual distortions" as my pdoc calls them are one of my symptoms; a matter of fact something I am very stressed about today brought it on today. As far as your diagnosis goes, I wish I could help you there, but unfortunately I don't have a degree like that... anyway getting off track lol. I've been told and learned that schizoaffective is both symptoms of bipolar and schizophrenia and so that's the jist simplified... Hope this helped; you can always message me back some how