5 Schizophrenia Subgroups Explained: Symptoms And Signs Of Mental Health Condition

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21

My doctor tells me I have bipolar disorder but I think I’ve got the skittle

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If your psychosis occurs when mood is high or low that would suggest a psychotic mood disorder. If psychosis occurs more than 2 weeks outside of a mood episode that would point to schizoaffective disorder (in your case it would be schizoaffective bipolar type).

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Thanks @firemonkey. I’m aware of the diagnostic criteria. The problem is, the doctors can’t decide what I’ve got. Be been seen by some pretty good ones and most of them seem to tell me that I don’t fit the diagnostic criteria for sz. Criteria A.
I am on a mood stabilizer now and the doctor plans to reduce my atypical in a month so only time will tell.

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Which of the following do they think you don’t have? Where you completely open about your symptoms?

A. Characteristics of Symptoms: TWO OR MORE of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one month period (or less if successfully treated):

Delusions
Hallucinations
Disorganised speech (e.g.  frequent derailment or incoherence)
Grossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour
Negative symptoms, ie  affective flattening, alogia or avolition

http://www.sfnsw.org.au/Mental-Illness/Schizophrenia/Schizophrenia-Diagnosis

25

Is schizoaffective just bipolar plus schizophrenia?

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I think it’s a mood disorder (MDD or bipolar) plus schizophrenia. At least that’s how it seems to me, as someone who has schizoaffective bipolar disorder.
Different websites and different doctors have their own opinions, though.

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27

My pdoc once told me I was a paranoid schizophrenic! But then he diagnosed me officially as schizoaffective!!

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Schizoaffective - depressive type is frequently ignored, overlooked, or just plain forgotten. Thank you for mentioning it.

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29

They always do. And I feel left out every time.
:sob:

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30

My pdoc also once told me “you are very very very psychotic bipolar, aka schizoaffective”.

31

Both of my pdocs say that schizoaffective is actually a subtype of schizophrenia. Like the paranoid subtype or the catatonic subtype, for instance. Another doctor told me that I had both schizophrenia and bipolar at the same time. So, a double whammy. Imagine being tortured with delusions, hallucinations, anxiety, extreme paranoia, and on top of all of that very, very severe and continuous, round the clock, 24/7 suicidal ideations, lasting years.