I haven’t been on here in a long time because I have spent all this time ( the last 6months or more) without a diagnosis. I was put on seroquel last year because of my psychosis and have been on it ever since… it made me come back to reality but I still experience mood shifts (up and down) and occasionally ‘perceptual disturbances’ as my psych calls them. Anyway point is, in the last few months things got ALOT better! I got out of a bad relationship, got my ■■■■ back together, stopped feeling depressed and anxious and like myself again. I even managed to get a part time job and buy a car. Things have been really looking up. I’ve been hypomanic a few times and had two hallucinationy type episodes but apart from that I’ve been great!
But then I go to my pdoc the other day and she gives me the results of some screening test we did and lands a bomb on me that she thinks I have schizoaffective disorder and that I need a med review! Well it really ■■■■■■■ threw me! I honestly thought I was past all this. I stopped thinking I had a psychotic disorder long ago because the meds seem to be working so well. And all anybody has ever mentioned was that I could have BPD. I’m honestly just so shocked and don’t know what to think. I’m also second guessing myself, like am I actually ill right now and just don’t realise…? I’m just so confused and it’s really getting me down why did she have to tell me this right before Xmas!
Anyway if anyone has any insight or advice for me it would be great to hear from you… or even just to hear from other people who’ve been through this. Sorry for the huge rant!
Yeah the reason you don’t experience the psychosis is because you’re on an antipsychotic, psychosis unfortunately does not heal or go away. An AP isn’t a cure, just a coverup for symptoms.
Don’t worry about diagnoses too much they’re really just for insurance purposes. They can change literally all the time. I’m on my 4th diagnosis for example!
You’ll probably still be on seroquel and they’ll probably put you on a mood stabilizer as well.
The label is not much important because the spectrum is VERY large, you could be an ultra high functioning schizoaffective or a super low functioning one.
I’m so happy for you that things are going so well. I would point out to the doctors how well you’re doing before they make any meds adjustments. Sometimes you go through a rough patch just from tweaking meds. Obviously the meds for sza can get pretty complicated since the mood part of it usually needs medicating too. But if you’re doing good then that’s all that matters I think.
I wouldn’t pay any attention to what your psychologist says. They’re not trained in psychiatry. Only listen to your psychiatrist when it comes to psychiatric diagnoses.
Thank you yes I think I’m going to have to stand my ground on the medication front. I’m just confused as to why she thinks I need a meds review in the first place… I think that’s what’s bugging me the most… like am I not doing as well as I think I am?
They could very well be trained in psychiatry.
You should ask them to talk to your pdoc about it if they think it’s important. When you have a team, they need to work as a team. Getting different diagnoses from your pdoc and your psychologist is just bad treatment.
I guess I’m just finding it hard to believe because my psychotic symptoms really are not severe… or maybe that is just because of the AP. Like I can’t even tell if I still have psychotic symptoms anymore… unless I’m not taking care of myself or I’m under a lot of pressure… but from my understanding if you have sz or sza you have psychotic symptoms pretty much all the time…?
Really? I thought it was the other way around. Psychologist diagnose, psychiatrist treat the problem. My psychiatrist sucks anyway, she never listens, I’ve been seeing her for a year and she hasn’t picked up on anything that the psychologist was able to in only three sessions. I don’t trust her at all ( the psychiatrist)… next I’m seeing them both together though for the review of my medication…
It’s usually like that here. Psychologists here are generally better at diagnosing than pdocs. But it depends on where you live and who your psychologist is.
I don’t get it. Why does everybody always freak out when they get a diagnosis of sza? What’s so bad about a diagnosis of sza? I know it’s not easy to live with, but, surely it’s better than sz or bipolar. My son was sz and my former best friend was bipolar. I wouldn’t have wanted to be either of them for a million bucks.
why did she have to tell me this right before Xmas!
! 
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yes I think I’m going to have to stand my ground on the medication front. I’m just confused as to why she thinks I need a meds review in the first place… I think that’s what’s bugging me the most… like am I not doing as well as I think I am?