I was originally diagnosed bipolar, too. Now I’m diagnosed schizoaffective bipolar type. I guess the important thing is that we get the right treatment for the symptoms we’re dealing with at the time. Hope things continue to get better for you, @Wave. Best wishes.
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Anosognosia affects 50% of people with schizophrenia, and 40% of people with bipolar disorder. - See more at: http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Anosognosia#sthash.rHIjT1jG.dpuf
So your pdoc is talking rubbish. There isn’t much difference when it comes to levels of insight.
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I’m glad you’re finally getting some answers. To be honest I would trust your tdoc’s opinion more than your pdoc when it comes to a diagnosis. You spend ten maybe fifteen minutes with your pdoc every 6 weeks where you spend an hour with your tdoc every week.
Recently my pdoc spent an hour evaluating me and then went through my chart the clinic has on me. He came up with the diagnosis sza depressive type. I trust that because he has reasoning behind it. My tdoc still sticks with sz and she has her reasons too that she has explained to me. I guess because I don’t feel depressed I insisted it was sz, but apparently I’m depressed to other people. Also I guess being suicidal is a clue to that.
It’s all so confusing. And I like things to be put in neat little categories that are accurate so I relate where you’re coming from. Besides I know we shouldn’t get hung up on the labels but a lot of times the label dictates the treatment. You’re going to treat negative symptoms differently than depression. I’m glad you’re doing well my friend. 
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Just remember, sir, that it is mostly a label to identify oneself to the insurance industry. It’s really never a one size fit all type. I have come to the conclusion that what will work works until it stops working, then try another tactic.
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Best distinguishing characteristics of bipolar and schizoaffective that I’ve ever heard before. Makes it all quite clear. Thank you for posting.
I am female and I have had a diagnosis of sza bipolar type since 1994. Before that, I was briefly diagnosed with bipolar. I was diagnosed with sza bipolar type because I was extremely and constantly suicidal (wth two attempts)or many years. And I had two or three manic episodes during these years. During these years, I would get relief from my suicidal, depressed moods, and it was mostly during the times when I was working that my mood would be normal. During times of normal mood, I would have severe bouts of paranoia, mindreading and paranoid delusions. And as I got older, I developed gustatory, olfactory, tactile, auditory and visual hallucinations. And in that order of appearance. Then, came the delusions of reference.
With atypical AP’s and SSRI antidepressant medication, all of the suicidal ideation and depression stopped. The mania stopped. The psychotic symptoms ended too. Except for the delusions of reference that remain.
I am schizoaffective bipolar type because I had mood symptoms for a great proportion of my time of illness. I suffered both mania and depression. I experienced psychotic symptoms even in the absence of mood symptoms and the psychotic symptoms were severe. Psychotic symptoms are not as severe in bipolar.
Even though I am no longer suicidal or even depressed, I would not call myself sz because I am taking an SSRI antidepressant medication which accounts for my newfound happy mood. If I were to quit taking this med, I would probably sink into another depression.
I spoke to my psychiatrist yesterday and she told me that I suffer with Schizoaffective Disorder.
She feels that I’m too paranoid to be diagnosed with bipolar.
I tend to agree with this.
During my psychotic episodes I have zero insight.
@Wave I am happy you found some relief in all of this. Time and time again I outright challenged my schizophrenia diagnosis, it didn’t feel right. I did a lot of research on it and I even worked on a inpatient ward for mental health. I just could not relate. But everytime I was told that it was the denial talking, a symptom of schiz. I am now told it’s bipolar. Sometimes we just know more than the pdocs. After all we live with it not them.
@Wave it’s not so much during your psychotic episodes as what you are like in be tween.
Bipolars are typically pretty symptom free between episodes. I have no insight when I’m psychotic either. But I have bipolar.
It really doesn’t make a difference anymore because I’m used to thinking that I’m schizoaffective. But I don’t like the name either.
Thanks @anon80629714
@MeghillaGorilla1 I am constantly suspicious and paranoid even in between Mood episodes, this is probably why my doctors are leaning towards Schizoaffective.