All these diagnoses seem to be a continuum. for instance; I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in my early 20’s. In my late 40’s I was given another diagnosis (schizoaffective disorder). My current Psychiatrist said thatSchizoaffective contains elements of both schizophrenia and depression. This is why they call schizoaffective. Elements of a thought disorder and a mood disorder.Does anyone have any similar diagnosis or experience? Does anyone else have an interest in their mental health? Of course everyone here has interest in mental health and recovery. else we wouldn’t be here. I am a musician. Does anyone have an interest in musical science? vibrations? rhythm? I am a drummer. I play evrythin’
I have had many different labels on my file ADD, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, Schizoaffective, Sz. It all shifts around. I’ve had my current diagnosis for a while now. But lately my doc has been leaning forward more and saying… “Hum… interesting.” and then directing me to information about bipolar.
Which makes me lean forward and say… “Hum… interesting”
So maybe my label will change again. All I know is, I can think in complete sentences better then I used to, my meds work and I can remember most of what I did the previous day. So Sz, or Sa, call me what ever you want…
(just don’t call me late for lunch… 
) Sorry… 
4 Likes
I have been diagnosed as Major Depressive with psychotic features, bipolar for a short while and now schizoaffective depressive type. It seems difficult to treat my depression without causing hallucinations. I also suffer from migraines and seasonal allergies. So I am a walking mess.
Schizoaffective is similar to schizophrenia just like bipolar. It’s not both. That’s the confusion. The label needs changed to just “affective disorder” because it’s neither bipolar or schizophrenia it means you are “affected” by milder symptoms and they arent even extreme enough to be put into a single category. It’s a good thing not a bad thing. I’ve stayed out of the hospital for eight years now. I haven’t needed to go back either the legit place I went to told me that since I wasn’t really that bad I was just anxious and needed to stop stressing. They said it was only for extremely sick or suicidal people. So that’s a really good thing that I’ve kept myself out of the hospital so that is one sign that I am doing well. I’m also med compliant.
1 Like
I am schizoaffective but i dont believe in that diagnosis. To me my mentall illness is a rare illness. I do have depression but i take vitamin for that. My pdoc cant understand my symptoms or how it can be possible to lesson my symptoms with vitamin. If i had the courage to go off med. i would, just to see if i do fine with just vitamins. I have lowered my med from 2mg of risperdone to 1.75mg. Maybe i will stay with this dose for few months and than reduce by another 0.25. I just need courage. This antipsychotic takes all my courage and self esteem away.
That’s a fairly low dose Mindwhisperer. Vitamins are really helpful. B-complex etc. I started taking different vitamins but none of that nootropic stuff.
1 Like
Schizoaffective is schizophrenia plus a mood disorder, whether it’s mania or depression. It can be alternating mania and depression or just mania or just depression.
People often enjoy being schizoaffective-manic. Be glad you don’t think you’re a god or something.
2 Likes
I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, but it changed to sz soon after. That was eleven years ago. It is still sz.
@mortimermouse said it all
1 Like
When I was 21 I was diagnosed with bipolar 1, last christmas i was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar-type.
I’ve always been the same.
I have been dx schizoaffective disorder also. I’ve had long perieds of psychosis and depression in my life. I guess it’s an appropriate diagnosis for me.
i am sith affective, slightly spacey with a tinge of ’ out there ’ !!
take care
3 Likes
Sith affective, I used to think the force did control everything. Maybe it still does.
1 Like
all things are the force, be they light or dark, the knack is becoming one with it.
take care
2 Likes
I was diagnosed as Schizoaffective then my Doctor recently said I had Schizophrenia so I am confused somewhat what’s the difference I always thought Schizoaffective was a combo of both Bipolar and Schizophrenia??And I do have Bipolar as well as GAD those are the diagnosis I have gotten and got when I was in my early 20s.My Mood isn’t mixed but used to be before I was on Medicine. I was up really manic and then really severely Depressed and then up again never stable. Now I am stable, mellow calm relaxed I recently changed meds because my Abilify5mg leveled out and quit working after 11 years I started having issues with it so I now take Latuda40mg and a Mood stabilizer Lexapro20 or an antidepressant. Those are the only two medicines I take so I consider myself lucky I was reading on here how some people take upwards of 5 to 10 antipsychotics or antidepressants or both a day unbelievable I guess some people have A more severe case of Psychosis than others but wow that’s a lot? Mine was severe back then not so much now back then I would hardly ever leave my house and when I did I though people were Talking about me and I thought I was being pursued or chased by these people and I thought people have put Spells on me or cast magic on me was that really in my head or was it I seen scary things in my past to warrant some type of Curse or Spell the things I seen were real and my parents seen these things too that I was seeing does that mean their crazy too I think not my mom is as realistic as they come and she would never make it up that she seen these things I seen in my past I never seen those things again after we moved from that house we used to live in. Where does Mental Illness come from? I think my dad is a carrier of the gene because he has anger issues and some Mental issues going on from ADD to blowing up really easy so I think he has the gene or is carrier because so many people a lot in relations to me on my dads side of the family have mental illness.
1 Like
Thanks, yeah. It helps to hear someone else’s perspective. We think mental illness probably runs in the family although noone in my family has been diagnosed. My father has some anger issues or has in the past. I know that alcoholism definitely runs in the family. since I stopped drinking alot of the depression I was having went away. I take resperdol, depakoat, and prozac. The medicine helps and I notice some symptoms of psychosis if I go off my meds for awhile. I have been pretty stable now for the last 4 years…j
1 Like