why does schizoaffective have a better prognosis than schizophrenia?

if schizoaffective includes both schizophrenia and bipolar, doesn’t it stand to reason that the prognosis should be worse than the two? that’s because the weakest link between bp and schizophrenia should exist in schizoaffective… if schizophrenia is worse, and you have that AND bipolar shouldn’t the prognosis be worse than both?

i know there’s debate about whether schizoaffective is really both diseases in one, or if it’s a unique disorder. i think the most official definition is that it’s a unique disease, just based on what ive heard doctors and such talk about. plus if the prognosis is better than sz, then that indicates it must be a unique disease. but couldn’t there be people who do have both diseases strictly speaking and thus have a worse prognosis, and some people who follow the trend and have a prognosis that is worse than sz and better than bp?

the logic in this is kinda fuzzy

what are your thoughts?

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My doctor said it’s because during hypomania, we can get more accomplished. And with sza you don’t get negative symptoms as badly. But I agree. It’s probably more complicated than just schizophrenia + bipolar/depression.

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That’s what my past therapist said @Ninjastar

I always had no idea how they determined I was sza

But as time goes on it seems like the fitting diagnosis to me.

I remember rumbles of “when you hallucinate” determines your dx. Like schizophrenics always have psychosis off meds, szas often have psychosis off meds but not 24/7, while bi polars only have psychosis during a episode

But haven’t heard much about that in a while.

And I forget exactly what was said…

I’d say diagnosis is overrated. I’m sza bipolar type but mood stabilizers were like sugar pills to me. Zoloft/abilify/naltrexone/klonopin/d3 has saved my life. But lithium and lamictal did nothing for me.

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Yeah mood stabilizers made me much worse. Just an AP and an anxiety med is the right combo for me, even though I was recently reclassified as sza.

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I think there’s a difference between something generally having a better prognosis, and whether that applies across the board at an individual to individual level.

I have Asperger’s and schizophrenia , but that doesn’t necessarily make my situation worse than someone with just sz or sza.

Generally speaking, schizophrenia has a poorer prognosis than schizoaffective but this is not always the case.
My diagnosis is bipolar disorder and I don’t consider myself to be high functioning.

It all varies.

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I have no idea honestly why would schizophrenia plus a mood disorder somehow have a better outlook than just schizophrenia. It also is a case to case basis though, like you can get individuals with schizoaffective who are worse off than those with sz and even people with depression that’s so bad maybe it’s worse than another person who has not very severe sz.

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I had bipolar from 15 to 30, then got schizophrenic symptoms and they changed the diagnosis to sza. I don’t notice my mood symptoms much anymore, but I’ve recovered a good deal from my initial psychosis and rarely have episodes, so I definitely believe I have a better prognosis.

I was surprised to find it had a better prognosis at first because it seemed to me that it was two diseases in one.

Probably because if you treat the mood sympto.s and they get better the psychosis does,too.

My delusions are gone on meds and I don’t hallucinate. But as soon as my shot wears off or my period gets close, boom mood symptoms again. And as soon as those are back, here comes the psychosis.

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My mood symptoms got so much worse right before my period that I finally convinced them to give me a hysterectomy on June 4. I’m so happy that I won’t have to deal with THAT part of the illness anymore!

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