Schizoaffective Disorder vs BP 1

Sometimes it's not just bipolar.


That's what I learned recently, when I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. This was an unexpected depature from my former diagnosis of bipolar type 1 with psychotic features. The difference is with bipolar type 1, you can only have psychosis during your mood episodes of mania, mixed mania, or depression. With sza, you HAVE to have psychosis without having a mood episode at the same time to warrant a diagnosis.


There are other differences too. Schzioaffective disorder means you have a thought disorder (schizophrenia) and an affective disorder (major depression, or, in my case, bipolar) With schizophrenia, there are positive and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms involve psychosis related issues, like hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, paranoia. Negative symptoms are different than depression, but can include some overlap. They include lack of motivation, apathy, blunted effect, poor eye contact, decreased functioning in social, occupational, or self care areas, transient inability to read/write or even speak, and so forth.


To summarize; I have poor functioning and experience psychosis even when not having a severe mood episode.


Should I change the name of my blog? I don't think so. I still have bipolar, just with a twist. Because I drew the short straw. Like a really, really, reeeeeally short straw.


If you have bipolar but experience hallucinations even when not having a mood episode, please talk to your doctor about the possibility of schizoaffective. The treatment is largely the same (mood stablizers, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants...) but with more focus on anti-psychotics, as you will need one even if your mood is stable.


Take care and be well everyone!


Till next time,

The Intrepid Traveler