I just received the following comment from Laura regarding my article on psychosis for healthyplace.com. She raises an imporant point- how do you know the difference between the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and schizo-affective disorder?
Hi Julie,
Your article was very helpful for me. It not only educated me but gave me hope which I desperately need right now. My 19 year old son is currently hospitalized after a suicide attempt. They have diagnosed with as BP type 1 but possibly schizoidaffective.
After reading about the psychosis differences between the two, I am hopeful – he seems to display the BP type of psychosis instead of schizphrenic type.
Hi Laura,
I am so glad the blog helped. Schizoaffective disorder is actually easy to understand in terms of a diagnosis- If the psychosis comes with an obvious mood swing- such a psychotic mania- ie, a person could be euphoric with high energy, zero desire to sleep with no tiredness the next day and the belief they are the reincarnation of a famous figure, that is bipolar disorder. If the person has mood swings without psychosis such as a suicidal depression, that is bipolar disorder as well. If a person has psychosis with NO mood swing at the time- in other words they hear voices and feel the police have bugged the house- that would be a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.
Bipolar disorder psychosis can mimic schizophrenia psychosis, as it did with my partner Ivan who was in a three month manic/psychotic episode, but for others, it does fit the pattern I talk about in my psychosis article.
I hope your son is doing better. Please remind him that suicide and suicidal attempts are a normal part of bipolar disorder. He can learn to manage the illness so this doesn’t happen again. He went into the hospital- so he is a strong guy who can get better. It just takes a plan. Julie
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Noticed you haven’t blogged lately. Hope you are okay and just busy….Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I have been writing an artilce on the role between physicall illness and mental illness- 20 pages of technical information that has to be put into easy to read and lively prose!
I am back to blogging today.
Julie
Lofty goal, “easy to read and lovely prose’ of technical info.. Glad you are working and well.
Hi Kathy, Thanks for your kind comments. I have to say that the only time I don’t blog is when I get overwhelmed with work- but I’m loving work so much these days. It’s a miracle to work when I’m not either depressed, manic or psychotic. I tend to write more blogs when I’m sick! I try not to upset people as it’s just the illness and I live through it. I hope you are doing well. We take what we can get and cherish it! Julie
Hi
I have Schizoaffective and bi-polar2. I just want you to know that there is recovery from this illness with proper treatment. I am 48 years old and have not had any symptoms in almost 10 years. I starting taking an a-typical anti-psychotic with my other medicines and the voices stopped as did the psychosis. This happened about 7 years ago, up until then I had done pretty well on my own for 3 years. Before that time was sheer hell for about 13 years, I never thought it would end, but it has.