Julie, how do I know if my child has bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder?
I was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar two with psychotic features in 1995. This diagnosis was incorrect. I have schizoaffective disorder. Knowing this diagnosis has helped me manage my bipolar disorder and my psychosis successfully. Here is a deep dive into the question…….
What is Schizoaffective Disorder?
The answer has to do with mania, depression and psychosis.
Bipolar disorder is an episodic mood disorder that includes two mood swings: mania and depression. Within those mood swings, we can have a myriad of symptoms including anxiety, psychosis, irritation and anger, restlessness and attention and focus problems just to name a few.
Here is a deeper explanation of the above- people with bipolar disorder must have experiences mania or depression in order to have a bipolar diagnosis. A person cannot have bipolar disorder unless they have had a measurable manic episode.
All people with bipolar disorder experience their symptoms within either a depressive episode or a manic episode.
The episode has a beginning, middle and end. It can last a long time, but a person will come in and out of the episode. It is NOT a lifetime episode. It can be measured.
People with bipolar disorder only have anxiety, psychosis, attention and focus problems and irrigation and anger during a manic or depressed episode.
Please think about this sentence. It means that people with bipolar disorder are either manic, depressed or STABLE.
Our stable periods are called euthymia.
We all have them.
If a person with bipolar disorder has symptoms that are not mania or depression related, this is considered a separate disorder.
For example, if your son is stable over all, but still has panic attacks when going out on a date, this is a separate symptom from his bipolar disorder symptoms. This means he has bipolar disorder and a form of anxiety.
If your daughter is not depressed or manic, but consistency can’t add numbers together, read a list or get her homework done on time this is not bipolar disorder. It is a separate issue involving numbers and focus.
And finally, schizo affective disorder.
If your child, like myself has psychotic symptoms when she is NOT manic or depressed your child has a separate psychotic disorder.
Schizo means psychotic
Affective means mood (bipolar disorder in our case)
Schizoaffective disorder means that your child has full on bipolar one or bipolar two and a separate psychotic disorder.
It does NOT mean your child has schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is only one type of psychotic disorder. I for example have a ton of psychosis, but I do not have any symptoms of schizophrenia.
People can have bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. If anyone is in this situation, let me know and I will explain the difference between having two diagnose
s and having the combined diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.
Please note that high THC marijuana CAN mimic a psychotic disorder. If your child has bipolar and is using marijuana and gets a schizoaffective diagnosis, this has to be revisited once your child stops using pot.
Thanks!
Julie
PS: As all of my clients know, the ONLY way to get clear on all of this is through a symptom list. The Health Cards and Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder will help with this process.
