Schizoaffective disorder

The following are symptoms that a person with Schizoaffective Disorder can experience. Symptoms of depression: • Feel constantly sad and fatigued • Have lost interest in everyday activities • Are indecisive and unable to concentrate • Sleep and eat too little or too much • Complain of various physical symptoms • May have recurrent thoughts of death and suicide Symptoms of mania: • Suffering from sleeplessness • Compulsively talkative • Agitated and distractible • Convinced of their own inflated importance • Susceptible to buying sprees • Prone to cheerfulness turning to irritability • Indiscreet sexual advances, and foolish investments • Paranoia, and rage Symptoms of psychosis: • Hearing or seeing things that aren't there • Bizarre thinking • Difficulty with emotions or appearing apathetic • Changes in speech • Have confused thinking • Paranoia • Strange or out of character behavior • And inappropriate emotional reactions A quick, easy and confidential way to determine if you may be experiencing a mental health condition is to take a screen. Schizoaffective Disorder is often confused with Bipolar Disorder with psychotic features. Both diagnosis include mood changes that impact life as well as symptoms of psychosis. A person diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder primarily experiences symptoms of psychosis even if mood problems don't exist. However, when mood problems flare up, such as during a depressed or manic episode, the symptoms of psychosis can worsen. Someone who ...

What Is Schizoaffective Disorder? Scientists don’t know for sure if schizoaffective disorder is related mainly to schizophrenia or a mood disorder. But it’s usually viewed and treated as a combination of both conditions. Only a tiny number of people get schizoaffective disorder: 0.03% of the population. It’s equally likely to affect men and women, but men usually get it at a younger age. Doctors can help manage it, but most people diagnosed with it have relapses. People who have it often have problems with substance use as well. Types of Schizoaffective Disorder There are two types. Each has some • Bipolar type: Episodes of • Depressive type: Only major depressive episodes Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder Schizoaffective disorder is almost a blend of the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In bipolar disorder, you have mood swings that include depression and mania. If you have schizoaffective disorder, you can have these bipolar symptoms. But separate from those, you also get psychotic symptoms similar to schizophrenia for at least 2 weeks at a time. The symptoms can vary greatly from one person to the next and can be mild or severe. They may include: • • Depression symptoms: Feeling empty, sad, or worthless • • Lack of personal care: Not staying clean or keeping up appearance • Mania or sudden, out-of-character jumps in energy levels or • Problems with speech and communication, only giving partial answers to questions, or giving answers that are unrelated ...

The two types of schizoaffective disorder are bipolar and depressive. Episodes of mania occur in the bipolar type. During a manic episode, you may alternate between feeling overly excited to feeling extremely irritable. You may or may not experience People who have the depressive type experience episodes of depression. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), schizoaffective disorder affects With proper treatment and care, this disorder can be effectively managed. Read on to learn more. Your symptoms will depend on the mood disorder. They can vary from mild to severe and may also vary depending on the person experiencing them. Manic symptoms are like those seen in Doctors may refer to your symptoms as positive or negative, but this doesn’t mean “good” or “bad.” Psychotic symptoms are similar to those of • • delusions • disorganized speech • disorganized behavior Negative symptoms can occur when something seems to be missing, like the ability to experience pleasure or the ability to think clearly or concentrate. It isn’t clear what causes schizoaffective disorder. The disorder typically runs in families, so genetics may play a role. You aren’t guaranteed to develop the disorder if a family member has it, but you do have an increased risk. Birth complications or exposure to toxins or viruses before birth may also contribute to the development of this disorder. People may also develop schizoaffective disorder as a result of certain chemical changes in the brai...

Schizoaffective disorder may involve symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, mania, depression, and disorganized thinking. When you live with schizoaffective disorder, you may experience symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder. In fact, some people, including many medical experts, believe the symptoms of the disorder make it a subtype of schizophrenia. This is not quite so. Schizoaffective disorder affects about Living with schizoaffective disorder can be challenging, but the condition is treatable, and you can manage symptoms with the help of a professional. The This reference book for mental health professionals states that to receive a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, you must meet the primary criteria for schizophrenia and also have symptoms of a mood disorder. Criteria for schizophrenia must be met in every case, even if temporarily. For this, two or more of the following symptoms must be present for an uninterrupted period of time: • delusions • • hallucinations • disorganized or • But that’s not all. These criteria must also be evident for a doctor to diagnose schizoaffective disorder: • having • experiencing a major mood episode like • having mood symptoms that are present for most of the duration of the condition • having symptoms that are not explained by substance use, like drugs or alcohol consumption In sum, schizoaffective disorder affects your mood, thoughts, and behavior. Your symptoms and the duration of the episodes may vary. Sometimes, ...

Having a mental health concern can make life difficult. Living with a condition like schizoaffective disorder can be even more challenging, as it involves symptoms of two separate mental health issues. People who have schizoaffective disorder not only have to cope with psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. They also face manic episodes or periods of depression. In the case of schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, they might experience both. People with schizoaffective disorder are at a high risk for complications like unemployment, homelessness, health concerns, substance abuse issues, isolation, suicide, and relationship difficulties. People who don’t get treatment or who stop treatment have a higher risk for suicide. They may behave in risky or impulsive ways, and they may have a higher likelihood of arrest and incarceration. Treatment for schizoaffective disorder typically includes a combination of Therapy for Schizoaffective Disorder Because schizoaffective disorder is lifelong, long-term treatment is necessary. People who feel better for a while may stop taking their medication, but this can cause symptoms to come back. It’s important to work with a treatment team and stick to a treatment plan. Continuing the treatment recommended by a care provider can make it more likely symptoms will go into remission. Going to therapy and joining a support group can help For therapy to be effective, it’s important to get the correct Mood symptoms are generally add...

Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition with symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood disorder. People with schizoaffective disorder may experience depression, mania and psychosis. Schizoaffective disorder treatment often includes therapy and medications. This combination can improve symptoms and quality of life. Overview What is schizoaffective disorder? Schizoaffective disorder is a serious mental health condition. It has features of two different disorders: • “Schizo” means the psychotic symptoms of • “Affective” refers to a There’s no cure for schizoaffective disorder. But treatment can help people manage symptoms and improve their quality of life. What are the types of schizoaffective disorder? There are two types of schizoaffective disorder: bipolar schizoaffective disorder and depressive schizoaffective disorder. The two types are based on the associated mood disorder the person has: • Bipolar disorder type: This condition features one or two types of different mood changes. People with • Depressive type: People who have How does schizoaffective disorder affect people? This lifelong illness can affect all areas of a person’s life. A person with schizoaffective disorder can find it difficult to function at work or school. It also affects people’s relationships with family, friends and loved ones.Many people with schizoaffective disorder have periodic episodes. There are times when their symptoms surface and times when their symptoms might disappear for a wh...