Bipolar with psychotic features vs schizoaffective

Common Questions and Answers about Bipolar with psychotic features vs schizoaffective

psychotic

1256303 tn?1291752568 My second question is how do I (and of course, my psychiatrist) differentiate between whether I am bipolar with psychotic features or schizo-affective? I definitely have the cycles of mania and depression, starting about three years ago, would have auditory and visual hallucinations when severely depressed. Recently with this batch of mania, I have begun to have the auditory hallucinations too, as well as visual. I also am having some problems with disorganized thoughts and speech and delusions.
Avatar f tn My question is what is the difference between Bipolar disorder with psychotic features and Schizoaffective disorder? And which one sounds closest to what i am experiencing, if it's possible to answer?
1439426 tn?1283970705 That can also occur in people with bipolar with psychotic features. Discuss this with your psychiatrist and ask if psychosis is part of your diagnosis.
1351968 tn?1278205300 Bipolar in some people can worsen over a life time, certainly if untreated and there are many subtypes of bipolar, including bipolar with psychotic features. In mood swings there are difficulties in the understanding of emotions and relations with people and ability to focus and understand things and make appropriate decisions but when a person encounters psychotic symptoms there is a full break in reality testing.
2699259 tn?1344210945 My mother has Bipolar 1 with psychotic features, dx at the age of 48, now 66 yrs old. I believe she has struggled with it her whole life, I know I can remember her having psychotic episodes when I was as young as 5-6 years of age. I learned to hide her behavior very well, but I'm glad she finally got her dx when I was in my teens, it's still a challenge very single day for the both of us (and also for my family), it's like I am the parent and she is the child.
Avatar f tn ve made a good recovery from schizoaffective which clinically is a step further than bipolar with psychotic features as in bipolar with psychotic features a person has delusions and hears voices during moodswings and in schizoaffective disorder its all the time. Even with current treatment the symptoms can be mitigated. He should have his psychiatrist follow up as to an exact diagnosis and when the onset of it was.
Avatar f tn Other aspects of schizoaffective are cognitive symptoms (trouble communicating and writing) and negative symptoms (trouble relating to people). You might not have schizoaffective but bipolar with psychotic features. However, with both you would be prescribed an anti-psychotic. The one least likely to create the long term side effects of diabetes and tardive dyskinesia is Abilify.
3579868 tn?1348739509 I know of four bipolar 1 with or without psychotic features, bipolar 2, bipolar nos, and cyclothimia. With bipolar 1 you get full blown mania and major depression, with bipolar 2 you get hypomania and major depression. cyclothimia fluctuates between minor depression and hypomania. Bipolar nos is where they put you when you obviously show some symptoms of bipolar disorder but they do not know which classification to put you in.
Avatar n tn You could have depression with psychotic features or schizoaffective disorder. I have schizoaffective disorder and the mood disorder aspect is bipolar. I am recovered now with an antipsychotic in Phase II FDA study glycine as I've said on other posts but I know what the experience is like. But there are other forms of schizoaffective disorder that have depression instead of bipolar as the mood phase. And if you have suicidal urges you need to see a psychiatrist right away.
222267 tn?1253302210 I have schizoaffective but from what you are describing you might have bipolar with psychotic features (ask your psychiatrist). But I had psychosis all the time as is typical for schizoaffective but with bipolar with psychotic features when you don't have moodswings you don't experience psychosis.
Avatar f tn If he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder then his diagnosis has been changed from bipolar disorder with psychotic features. The only real difference between these two is in schizoaffective disorder the psychosis happens all the time regardless of mood and in BP with psychotic features it happens with mood episodes. Anyway, he could be living in a fantasy world and truly believing all of this.
899491 tn?1243773627 Bipolar with psychotic features is not that rare. When a person has bipolar with psychotic features they have psychosis specifically during moodswings. When a person has schizoaffective as I do they experience psychosis all the time (as I did before my current recovery). The whole spectrum of bipolar to schizophrenia is linked up and they are just learning how.
Avatar n tn There are so many different varities of bipolar as well from cyclothymia (mild bipolar) to bipolar with psychotic features to schizoaffective which is schizophrenia with aspects of bipolar (what I have and have recovered from). Too complex to discuss in a post but I'd answer specific questions. Go to "Depression Central" (for all mood disorders) for more comprehensive information. Its a great resource.
1052851 tn?1307741160 In schizoaffective disorder a person experiences psychosis all the time whereas in bipolar with psychotic features it is only during moodswings. You could ask your psychiatrist more about it and we have some websites linked up for information. One that's not linked up that you could find some clinically accurate information on in addition to Medhelp is Schizophrenia.
Avatar f tn Depakoate is a mood stabilizer. Zoloft is an anti-depressent. Seroquel is an antipsychotic and I believe by psychiatric standards that is a subclinical dose (when I was on it 300 mg. was where it started working). Not sure what "the pill to calm her nerves" is? You mean an anti-anxiety medication? Although only a psychiatrist can determine medication dosages and which medication to use I'd suggest you inform yourself.
719785 tn?1232901518 If a person has schizoaffective disorder or bipolar with psychotic features they need a mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic as I take. The links page has cogent information on mood stabilizers and anti-depressents.
1564087 tn?1308947518 d have to find out the specifics of your diagnosis as hallucinations can occur in bipolar with psychotic features (and schizoaffective disorder such as I have) and there are many subtypes of bipolar and hallucinations and psychosis can occur in some. If you have concerns about the side effects of Seroquel it would be essential to speak to your psychiatrist and discuss what other medication might not be unsafe to take as regards heart disease.
Avatar f tn com/health/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-hallucinations Schizophrenia follows a pattern different than bipolar. Are you trying to decide which is going on for your son or does he already have a bipolar diagnosis?
Avatar f tn Before my current recovery I had full blown mania and also had psychotic episodes (which need not go with it, I have schizoaffective disorder but there is also bioplar with psychotic features where psychosis only occurs during mood changes, in schizoaffective disorder its all the time). Things were disturbing and extreme and I needed medication as soon as I had my first psychotic break.
603015 tn?1329862973 If a person has psychotic thoughts or delusions all the time then they would be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder (schizophrenia with a mood disorder) as I have but if these thoughts only occur during moodswings then it would be bipolar with psychotic features. This much I learned from a researcher in mood disorders. However, only a psychiatrist could diagnose you. If you are seeing a psychiatrist and haven't talked about these issues you should.
Avatar n tn There are different types of bipolar and as research has noted (and has occurred in my family as an example, my mom has cyclothymia which is mild bipolar, I have schizoaffective disorder) the spectrum from bipolar to bipolar with psychotic features to schizoaffective is continuous. What is happening with him may be different and more severe but you could ask the psychiatrist for the specifics. This would have some helpful information that you could discuss with the psychiatrist: http://www.
Avatar n tn When I was younger before my diagnosis I had similar psychotic features and I was treated for major depression with psychotic features. I was treated with anti depressants and anti pyschotics. Unfortunately the anti d's triggered rapid cycling and lithium was then added to the mix. If it helps I no longer hear voices, it stopped around age 20. Now during an episode I have classic bipolar features.
717440 tn?1292743742 That's complex because it depends on what specific type of bipolar a person's psychiatrist diagnosed. A person with bipolar with psychotic features usually requires an antipsychotic in addition to a mood stabilizer for example. For some people anti-depressents can worsen mania but if there is treatment refractory depression as an aspect of bipolar then a psychiatrist might use one.
723341 tn?1232338253 And I have schizoaffective disorder which may be a more extreme variant of bipolar with psychotic features (in schizoaffective disorder you are psychotic all the time, in bipolar with psychotic features its only during moodswings) from what I learned during testimony I conducted. People with bipolar usually have some mood episodes before the full onset. Its complex.
634124 tn?1223576294 Ive tried to look up if all of these, dellusions, hallucination, the physical symptoms could all be the psychotic features of the bipolar but I havent been able to find much information. Could this all be due to the bipolar and specifically what are the physical symptoms that can manifest from bipolar psychosis. I dont know weather I need to be seeing a medicalnerologic doc or not. What seperates bipolar psychosis from schizoaffective and schizohrenia diagnosis.