psychotic features mood disorders

I think that bipolar disorder can be with or without psychotic features. Since you seem to be having some psychosis then I would say you have it with. I think they have to observe you over time to get an acurate diagnosis. Therefor you would have to meet the diagnostic creiteria outlined in the DSM IV to recieve a diagnosis.

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.

ILADVOCATE is right, about the mood episodes correlating with psychotic features for BP, and so this is where the mood chart can help. I would not worry too much about getting the right 'label' as the treatment is basically the same for both conditions; an antipsychotic and mood stabiliser. I have suspected that I had schizoaffective in the past, but either way, it would not make a difference to my medications as far as I'm aware.

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.

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.

Yes schizophrenia doesnt have any mood changes but there are a whole spectrum of conditions in between such as bipolar with psychotic features and schizoaffective disorder which involve both psychosis and mood changes. Sometimes certain concerns such as psychosis can increase over time become more apparent or are more in need of treatment. Bipolar with psychotic features is generally defined by psychotic thoughts or auditory or other hallucinations occuring only during mood swings..

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.

With severe depression you can have psychotic features. Also, with bpd, when you get extremely stressed you may experience transient psychotic stuff too. This is short-lived and you should be OK at reality testing (which makes it different from other psychotic disorders). You could try looking the diagnoses up in the dsm-iv. That may help you better understand what the disorder is comprised of.

Bipolar with psychotic features of course is one specific diagnosis. Those thoughts do sound psychotic but only a psychiatrist would know for sure but you should inform them. Instead of being afraid that your psychiatrist will put you in the hospital think how what you are going through is affecting your life. At some times going to the hospital voluntarily can be the right decision.

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.

As to your question that's complex. A manic episode is a mental change in that its a break from reality. A person's emotions are not normative to what is going on. It may impair judgement such as the grandiosity typical for mania where a person has an inflated sense of self importance. As for psychosis that is a sharp break from reality in logical and normative thinking.

And if you have suicidal urges you need to see a psychiatrist right away. Depression with psychotic features is when a person has psychotic thoughts only during mood fluctuations. With schizoaffective disorder psychotic thoughts or auditory hallucinations (hearing voices) can occur at any time. But as to how to look at it I'd say look at it as I do, I am a person with a psychiatric disability and I need treatment as part of my recovery.

I sometimes feel like i'm becomming a misanthropist because of this illness , doe's anybody else get this , my diagnosis has been up in the air over the years but my current psychiatrist seems to believe i have schizoaffective bi polar type or maybe bi polar with psychotic features i don't really know the difference if there is any at all i'm about at my wits end with it all .

I recently requested information from the place I am getting help from and I was reading their off official word on me and it was Bipolar 1/MRE-manic, Severe with mood incongruent psychotic features. and Panic attack with Agorophobia. This is my diagnoses since I have seen them. I thought it was only bipolar one not all of this. Now with the Mania it never seems to let up even with the medication nor do my moods.

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.

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.

Most of them are anti-convulsants but the important thing is that they treat mood disorders. Anti-psychotics are always used in bipolar with psychotic features to treat psychosis and can work as mood stabilizers as well. Its important how effective the medication is, not what its original use was for. Medications developed for one purpose may be used for another over time.

Bipolar can have variants such as bipolar with psychotic features or schizoaffective disorder (such as I have) that have both mood and thought disturbances and can often require both a mood stabilizer and antipsychotic (as is true of myself). You could discuss this with the psychiatrist as well.

Hypomania is distinguished from mania by the absence of psychotic symptoms. In other words if there are psychotic features its mania. BP2's can get psychotic features in mania the same as anyone does. Is this what you are referring to on the Black Dog Site ?

As anti-psychotics can create diabetes and tardive dyskinesia if a person has straight bipolar (as opposed to bipolar with psychotic features where an anti-psychotic is absolutely needed) there is the potential to change to a mood stabilizer, none of which have the risk of creating tardive dyskinesia and out of all of them Lamictal has the least potential for weight gain and is generally safe and effective. Perhaps you could ask your psychiatrist about Lamictal.

What is a good birth control method for someone with bipolar disorder with psychotic features? My wife recently stopped taking Depo Provera, which I believe may have contributed to yet another psychotic episode->hospitalization. We don't want any kind of permanent solution (e.g. tubal ligation), but we need a reliable method and one that won't destabilize her once we decide to have a baby.

Yes there can be causes of psychosis other than schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders or other factors that would worsen it that are physical. A person at all times should make their psychiatrist aware of any physical disabilities or disorders they have or especially inherited tendencies in the family.

Risperdal and Seroquel are both antipsychotics. If a person is psychotic they require an antipsychotic. Bipolar with psychotic features is one form of bipolar. You could ask your psychiatrist what specific form of bipolar you have and if you require an antipsychotic at this time. They could decide from there. As for mood stabilizers, atypical (the current generation) antipsychotics are approved for usage as mood stabilizers as well. They can have cognitive blunting effects.

I agree. If he has bipolar or schizophrenia he may not be eligible for the army, and if he needs that medication for psychotic symptoms or mood stabilizing going off will be a very bad idea. What is his diagnosis? And is he eligible to join the army? I just read that disorders with psychotic features is a disqualifying disorder. Please don't think about him going off the med and not revealing his complete health information. It could be dangerous to not just him but those serving with him.

Well I heard classically this happens in schizophrenia but I think it also can happen in bipolar disorder where you stay in a deteriorated state as mentioned although a doctor mentioned that people with psychosis in other mental disorders generally recover back to baseline classically after the psychotic break is over. I guess it all depends on the severity of the psychotic break and other such factors.

Abilify is specifically FDA approved for both mood disorders and psychotic disorders. If a person has a mood disorder that would have any type of psychosis as part of it they would most likely need an antipsychotic. Otherwise there are a wide variety of mood stabilizers although only a psychiatrist would understand the clinical specifics.

This applies only to antipsychotics but I know they are increasingly used for mood stabilization and certainly for people with bipolar with psychotic features. I have posted how I have recovered with glycine, a glutamate antagonist, a new form of antipsychotic that is in development in Phase II FDA study. I ended up on this medication because I was unable to tolerate all currently available antipsychotics and have advanced tardive dyskinesia.

Psychotic features mood disorders

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