psychotic features of mood disorder

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?

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.

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..

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.

Some sufferers of bipolar disorder may also suffer some psychotic features such as hallucinations or delusions that can be either mood-congruent or non-mood-congruent. However it is a lot more common for sufferers of bipolar disorder to have a delusional belief system rather than hallucinations.

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.

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.

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.

Yes, it is possible. You can see the guidlines here: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.*************.com/schizophrenia/c/120/150461/schizophrenia/ If the delusions and whatnot only appear during a mood episode, then it's a mood disorder with psychotic features. To get the schizoaffective marker (schizophrenia + mood disorder), you must be having the schizophrenia symptoms for a certain amount of time while having a normal mood.

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 ?

I have had only 1 mild paranoid event during mania that came years after my first recognized mania, so I obviously DO NOT understand psychotic features of BP at all. But my ex-husband has had many psychotic events. He has Bipolar Disorder w/ psychotic features. He has gone into psychosis many times, and is extremely paranoid. After reading the Bipolar Child I see that he has been bipolar his whole life, and has only been diagnosed 3 months ago.

Most people with Bi Polar, enjoy this part of the disorder, and the downside usually comes with the extreme crash at the end, where they delve into extreme lows, depression, feelings of nothingness and numbness. The low part of the mood, also has symptoms of depression, such as suicidal thoughts, anger, no appetite, or increased appetite, insomnia, inability to care for self, ect. These periods can last for up to minutes, to hours, to many months each.

Bipolar has no aspects of psychosis. With bipolar with psychotic features, during a period of moodswings (mania, depression) a person has auditory hallucinations (hears voices) or visual hallucations or has delusions (perceives things that are not in reality). With schizoaffective disorder, a person can have hallucinations or delusions even when the mood is euthymic (normal).

Aspects of psychosis may also manifest during extreme episodes of depression. They are also present in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. These features include delusions (false ideas about what is taking place or who one is) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things which aren't there). As you can see those suffering from Bipolar I are more likely to suffer a psychotic episode than someone diagnosised with Bipolar II disorder.

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.

A psychiatrist would have to diagnose the subtype of bipolar and judge what combination of medications would work. For myself as a person with schizoaffective, regardless of some of the treatments being in clinical study both an antipsychotic and mood stabilizer is required. For a person with bipolar with psychotic features generally the same. But for the family member I have with cyclothymia they were prescribed Paxil as depression and ocd was the over riding concerns.

I can't say where the tracers come from. It depends what drugs you took in the past were and how much as some can cause long term brain damage. Speak to a neurologist if this continues. Its not abnormal to question the meaning of life and if Christianity is the path you've chosen that's fine. We all see life in our own ways and question its overall meaning at times. Its the fact that you are obsessing about it that's the problem. Let's take two issues.

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.

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.

Im just wondering others personal experiences with meds and how long it took to get stable especially anyone who is rapid cycling and more manic than depressive or cycle at one time and have psychotic features all of the above. From my understanding I was diagnosed the worst form of bipolar and rapid cycling which is the hardest to treat .

I was diagnosed with Depression with psychotic features, not any Bipolar disorder Anyway I was on Prozac with Wellbutrin, then had a relapse and they took me off both and started me on Abilfy only. Is this a normal procedure or should I also be on some low dose antidepressant in your opinion ? Thank you very much for your time.

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.

Firstly, I want to emphasise that I'm not a psychiatrist, so whatever I say is amateur advice which you shouldn't take like it's a real diagnosis. I think it highly unlikely that it's straight depression, since you're evidently struggling with a lot of psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations), dissociative symptoms (depersonalization and derealization) and anxiety issues on top of your mood problems.

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.

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.

Abilify is a mood stabilizer that I have seen works miracles when added to other mood disorder medications. Abilify tends to turbo charge the effectiveness of other meds and is dosed between 5 to 40mg. At low doses of Abilify (20mg or less), most of the patients I have seen say it gives them a boost in their energy and mood. Above that amount, I start hearing that it takes them down a notch (which is sometimes what they want).

Psychotic features of mood disorder

Common Questions and Answers about Psychotic features of mood disorder

psychotic