Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type Symptoms

What If I Am Not Happy With My Treatment

If you arent happy with your treatment you can:

• talk to your doctor about your treatment options,
• ask for a second opinion,
• ask a relative, friend or advocate to help you speak your doctor,
• contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service , or
• make a complaint.

There is more information about these options below.

What can I say to my doctor?

You should first speak to your doctor about your treatment. Explain why you arent happy with it, giving specific reasons. You could ask what other treatments you could try.

Tell your doctor if there is a type of treatment that you would like to try. Doctors should listen to your preference. If youre not given this treatment, ask your doctor to explain why they think its not suitable for you.

Can I get a second opinion?

A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. You can also ask for a second opinion if you disagree with your diagnosis.

You dont have a right to a second opinion. But your doctor should listen to your reason for wanting a second opinion.

You can find more information about Second opinions by clicking here.

What is advocacy?

Advocates help you to deal with and overcome issues that you have. They are independent from the NHS and free to use.

They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard. There are 3 types of advocates that might be able to help if you are unhappy about your treatment.

How can I complain?

How Should I Take Care Of Myself When It Comes To Schizoaffective Disorder

Perhaps youve noticed signs of schizoaffective disorder in yourself or a loved one. Those symptoms may include prolonged hallucinations, delusions, depression or manic episodes. The first step is to talk to a healthcare provider. Getting diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible helps improve symptoms and promote a good quality of life. Be sure to follow your providers treatment instructions:

• Attend therapy sessions, including individual and family therapy.
• Stay in contact with your provider, who can help manage and adjust your treatments as necessary.
• Take medications as directed. Talk to your provider to help manage side effects from the medications.
• Treat substance use disorders, if necessary.

Symptoms Of Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type

The bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder involves mania. To be diagnosed with this type, someone must have experienced a manic episode. Depressive episodes may occur but arent necessary for a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder bipolar type.

Mania refers to a noticeably elevated, expansive, or irritable mood. During a period of mania, someone channels much energy into goal-directed behavior.

Whatever she has made her goal, she will hyperfocus on it to the detriment of other areas of her life, including other goals and relationships.

Other signs and symptoms of mania that can be part of schizoaffective disorder include:

• Inflated self-esteem
• Racing thoughts or flight of ideas
• Distractibility
• Psychomotor agitation that appears like a sense of purposelessness

To be diagnosed as having the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder, someone must have at least three of the above signs and symptoms.

Someone with the bipolar type might also experience symptoms of depression at times, or he might not develop them at all. When someone only experiences depressive symptoms with the psychotic symptoms, he instead has schizoaffective disorder depressive type.

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How Does Psychotherapy Treat Schizoaffective Disorder

During therapy, the person talks to a trained mental health professional. The goal of psychotherapy is for the person to:

• Learn about the illness.
• Establish goals.
• Manage everyday problems related to the disorder.

Family therapy can also help. A therapist can help families learn how to cope with the illness and support their loved one. Family therapy helps improve symptoms and quality of life for the person with the disorder.

Schizoaffective Disorder Depressive Type Causes & Risk Factors

The exact cause of schizoaffective disorder depressive type is not yet known. However, it is believed that having a family history of mental illness may play a role.

Traumatic experiences such as child abuse and exposure to viruses during pregnancy may also increase the risk for developing this condition.

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Treatment Of Schizoaffective Disorder

Treatment includes:

• Medication: What you take depends on whether you have symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder, along with symptoms that suggest schizophrenia. The main medications that doctors prescribe for psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking are called antipsychotics. All these drugs can probably help with schizoaffective disorder, but paliperidone extended release is the only drug that the FDA has approved to treat it. For mood-related symptoms, you might take an antidepressant medication or a mood stabilizer.
• Psychotherapy: The goal of this type of counseling is to help you learn about your illness, set goals, and manage everyday problems related to the disorder. Family therapy can help families get better at relating to and helping a loved one who has schizoaffective disorder.
• Skills training: This generally focuses on work and social skills, grooming and self-care, and other day-to-day activities, including money and home management.
• Hospitalization: Psychotic episodes may require a hospital stay, especially if youâre suicidal or threaten to hurt others.
• Electroconvulsive therapy: This treatment may be an option for adults who donât respond to psychotherapy or medications. It involves sending a quick electric current through your brain. It causes a brief seizure. Doctors use it because they think it changes your brain chemistry and may reverse some conditions.

This condition may raise your risk of:

What If I Am A Carer Friend Or Relative

What support can I get?

You can get support if you care for someone with schizoaffective disorder. These are some options for you:

• Family Intervention through the NHS
• Join a carers service
• Join a carers support group
• Ask your local authority for a carers assessment
• Read about the condition
• Apply for welfare benefits for carers

Rethink Mental Illness run carers support groups in some areas. You can also search for groups on the Carers Trust website:

Rethink Mental Illness: www.rethink.org/about-us/our-support-groups Carers Trust www.carers.org/search/network-partners

How can I support the person I care for?

You might find it easier to support someone with schizoaffective disorder if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills.

You should be aware of what you can do if you are worried about their mental state or risk of self-harm. It can be helpful to know contact information for their mental health team or GP.

You could find out from your relative if they have a crisis plan. You could help your relative to make a crisis plan if they dont have one.

You can find out more information about:

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Diagnosis Of Schizoaffective Disorder

There are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose schizoaffective disorder. So doctors rely on your medical history and your answers to certain questions. They also use various tests such as brain imaging and blood tests to make sure that another type of illness isnât causing your symptoms.

If the doctor finds no physical cause, they may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These mental health professionals are trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. They use specially designed interview and assessment tools to evaluate a person for a psychotic disorder.

In order to get diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, you must have:

• Periods of uninterrupted illness
• An episode of mania, major depression, or a mix of both
• Symptoms of schizophrenia
• At least two periods of psychotic symptoms, each lasting 2 weeks. One of the episodes must happen without depressive or manic symptoms.

Diagnosis Methods For Schizoaffective Disorder

Medical tests may include x-rays and blood tests to make sure the symptoms arent caused by physical disease. Factors common to schizoaffective disorder that may help a diagnosis include:

• onset is typically during the years of early adulthood
• watching a moving object is usually difficult for a person with schizoaffective disorder
• rapid eye movement sleep usually occurs abnormally early
• women are more susceptible than men.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Schizoaffective Disorder

As we established earlier, schizoaffective disorders can typically be divided into two types. But what exactly distinguishes bipolar symptoms from depressive symptoms? And what are the symptoms of schizophrenia that appear alongside it? Keep reading for an in-depth look at the signs and behaviors that point to schizoaffective disorder.

Are There Different Types Of Schizoaffective Disorder

There are 3 main types of schizoaffective disorder:

What is manic type?

This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia and mania at the same time through a period of illness.

What is depressive type?

This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia and depression at the same time through a period of illness.

What is mixed type?

This means you have symptoms of schizophrenia, depression and mania through a period of illness.

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Schizoaffective Disorders: Signs Symptoms And Treatments

Many people are familiar with schizophrenia, a mental health condition that causes hallucinations and delusions, but few people are aware of schizoaffective disorder, a condition marked by symptoms of both schizophrenia and mood disorders.

At Port St. Lucie Hospital, we offer treatment programs for a variety of mental health conditions. However, it can be difficult to seek help for a mental illness if youre unsure about what, exactly, you should be seeking help for. Read on to learn more about schizoaffective disorder, its symptoms, and what treatment options exist.

How To Make Your Treatment Most Effective

Schizoaffective disorder is a serious and lifelong mental health condition. If youâve been diagnosed with this condition, it means youâll likely be treating its symptoms for the rest of your life. The good news is that there are effective treatments and therapies that can make your symptoms more manageable. Here are some tips to make these treatments most effective:

• Cut out drugs and alcohol: You should avoid alcohol and any substances that are not your prescription drugs when treating schizoaffective disorder. Alcohol and certain substances can interfere with your treatment.
• Have a daily routine: Sticking to a constant daily routine can make symptoms of mania and depression more manageable.
• Have a support system: Maintain a healthy relationship with your family and friends. Keep them updated on your treatment plan and progress, and allow them to support you in whatever ways they can.
• Keep stress in check: Being stressed can exacerbate your symptoms even if you are getting treated for this condition.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Schizoaffective Disorder

Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder fit into multiple categories. This illness is a single mental disorder that has features of psychotic disorders and mood disorders. It can be hard to understand and even harder to live with. Multiple types of symptoms team up and present quite a challenge for those living with schizoaffective disorder.

In the DSM-5, symptoms of schizoaffective disorder are stated as the primary category of symptoms of schizophrenia as well as symptoms of a major mood episode. This description can be a bit vague, though, when youre trying to figure out just what you or a loved one is experiencing. Heres an in-depth look at the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder.

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Depressive Symptoms Of Schizoaffective Disorder

Unlike bipolar type, depressive type schizoaffective disorder does not present with episodes of mania. For this reason, the depressive part of these symptoms tend to look similar to major depressive disorder. Depressive symptoms include:

• Feelings of lethargy or not wanting to do anything
• No longer deriving pleasure from your favorite activities
• Inability to sleep, or sleeping excessively
• Loss of appetite
• A feeling that you will never be happy again

Similar to major depressive disorder, these feelings can be near-constant or they can appear and recede in periods of a few weeks, only to come back again. However, what distinguishes depressive type schizoaffective disorder from major depressive disorder is the appearance of schizophrenia symptoms.

General Schizoaffective Disorder Signs And Symptoms

Schizoaffective disorder includes these categories of symptoms and signs:

• Depressive mood and other symptoms of depression

The way someone experiences each of these is highly individualized because within these general categories, there are numerous symptoms.

How the symptoms behave is as important as the symptoms themselves.

• The symptoms of a mood disorder and symptoms of a psychotic disorder can occur together or separately
• Symptoms tend to occur in cycles
• Symptom severity is important and will be used to guide treatment
• Delusions or hallucinations must occur for at least two consecutive weeks without a mood disorder
• Other than the required minimum two-week absence, mood symptoms must be present the majority of the time during the course of the illness

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What Types Of Teen Schizoaffective Disorder Treatment Are Available

Teen schizoaffective disorder treatment typically focuses on various forms of psychotherapy, with occasional medical intervention based on the severity of an individuals symptoms.

Talk Therapy Talk therapy includes mentally and behaviorally-centered approaches, in which therapists help teens to address and clarify any delusions or hallucinations and evaluate and implement behaviors to help replace unhealthy tendencies or habits. Therapists also work with teens during teen schizoaffective disorder treatment to address any symptoms of depression or mania they may be experiencing, and work to alleviate anxiety and change unhealthy thinking patterns.

Group Therapy Different from one-on-one talk therapy sessions, group therapy focuses instead on utilizing the social dynamic of a group to help patients cooperate and work through their issues. At times, group therapy sessions can also be extremely helpful in assuring teenagers that theyre not alone and that other people understand where theyre coming from and dont judge them for their experience. Through group therapy, teens can also learn to view their illness objectively by hearing about it through another persons perspective.

Is Schizoaffective Disorder The Same As Schizophrenia

Mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder mainly affect your emotional expression and regulation. In other words, theyre affective disorders or conditions that impact how you feel.

On the other hand, schizophrenia primarily affects your cognition. In other words, the way you think and behave.

With schizoaffective disorder, you experience a combination of symptoms that affect both your emotions and your thinking abilities.

Some people mistakenly think schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are the same condition. People with schizophrenia, however, do not experience predominant mood episodes. Thats the main difference.

In the psychiatric community, some experts also believe schizoaffective disorder should be considered a subtype of schizophrenia instead of a stand-alone psychotic disorder.

This is because when you look at the dominant symptoms, schizoaffective disorder may resemble schizophrenia more than it does depressive or bipolar disorders.

In fact, a set criterion to receive this diagnosis is that you must have two or more symptoms of psychosis, which are typical of schizophrenia.

The DSM-5 considers schizoaffective disorder a stand-alone diagnosis, although it appears in the chapter on schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders.

You can manage symptoms of schizoaffective disorder through long-term treatment that typically involves a combination of medication and therapy.

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An Overview Of Schizoaffective Disorder

Manouchehr Saljoughian, PharmD, PhDAlta Bates Summit Medical CenterBerkeley, California

US Pharm. 2019 44:10-12.

Schizoaffective disorder, a perplexing and chronic mental-health condition, is a hybrid of two mental illnesses in that it incorporates features of schizophrenia and mood disorders . Symptoms may occur simultaneously or at different times. Cycles of severe symptoms are often followed by periods of improvement or high energy. This mental condition causes both a loss of contact with reality and mood problems.1 It is not known whether schizoaffective disorder is related mainly to schizophrenia or to mood disorder. Although schizoaffective disorder can be managed, it cannot be cured, and most patients will experience relapses.1

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, defines the disorder as the presence of schizophrenia symptoms concurrent with mood symptoms that last for a considerable portion of a 1-month period.1 Schizoaffective disorder is classified into two kinds: type 1 , which involves some schizophrenia symptoms and episodes of mania and bipolar disorders, and type 2 , which includes schizophrenia symptoms and major depressive episodes.1

Schizoaffective disorder usually begins in an individuals late teens or in early adulthood, often between the ages of 16 and 30 years. It appears to occur slightly less often in men than in women, and it is rare in children.1

Parkinson’s Disease And Lewy Body Dementia

is linked with for their similar hallucinatory symptoms. The symptoms strike during the evening in any part of the visual field, and are rarely polymodal. The segue into hallucination may begin with illusions where sensory perception is greatly distorted, but no novel sensory information is present. These typically last for several minutes, during which time the subject may be either conscious and normal or drowsy/inaccessible. Insight into these hallucinations is usually preserved and is usually reduced. Parkinson’s disease is usually associated with a degraded pars compacta, but recent evidence suggests that PD affects a number of sites in the brain. Some places of noted degradation include the median , the parts of the , and the neurons in the and nuclei of the .

This type of hallucination is usually experienced during the recovery from a comatose state. The migraine coma can last for up to two days, and a state of depression is sometimes . The hallucinations occur during states of full consciousness, and insight into the hallucinatory nature of the images is preserved. It has been noted that ataxic lesions accompany the migraine coma.

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