Question - SZ and Manic Depression ?
I have been diagnosed as having "manic depressive psychosis". I have
suffered with psychosis since the age of 3 and mood swings since the age of
13. I had my first major "manic" episode at the age of 18 and have had 4
major episodes since. I regularly suffer from "hypomania" and psychosis in
its mildest form is present almost every day. From time to time it becomes
very severe.
I was diagnosed as Paranoid SZ at about the same time as your father. Maybe
in those days the manic depressive/mood swings bit was not as much to the
forefront in diagnoses.
If you don't suffer the depressions then you are very lucky although I agree
that the manic aspects of the mood swings can be a problem.
You seem to have some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. There are people
more qualified than me who can quote complete theories on how and when
schizophrenia is actually diagnosed. I think the symptoms have to go on
long term rather than just during manic episodes.
Are you taking any drugs to control the situation? Do they work? Are you
functioning well in life? Are you a recluse or a social person? Do you
suffer anxiety and fear? Do the voices and other Sz symptoms leave you at
the end of a manic episode?
When all is said and done, I have accepted my mental illness and I am
learning to live with it. It doesn't really make any difference what
"label" I am given, but I have this inbuilt curiosity and will not simply
accept what I am told by a psychiatrist. My experience of my father in
law's problems has shown me that the psychiatrists know little more about
the illness that my wife does. She has spent many years researching manic
depression and psychosis and regularly finds gaps in the knowledge of my
psychiatrist and her father's psychiatrist. Indeed, my shrink has even
said that he wishes that she would consider taking up a career in mental
health.
My understanding is that mania & SZ very often result in similar symptoms. I
think there was a time in the US when there was a significantly higher
proportion of SZ being diagnosed than in Europe. This was studied & it was
decided it was a matter of the diagnostic criteria rather than any difference in
actual illness present in the two areas. My understanding is that in bipolar
disorder, the psychotic symptoms go away when the mood returns to normal (either
through mood-control medication or in normal mood swings). In SZ, the paranoia
or other psychotic symptoms are not directly linked to mood.
From what I have gathered, and by no means am I a doc, but from trying to
understand my own DX by questioning my docs, and reading books:
Schizoaffective disorder, seems to be a sort of Schizophrenia-lite plus
Bipolar (MD). "(MD) Bipolar psychosis, is the presence of psychotic
symptoms (only) during the Manic phase of Bipolar Disorder. So if you are
only psychotic while you are Manic, then you probably have (during those
episodes) "Manic psychosis". If you have psychotic symptoms ALL or most of
the time, and have Manic episodes on top of that, you are probably
"Schizoaffective." If you have psychotic symptoms all or most of the time
and have NO Manic phase, then you are probably Schizophrenic.