Schizoaffective disorder

[Blue]

Schizoaffective disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis describing a situation where both the symptoms of mood disorder and psychosis are present. The disorder usually begins in early adulthood, and is more common in women.
There are two sub-types of schizoaffective disorder: the bipolar type and the depressive type. The bipolar type has a better prognosis than the depressive type, which can have a residual defect with the passing of time. Bipolar schizoaffective disorder is more similar to bipolar disorder than schizophrenia. People with bipolar disorder may also suffer from isolated episodes of psychotic symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
The following are the criteria for a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV):
A. Two (or more) of the following symptoms are present for the majority of a one-month period:
delusions
hallucinations
disorganized speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
negative symptoms (i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition)
Note: Only one of these symptoms is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other.
AND at some time there is either a
major depressive episode
manic episode
mixed episode
B. During the same period of illness, there have been delusions or hallucinations for at least two weeks in the absence of prominent mood symptoms.
C. Symptoms that meet criteria for a mood episode are present for a substantial portion of the total duration of the active and residual periods of the illness.
D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.

Info Source, Links and more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoaffective_disorder

[RonPrice]

The first formal diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder(SAD), BPD and/or D did not take place medically until the autumn of 1968 when I was 24. I was in a large psychiatric hospital at the time. I was given lots of advice from religious to common-sensical: diet, exercise, prayer, vitamins, interesting leisure distractions/interests like horse-riding, watching TV, music, et cetera in the 5 years preceding my hospitalization. After several years, 1963 to 1968, the emotional aberrations disappeared at least for a time. My episodes over those years and in the years to come seemed to exhibit quite separate and distinct tendencies and patterns. Hypomania(H) was always characterized by elation and D was always characterized by varying degrees of very low moods. Such an observation seems now to be so obvious as hardly requiring a mention, but at the core of my experience of this problem was either D or H and the impact of their various symptoms. Within those five years, though, the permutations and combinations of emotional variation were enough to being tears to the eyes of a brass monkey, as my mother used to say and, as I say, looking back in retrospect. It was a miracle I ever got my degree and my teaching qualifications labouring under such emotional chaos from time to time and often, week after continuous week.

[RocK]

ok thanks for the info fellas, i found it gave some insight
i have just recently been diagnosed with sad
ive had the symptoms for years but i was always told it was schizophrenia
all the best

[RonPrice]

2.7.7 Mine was a spiritual drama of sorts—on a psycho-neurological, a psycho-pharmacological, a schizo-affective level and in 1968 the first psychiatric diagnosis, some five years after the beginning of my first episode, resulted in my suffering, my illness, having at last a label, a medical diagnosis, a name attached to it: a mild-schizo-affective disorder, for which I use the acronym SAD in what has become a somewhat long account. This mild SAD I could, as I say, narrate as a drama in religious terms and describe it as a purgatorial dark night. But, briefly, it was both a pain in the neck and a gift of the gods, I can now say in retrospect. Whatever it was and however I interpret its meaning in my life, it has unquestionably been a key part of my life. But it was not all my life. I do not define all my life in terms of this disorder. This account is of that part, that small but important part. It is the centre of my chaos narrative as some students of autobiography call such accounts.

2.7.8 Stories in life, all peoples’ stories, are chaotic and confusing at a certain level of analysis, a problematique as some social scientists call the story of one’s life, especially in the absence of some kind of narrative order, an order imposed or simply narrated in a simple fashion. Even with some order, imposed or not imposed on one’s experience, one’s life is still a problematique. I tell my own story here as briefly as possible to help establish, for me, some of that sense of order. I tell of these events, as a storyteller might, of my experience of life, but it is a story not packaged for the media. It has been packaged, though, in several written forms for the internet at some 90 sites from 2004 to 2008. I try as I get older to use soft words and hard arguments both in my writing and in my speech. This is a good goal for people with BPD. Softness, tact, kindness and gentleness are often absent from the behaviour and speech of sufferers from BPD. This has certainly been true of me in the half century trajectory of my experience of BPD. These qualities are still absent at crucial times, but so is this true of billions of others who do not have BPD.-Ron Price--I wish you well, RocK

[Blue]

How you been Ron?

[RonPrice]

When I give this summary of my BPD, some 25,000 words, on rare occasions to friends, government bodies and others whom I think may benefit from what has become quite a long read, there are a range of reactions which I summarize here as: (a) no comment, (b) a feeling sorry for me and telling me so, (c) a set of questions in writing or in person, (d) giving me advice, and (e) some combination of these four reactions. I am generally not troubled by people’s reactions after all these years, although I often have been in the past. On rare occasions someone wants to strongly advise or assert a point of view at variance with my own. They might suggest I try: (1) various remedies like: food and medicinal solutions such as drinking lots of carrot juice(1960s), (2) praying and meditating more(1970s), (3) using positive thinking or some new age system of thought/thinking and/or (4) not talking about the disorder, assume I’m really okay and just get on with life. I have not always maintained my emotional cool, so to speak; although here, too, I am improving in my patience and my self-restraint, partly because of the new medication package I have begun in the last year.


We all have to deal with the reactions of others, of course, and these reactions are not always to our liking. Being calm, however much desired, is not always achievable or even desirable for most of us. Although I must add that this new medication package is certainly conducive to a more calm demeanour. As I often say, in trying to summarize the context for this new tranquillity, "it is harder for my wife to get a rise out of me than she used to." In the wider social domain, when faced with what would formerly have caused my punitive rebuttals/reactions to some of the statements of others, I exhibit much more patience and self-control.


Who knows what lies ahead in my dealing with BPD? At the age of 64 I would like to put this story permanently to bed--forever, never to return to another, yet another, chapter in the long tale, this sequence of events with a long duration or longue duree, to use a French expression. But I have my suspicions that the story is far from over. I am able to work at reading and writing for at least 8 hours in total most days in a series of small time periods even after all these decades of BPD. I am still a functioning member of society, but only in certain quite defined and limited ways.


The new pattern of behaviour that has become apparent after sixteen months on this new medication package(5/07 to 9/08) contains the following details: (a) alternating periods of fatigue, shortage of breath and sleepiness on the one hand; and energy and enthusiasm on the other—often within a few minutes making any sustained work/activity beyond one to two hours difficult to maintain; (b) staying awake to very late hours, say, 2 or 3 a.m., or sleeping and getting up virtually all night and then sleeping from, say, 5 or 6 a.m. to 10 or 11 a.m. with an hour or two of sleep in the day all within a context of short bursts of reading and writing each day adding up to an 8 hour total of literary work per 24 hour period—and short bursts of other activities(domestic, social and, personal) adding up to another 8 hours, (c) a certain excessiveness/speed in speech patterns, a lack of moderation, a lack of control and an overly, overtly emotional state and over-the-topness, so to speak, which is more problematic when I am in those social situations I have described above, social situations of more than four hours of interaction; (d) a speeding in situations that do not require speeding like: washing dishes, making a cup of coffee, and other domestic and daily activities just in normal everyday settings; (e)quick alterations in energy levels, for example, hyperactive in the morning, and completely fatigued by midday; (f) OCD, obsessive-compulsive behaviour: straightening & squaring bits of paper, magazines & newspapers on tables and desks and other forms of tidiness much more than in previous years(although my psychiatrist does not see this as OCD behaviour); (g) urinating on average every 80 minutes(again, my psychiatrist says this is normal for my medical condition after 27 years on lithium); (h) a nightly dream pattern that is more extensive than ever before in my life leaving me with a dense-and-heavy, somewhat disoriented, feeling on waking; and (i) perhaps most importantly, a feeling of emotional and psychological weariness as well as a tedium vitae from the long and many scars left from years of battling with BPD; and an alternating quiet tranquillity at other times in the day, a tranquillity very useful to the act of writing.


As I reread the above statement I feel the nine symptoms taken in total are a little ‘over-the-top’ as they say in Australia, but the list is accurate. The statement seems a little over the top because I am not used to placing all of the symptoms in one paragraph. Some of the above traits, patterns or symptoms, of course, are problems everyone has in different degrees. They are not deserving of emphasis; they are not pathological; they do not require treatment.But they are: (1) the present constellation of symptoms of my bipolar disorder and (2) a cause of concern in some ways more to my wife who has to live with me than they are to me. Being the battler that she is and my personal carer in more ways than one, she grumbles and grouses more than usual, perhaps "in fits-and-starts" is a more accurate phrase, as a result of my eccentricities or, perhaps, as a result of hers. I’m often not sure. This is the worse side-affect of my behaviour on her, but over time she has come to understand my behaviour more and more.

I think this is the best summary I can give you to answer your question regarding "how I am going."-Ron Price, Tasmania

[RonPrice]

My posts here are, for some readers, a little too long. If that is the case just: (a) skim and scan my posts or (b) don't read them. there is plenty of advice now on the internet for people with mental health issues. My posts are aimed at people who find longer reads useful.-Ron

[BluePeople]

Ron,

I think I have read every one of your posts and think they are a great contribution to the forum. Of course some people like short posts and other people like longs posts, just like everything else in life. But I am seeing a lot of long posts on here which I like, and since so many other people are making such longs posts I assume they enjoy longs posts also.

[RonPrice]

I don't think there are many who can say that they "have read every one of my posts" and I think there are fewer who think that they are "a great contribution to the forum." As you say some people like short posts and other people like longs posts, just like everything else in life. I appreciate your feedback, Steve.-Ron

[urlelove]

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is a type of personality disorder marked by rigidity, control, perfectionism, and an overconcern with work at the expense of close interpersonal relationships. Persons with this disorder often have trouble relaxing because they are preoccupied with details, rules, and productivity. They are often perceived by others as stubborn, stingy, self-righteous, and uncooperative.

[neiljackson002]

One of the ways of treatment for this disease is to transform the ultra sensitive brain to dormant stage. This can achieved with the help of drugs.