Understanding schizoaffective disorder understanding

Understanding schizoaffective disorder

understanding

schizoaffective disorder

Understanding schizoaffective disorder

This booklet is for anyone who has been given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, and their friends or relatives. It explains what the disorder is and the types of treatment and support available.

Contents

What is schizoaffective disorder?

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How is schizoaffective disorder diagnosed?

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What causes schizoaffective disorder?

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What treatments are available?

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Where can I be treated?

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How can I help myself?

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How can friends or family help?

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Useful contacts

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Understanding schizoaffective disorder

What is schizoaffective disorder?

You may be given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder if you experience: ??psychotic symptoms, similar to schizophrenia, and ??mood symptoms of bipolar disorder, and ??you have both types of symptoms at the same time or within two weeks of each other.

The word schizoaffective has two parts: ??`schizo?` refers to psychotic symptoms (see p.5) ??`?affective' refers to mood symptoms (see p.6).

You may have times when you struggle to look after yourself, and when your doctors consider that you lack insight into your behaviour or how you are feeling. You may be quite well between episodes. The episodes vary in length. Some people have repeated episodes but this does not necessarily happen, and it may not be a lifetime diagnosis.

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What is schizoaffective disorder?

Psychotic symptoms These are experiences called hallucinations and delusions.

Hallucinations Having hallucinations means experiencing things that others around you don't. These may be:

??voices which you hear either inside your head or through your ears, as if they were coming from somewhere else

??seeing visual hallucinations, or feeling confused about what you see around you

??other unexplained sensations ? smells, tastes and touch.

Delusions Delusions are strongly held beliefs that other people don't share. For example, you may feel:

??that your thoughts are being read, or are being taken out of your head ??your thoughts are not your own ??you are being watched or controlled (see Mind's Paranoia resources) ??you are very powerful and able to influence things that are actually

outside your control ??you have special insight, divine experiences or magic powers.

In general, you may feel:

??your thoughts becoming very disorganised ??very confused and frightened ??angry and depressed, or excited and elated.

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