Schizoaffective Disorder

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• Introduction to schizoaffective disorder
• What are the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder?
• Depression
• Mania
• Schizophrenia
• What causes schizoaffective disorder?
• Who gets schizoaffective disorder?
• How common is schizoaffective disorder?
• How is schizoaffective disorder diagnosed?
• How is schizoaffective disorder treated?
• What is the outlook for people with schizoaffective disorder?
• Can schizoaffective disorder be prevented?

Introduction

Schizoaffective disorder is a serious mental illness that has features of two different conditions, schizophrenia and an affective (mood) disorder, either major depression or bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality and relates to others. Depression is an illness that is marked by feelings of sadness, worthlessness or hopelessness, as well as problems concentrating and remembering details. Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes, including severe highs (mania) and lows (depression).

Schizoaffective disorder is a life-long illness that can impact all areas of daily living, including work or school, social contacts and relationships. Most people with this illness have periodic episodes, called relapses, when their symptoms surface. While there is no cure for schizoaffective disorder, symptoms often can be controlled with proper treatment.

What Are the Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder?

A person with schizoaffective disorder has severe changes in mood and some of the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations, delusions and disorganized thinking. Psychotic symptoms reflect the person's inability to tell what is real from what is imagined. Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder may vary greatly from one person to the next and may be mild or severe. Symptoms may include:

Depression

• Poor appetite
• Weight loss or gain
• Changes in sleeping patterns (sleeping very little or a lot)
• Agitation (excessive restlessness)
• Lack of energy
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
• Guilt or self-blame
• Inability to think or concentrate
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Depression - Read about depression causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and types, including manic depression (bipolar disorder), postpartum depression and clinical depression.
• Schizophrenia - Get information on schizophrenia symptoms (delusions, hallucinations), causes (genetics), diagnosis, treatment of schizophrenics (antipsychotic medications) and types (paranoid).
• Psychotic Disorders - Learn about mental illness types (schizophrenia, substance-induced), causes, symptoms (delusions, depression), diagnosis and treatment of psychotic disorders.

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