How Do I Talk to Someone With Schizoaffective Disorder?

Schizoaffective disorder causes detachment from reality and severely affects mood. Besides delusions and hallucinations, people with schizoaffective disorder also have disorganized speech, thinking difficulties, and trouble relaying their thoughts, making it difficult to communicate.

About 0.3% of the population is affected by schizoaffective disorder.

The schizoaffective disorder begins in the late teens to early adulthood, up to the age of 30. Doctors can form a treatment plan to manage symptoms. However, most people diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder experience relapses.

Caring for someone with schizoaffective disorder becomes challenging because of the severe symptoms of mania, depression, and psychosis. The schizoaffective disorder also causes challenges in communication and speech.

Impaired speech and incoherence make it difficult to talk to someone with schizoaffective disorder. If you're looking after someone with schizoaffective disorder, you need to manage a treatment plan, work on communication and create a safe environment. But, first, you must learn more about this condition to understand how to communicate better.

Schizoaffective disorder is commonly misdiagnosed as it combines the symptoms of two mental illnesses; schizophrenia and an affective or mood disorder such as bipolar disorder. This lifelong mental illness causes mood swings and psychosis which interferes with a person's daily life activities.

A psychiatric evaluation can help diagnose the condition so you can form a treatment plan which commonly includes therapy and medication.

While schizophrenia makes a person hear voices and hallucinate, the schizoaffective disorder also causes detachment from reality, and severely affects mood. Thus, this chronic condition involves combined schizophrenia and major mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania. 

Depressive type and bipolar type are the two types of schizoaffective disorder. Depressive schizoaffective disorder results in major depressive episodes, while bipolar schizoaffective disorder also features episodes of mania and extreme mood swings.

Schizoaffective disorder has a range of risk factors, such as the following.

• Genetics
• Lower levels of dopamine, a brain chemical that controls mental and emotional responses
• Environmental factors such as extreme stress
• Use of psychotropic or psychoactive drugs 
• Taking mind-altering medications

People with schizoaffective disorder may have suicidal tendencies. They are also at an increased risk of unemployment, social isolation, poverty, and homelessness.

The schizoaffective disorder also puts an individual at risk of substance abuse. They are more likely to have anxiety disorders and significant health problems.

Besides delusions and hallucinations, people with schizoaffective disorder also have disorganized speech, thinking difficulties, and trouble relaying their thoughts, making it difficult to communicate.

They experience impaired speech because their cognitive function is affected. This impacts expressive and receptive language, resulting in difficulty in conveying meaning to others and weak understanding and perception. 

Knowledge, compassion, and empathy are crucial for effective communication with someone with schizoaffective disorder.

As a caregiver, you must play an active role in understanding the disorder. Besides learning more about schizoaffective disorder, you must also acknowledge the person's experience.

• You should actively listen as it is equally important to understand as it is to be understood. 
• Offer help with daily activities and avoid prodding a lot.
• Overdoing reminders can result in a risk of violence. You must set limits for verbal abuse for effective communication.
• Talk clearly by using shorter sentences.
• Keep your tone calm and non-threatening.
• It would be best to devise a plan for handling violent situations because it will help you manage violent episodes.
• Do not argue with the person about their perception of reality.
• Be patient and say encouraging words.
• Make every effort to acknowledge the individual's feelings.
• Validate the person's experience of frustration and distress.

Symptoms of schizoaffective disorder include schizophrenic symptoms combined with the symptoms of bipolar disorder or depression. Symptoms greatly vary from person to person. 

Mild symptoms include insomnia, despair, euphoria, lack of interest in activities, high and low energy periods, lack of personal care, poor communication, and speech issues. In contrast, severe symptoms of schizoaffective disorder include the following:

• Delusions such as forming false beliefs 
• Major symptoms of depression 
• Hallucinations
• Hearing voices
• Psychotic episodes 
• Sudden outbursts of energy 
• Inappropriate emotional responses 
• Disorganized thinking 
• Violent episodes
• Trouble comprehending social settings
• Risky behavior 

A combination of genetic, psychological, and physical factors develops the condition. Moreover, major stressful or emotional events can trigger schizoaffective disorder.

Psychoactive drugs such as amphetamines or LSD trigger the manic episode in people with schizoaffective disorder.

If you know someone with schizoaffective disorder or if you notice similar symptoms, encourage them to seek professional help or find a qualified mental health professional for them.

If an individual with schizoaffective disorder experiences a severe manic episode, you must consult emergency responders as violent behavior is a common symptom of manic episodes. 

Violent behavior can put anyone at risk. If someone's safety is a concern, you must immediately contact a psychiatrist. 

Psychotherapy is combined with skills training and medication to treat schizoaffective disorder. The medication stabilizes a person's mood and manages psychotic symptoms, while therapy and skills training improve coping skills.

Medication for schizoaffective disorder

Medication depends on the severity of depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder symptoms. Doctors prescribe antipsychotics for hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking.

The FDA has only approved Invega paliperidone extended-release tablets to treat schizoaffective disorder. The doctor may also prescribe antidepressants or mood stabilizers for mood-related symptoms.

Psychotherapy

Counseling as treatment helps people learn about their illness and manage their symptoms. Individual therapy helps normalize thinking patterns and disordered thinking.

Effective psychotherapy focuses on coping strategies and managing relationships and everyday problems. Psychotherapy is more effective when people with schizoaffective disorder discuss their problems with others.

Family therapy and support groups also allow people to express themselves better while others around them also understand how to communicate and look after someone with schizoaffective disorder effectively.

Skills training 

Skills training focuses on self-care and grooming. It helps individuals focus on work and social skills and teaches them about home management.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Electroconvulsive therapy is essential for adults who do not respond to medications and psychotherapy.

ECT is a brief electrical stimulation of the brain. The doctors give general anesthesia before the electroconvulsive therapy.

If you know someone with schizoaffective disorder or if you notice similar symptoms, encourage them to seek professional help or find a qualified mental health professional for them.

If an individual with schizoaffective disorder experiences a severe manic episode, you must consult emergency responders as violent behavior is a common symptom of manic episodes. 

Violent behavior can put anyone at risk. If someone's safety is a concern, you must immediately contact a psychiatrist.