Why Schizoaffective Disorder Is So Difficult to Diagnose

Schizoaffective Disorder is one of the most difficult mental illnesses to diagnose. Psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Wynne, discusses the reasons behind that.

[@eyeoflight1594]

I was diagnosed with this after couple years of other diagnosis. It's awful sometimes.

[@alessandrojaker7160]

This video does not contribute anything beyond just reading from the DSM. The title is misleading. If you do not have any insights to offer, you shouldn't make a video.

[@mikesimmons3876]

Exactly. She’s a doctor for fuks sake and can’t even explain in her own words. SMH

[@mariahselvidge]

Okay, so I have been to multiple doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, the works.. and none of them can agree on my diagnosis. It's split about 50/50 as far as opinions go on my illness. Half of the doctors I've seen have diagnosed me schizoaffective. The other half, however, diagnosed me with "severe major depressive disorder with psychotic features". What is the difference between the two?

[@mrfake675]

Get grounded to nature and God. Put good food in your body. Get good sleep. Don't get caught up in sin. Avoid stimulants, drugs, booze, porn, pride. FAST. Fasting both food and addictions. Everything we put in our bodies and mind has an effect on our mental health. We are living in a world that is at war with balance. Nature's ecosystems are out of balance and humans bodies and minds are out of balance. Sensitive folk snap and display symptoms that get labeled with a mental disorder. Obviously this can be helpful and save lives, but we must pull back the picture and examine how we navigate this reality and how it impacts our health

[@neonbath]

I believe schizoaffective disorder is the closest I've been to a correct diagnoses of the symptoms I experience. I suffer schizophrenic symptoms with mixed bipolar symptoms, so it seems silly for people to tell me it isn't real or that I can't suffer both illnesses. Comorbidity exists.

[@suicidepudding]

I've been told by two mental hospitals it's schizophrenia, but my shrink says it's schizo affective. Pick one people. :/

[@mikesimmons3876]

Girlfriends kid is 15 and he went to the doctor for “missing school” like 32-34 times last year. He has at least 15 different diagnoses on his online medical record. He told me he faked being sick all but once...

[@kareendeveraux1847]

I was given this diagnose after 15 minutes. I guess my shrink was a genius. 😂

[@ozjthomas]

Im not sure I understand why it is difficult to diagnose from the video, although in my own experience having such a mixed bag of symptoms, it seems Ive been diagnosed everything from having aspergers, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar, even ADD. The overlap between aspergers seems very common in my experience(non clinical, but having been in and out of OP treatments and other clients) as well as bipolar and psychotic depression.

[@rp9851]

Schizoaffective disorder Bipolar type is called schizoaffective because of the Bipolar. Without the Bipolar diagnosis, it would be straight Schizophrenia. So, the person does have Schizophrenia and Bipolar. My son had this and this is how his doctor had explained his mental illness this to me.

[@AxeMoose]

I am schizoaffective and have been treated effectively for several years now. I still have mood swings but they are more mild to say the least and I will most likely never stop hearing voices. I seldom see things but on the odd time waking up I see a radiating ball of light in the room. risperidone and an antidepressant are what I am taking and it seems to work. Mood stabilizers kind of messed me up for thinking so I cut them with the doctors OK.

[@DavidReese_mythoughts]

Thanks Dr Win. From my self reflexion, I do not notice lack of will or desire. What I do feel is lack of inpetus to start, increasing self critisism if I can engage in the desired activity, or a shutting down in all non automated physical function. Am I alone in feeling my issue is inpetus and not will. This would make a large difference if it is the norm. A few things which I engage in that gibe me inpetus. Even if I am near motionless or going through thoughts so fast I loose most.

[@BENCHIPED]

Hi Dr. Wynne, Is it normal for a patient to want to sleep with their therapist to the point thats all they think about?

[@marywilliams9858]

BENCHIPED No. Get a pet.

[@rushin0roulette0]

Yeah i was just re-diagnosed from having bipolar to have schizoaffective. I was diagnosed with bipolar because of the high volume of bipolars in my family.

[@TheParadoxgeist]

DR.wynne for the win,cus im crazy.

[@pillowbugg]

@mariahselvidge not much, schizoaffective has delusions and hallucination when your NOT experiencing severe major depressive episodes. I'm just realizing, after my weekly psy. Doc meeting, this time that my delusions and hallucinations aren't real. They feel so real...if I don't take meds I will be dead in weeks. I know, but I hate meds. A prisoner of my mind. So alone

[@lancemckellar]

I have had SZA for thirteen years.

[@GnosticMindTrain]

If a doctor cannot diagnose me right then not even I can. If the doctor cannot diagnose, then the self cannot diagnose. But if the self cannot diagnose, then the doctor cannot diagnose. This is my story though, your doctor visit and diagnoses might be right. But mine never was, I don't even fit into a subtype, I am literally a minority within a minority. I'm a minority with my beliefs, with my opinions, I once found a group of people like me, a circle, who believed in what I believe in but I found a minority within that minority because my beliefs were too underground for the underground. I'm not Christian but I swear, it's demons, not an illness from this planet, my beliefs are unconventional by the way. Even though I can't see them, or feel them, no poltergeists, but I know the evil beings has me, I do not care, if the waves of the essential wave point average people there is no social disorder it was later on I became a disorder mess, I was never really born with demons but they came, I am the man, a lot of people are sick, need to follow the conscious energy, it is sleeping, all conscious energy. Mind.

[@duartefonseca1934]

"because my beliefs were too underground for the underground. " i undrstand you, i feel the same way sometimes, is like sometimes i feel i am too much diferent to be with the so call diferente people

[@Loverw123]

GnosticMindTrain66 you are absolutely right, you have to do some research on your own and draw your own conclusions and have an idea of what kinda illness you're suffering

[@williamdemarrais8318]

i cannot understand why you don't seem to express any emotions at all. I don't think you are well either.

[@mikesimmons3876]

She probably cheated her way through schooling as evident by the way she just reads shit and can’t use her own words.

[@fletcherb.stainthorpe2103]

Schizoaffective disorder is a kind of schizophrenia lite, as far as I can tell.

[@MrTerryKay]

@BENCHIPED If your therapist is as hot as Dr Wynne here, I'd say that's normal. Mmmm yeah! ;) I'm just joking though, and certainly not making light of your situation. Humour (even poor humour) is one of the ways I survive my own paranoia/depression etc etc. You should address these thoughts directly with your therapist as there are probably reasons for this that could become more challenging to deal with when you have to change therapist or are moved into a different branch of therapy.