Schizoaffective disorder is a mental condition that is psychosis combined with a mood disorder. The person with this condition not only has lost touch with reality or real life situations, but also suffers from mood disorders as well.
As with most mental disorders, symptoms can differ from one person to the next. The person may experience psychotic episodes and a mood disorder at the same time, or can exhibit signs of one or the other separately.
What are the symptoms?
- Alterations in appetite and energy
- Delusions
- Disordered speech
- Paranoia
- Easily agitated
- Unable to care for self
- Sleep disturbances
- Hallucinations
- Inability to focus
- Mania - High or low mood
What are the causes?
The cause of schizoaffective disorder is not known. Factors that may contribute include genetics and imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. It is not as common as schizophrenia and mood conditions, it is more prevalent in women than men, and is rare in children.
Diagnosis:
Your health care professional will need to get a detailed health history and perform a thorough physical examination. Blood work and other testing may also be ordered to rule out other causes for the symptoms. If these tests come back as negative, meaning that no underlying disease processes are evident, your doctor may refer you to a mental health provider for psychiatric testing and treatment.
Treatment:
The schizoaffective disorder is most often treated with a combination antipsychotic medications and mood stabilizers, which include:
Lithium - This medication aids in stabilizing moods and manic episodes.
Valproic acid and Carbamazepine - These are anti seizure medications that are very effective in controlling mood disorders, and usually take up to 21 days for symptom relief. In some cases, antidepressants are also needed to help reduce symptoms of depression.
Medications must be custom tailored for each patient, as symptoms are different for each patient. Dosages may need to be adjusted in order to find the correct combination that works for you. It is important to have patience as these medications will take time to become effective.
Even though treatment may be long term and results are different for everyone, patients diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder can recover and return to their normal level of functioning. Recognizing the signs and symptoms and getting help early is key to healing. If you are showing signs of this disorder, contact your health care professional as soon as possible to get proper diagnosis and treatment.
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By Jared Wright
Jared Wright is the marketing manager of Clivir.com - the free learning community site. You can know more about symptoms of Schizophrenia and mental illness schizophrenia.
