(bright music)
- [Amanda] Hi, Psycho2Goers.
So we know you've heard of schizophrenia,
but have you ever heard of schizoaffective disorder?
or have you ever met anyone
who lives with schizoaffective disorder?
It's not surprising if you haven't heard of it
As the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI,
reports on only 0.3% of the US population,
or 981,600 people,
will get it during their lifetimes.
Before we begin,
it's important to know
that we're covering a mental illness
that can cause serious consequences
in the lives of the people affected by it.
This means we'll briefly discuss depression and suicide,
which may be triggering to some viewers.
With that said, let's begin.
What is schizoaffective disorder
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V, DSM-V,
classify schizoaffective disorder
as a psychotic disorder
with features of a mood disorder.
This means in addition
to the classic symptoms of psychosis,
such as hallucinations and delusions,
a person who has schizoaffective disorder
will also have symptoms
of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder,
persistent depressive disorder, cyclothymia,
or seasonal affective disorder or SAD.
Although the National Center
for Biotechnology Information, NCBI,
reported 50% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia
also struggle with some form of depression,
a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder
means the person being diagnosed also experiences
at least one of the following.
Hallucinations and delusions
not caused by drugs or a medical condition
for two or more weeks
when they're not experiencing depression or mania.
Mood disorder symptoms,
usually depression or mania,
for the majority of time
when they are experiencing psychosis.
Serious, disorganized, and catatonic behavior
that isn't caused by drugs or a medical condition.
And negative symptoms,
which are reduced emotional expression,
or a lack of interest in reaching normal goals.
So what's there to know
about living with schizoaffective disorder?
One, there are three phases of psychosis.
Psychosis or an impaired relationship with reality
that involves hallucinations, delusions,
loss of motivation,
and social withdrawal.
Phase one, prodrome.
These are the early signs of psychosis.
When someone is going through the prodrome phase,
their life may start to feel
a little uncomfortable or very disrupted
because this is the phase
when they'll start to experience
flashes of paranoia, problems concentrating,
depression, insomnia, anxiety.
And when they'll start pulling away
from family and friends.
Phase two, acute.
At this stage, the person with schizoaffective disorder
will experience the most disruptive hallucinations,
distressing delusions, and confused thinking.
The person suffering with schizoaffective disorder
will feel completely removed from reality
during the acute phase,
which might look like a total fixation on religion,
thinking others are out to get them,
having voices tell them they're rotten people,
talking to people or spirits that aren't there,
or thinking angels or demons are calling to them.
They're most likely to feel hopeless
or isolated from the ones they love
during this stage.
And phase three, recovery.
This final stage is when the person struggling
with schizoaffective disorder actually starts
to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
With the proper intervention and treatment,
many people who have a psychotic break
may never have another
psychotic episode in their lives.
How having symptoms of a mood disorder
impacts living with psychosis.
When you suffer from psychosis,
and it can feel like your head is in a haunted house
and you're trapped inside
with dozens of unpredictable ghosts,
most schizoaffective disorders
different from other psychotic disorders
because it means the individual living with it
also has the symptoms of a mood disorder.
How does that change things?
The National Institute of Health, NIH,
reports that schizoaffective disorder
creates extreme shifts in behavior, mood, and energy.
What type of shifts depends on
which of the two types of schizoaffective disorders
the person has been diagnosed with,
bipolar and depressive.
Schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type
presents with manic episodes and depressive episodes.
Someone living with this type
of schizoaffective disorder
will experience dramatic highs, or mania,
as well as episodes of deep depression.
Signs of mania include
increased energy or hyperactivity,
irritability, increased grandeur,
insomnia, and reckless behavior.
This might present as snapping at others,
being unable to sit still,
believing one is a supernatural figure or famous,
and spending money that they don't have.
During a manic phase,
the person suffering is more vulnerable
to delusion and reckless behavior,
which intensifies the effects of psychosis.
Schizoaffective disorder, depressive type
presents as psychosis with depressive episodes,
but no mania.
The depressive episodes often present
as feelings of hopelessness,
decreased ability to function,
low energy, problems concentrating,
and possibly decreased hygiene.
The added challenge of mood disorder symptoms
makes individuals living
with either type of schizoaffective disorder
more vulnerable to isolation
due to pushing others away
with their mood swings and deep depression.
This also means they're more vulnerable
to substance abuse and suicidal thoughts
than the rest of the population.
How living with schizoaffective disorder
affects your daily life.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs,
the negative behavioral symptoms
of schizoaffective disorder
such as feelings of apathy;
feeling little or no pleasure in doing anything,
also known as anhedonia;
or seeming to not react to things in their environment,
also known as blunted effect;
or difficulty paying attention
create the most dramatic effects
on the person diagnosed
with schizoaffective disorder's life.
For example, a girlfriend of someone
with schizoaffective disorder
may feel hurt or confused
when her partner doesn't react with excitement
when they tell them about a recent promotion at work
or the boss of someone with schizoaffective disorder
might get frustrated with their employee
for their constant tardiness or disorganization.
Although the person struggling
with schizoaffective disorder
probably wants to be part of a healthy relationship
and most likely wants to be productive,
sometimes their symptoms make this impossible.
This can lead to increase feelings
of not feeling good enough,
loneliness, and social isolation.
These feelings can ultimately
make depressive episodes worse.
Living with schizoaffective disorder
can be frustrating and challenging.
Thankfully, many people have successfully
managed the symptoms of this somewhat rare disorder.
The NCBI reported most people
who successfully manage their schizoaffective symptoms
typically use a combination
of life skills trainings, therapy, and medications.
Did you find this video insightful?
If so, feel free to share it
with someone who would too.
As always, any information provided here
is for educational purposes only.
If you need mental health counseling or treatment,
please reach out to a mental health professional.
Keep watching Psych2Go channel
for more information on mental illness and mental health.
Thanks for watching.