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Schizoaffective Disorder

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KEY POINTS

  • Schizoaffective disorder causes changes in your thoughts, emotions and behavior. You may have false beliefs, feel depressed or anxious, or hear or see things that are not there.
  • Symptoms may go away for a while, and then come back.
  • Treatment may include medicines, therapy, and learning ways to manage stress. In severe cases, you may need to be treated in the hospital.

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What is schizoaffective disorder?

Schizoaffective disorder is a condition that causes changes in your thoughts, emotions and behavior. It includes a mix of the symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Schizoaffective disorder is usually lifelong. While there is no cure for this disorder, symptoms may be controlled with proper treatment.

What is the cause?

The exact cause of this disorder is not known. Possible causes include:

  • The brain makes chemicals that affect thoughts, emotions, and actions. Without the right balance of these chemicals, there may be problems with the way you think, feel, or act. People with this disorder may have too little or too much of some of these chemicals.
  • Schizoaffective disorder tends to run in families. Stress may trigger symptoms.
  • People with this disorder may have physical changes in their brain. These changes may mean that some parts of the brain are more active or less active than in other people.
  • Some medicines can cause depression or manic symptoms. These include some blood pressure medicines, diet pills, and steroids such as prednisone. Drugs such as LSD, cocaine, and amphetamines can cause psychotic symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms may go away for awhile, and then come back. Symptoms may include:

  • Hearing, seeing, smelling, or feeling things that others do not
  • Believing things that are not true, such as believing that others are trying to hurt you
  • Having trouble keeping your thoughts straight or trouble paying attention
  • Stopping talking in the middle of a sentence or making up words that have no meaning
  • Withdrawing from other people
  • Feeling sad, guilty, hopeless, and anxious
  • Feeling drained of energy sometimes or very energetic other times
  • Having trouble falling asleep, waking up very early, or sleeping too much

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, medical and family history, and any medicines you are taking. He will make sure you do not have a medical illness or drug or alcohol problem that could cause the symptoms. You may have tests or scans to help make a diagnosis.

If no medical cause can be found, you may be referred to a mental health professional for further testing.

How is it treated?

Medicines

Medicines are the most important part of the treatment. Several types of medicines can help. Your healthcare provider will work with you to select the best one for you. You may need to take more than one type of medicine. These medicines may cause side effects, but you and your healthcare provider will watch for them. Your healthcare provider may change how much or how often you take your medicine, or change the medicine you have been taking.

It is important to stay on your medicine to keep your symptoms under control. If you are thinking about stopping your medicine, talk to your provider first. Do not stop taking your medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

Supportive therapy

This disorder changes the way you relate to others and the way you think about everyday activities. There are several kinds of therapy that can help.

Supportive therapy can help you learn about schizoaffective disorder, and get advice about how to manage daily challenges.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on thinking and behavior. The therapist helps you learn how to:

  • Test the reality of your thoughts
  • Ignore voices in your head
  • Cope with stress
  • Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts
  • Identify early warning signs that symptoms are getting worse
  • Set goals and motivate yourself

Group therapy can help you deal with work, relationships, and drug therapy and side effects. It takes place in a group of 6 to 10 people, under the guidance of a therapist.

Family therapy is often very helpful. Family therapy treats all members of the family rather than working with one person alone. It helps the whole family to make changes.

The illness may make it hard to organize your thoughts, solve problems and make decisions. You may have trouble taking care of yourself or telling others what you need. You will probably need a therapist or case manager to help you manage your daily needs. You may live in a group setting with others who also have this illness.

You may need to spend some time in a hospital if you are thinking about hurting yourself or someone else, or if you are unable to take care of yourself.

How can I take care of myself?

  • Get support. Talk with family and friends. Ask your provider or therapist if there are any support groups in your area for people with schizoaffective disorder.
  • Learn to manage stress. Ask for help at home and work when the load is too great to handle. Find ways to relax. For example take up a hobby, listen to music, watch movies, or take walks. Try yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises when you feel stressed.
  • Take care of your physical health. Try to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Eat a healthy diet. Limit caffeine. If you smoke, quit. Avoid alcohol and drugs, because they can make your symptoms worse. Exercise according to your healthcare provider's instructions.
  • Check your medicines. To help prevent problems, tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist about all of the medicines, natural remedies, vitamins, and other supplements that you take. Take all medicines as directed by your provider or therapist. It is very important to take your medicine even when you are feeling and thinking well. Without the medicine, your symptoms may not improve or may get worse. Talk to your provider if you have problems taking your medicine or if the medicines don't seem to be working.
  • Contact your healthcare provider or therapist if you have any questions or your symptoms seem to be getting worse. Sometimes this illness makes you afraid of even your provider or therapist. Watch for this and be honest with your provider or therapist about it.

Get emergency care if you or a loved one has serious thoughts of suicide or self-harm, violence, or harming others. Also seek immediate help if you have chest pain or trouble breathing.

For more information, contact:

Developed by RelayHealth.
Adult Advisor 2016.4 published by RelayHealth.
Last modified: 2016-02-17
Last reviewed: 2015-04-16
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2016 RelayHealth, a division of McKesson Technologies Inc. All rights reserved.
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