is it still schizoaffective??

[Missmidgey]

Hi, I just registered with this site about 10 minutes ago.. i guess because i need to vent and hopefully you guys will understand. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when i was 16 (about 5 years ago). Ive been institutionalized off and on since them.. sometimes for months at a time. But sometimes i wonder if that is my real diagnosis. Yes i had all of the symptoms.. and occasionally still do. but.. when i was first diagnosed i was only clean off drugs for about 6 months. sometimes maybe i just hope it was all drug induced and im fine. although i know im not. Ive also been diagnosed with bi polar... but im going to tell you guys what is up and i want your opinions. i know you arent doctors.. but personally i think we know ourselves better than any doctor ever will.

Ive been on anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers and anti depressants for years. until now. i haven't taken any medication in months. and i feel ... ok. im not having paranoia like i was when i was 16... im very irritable and angry and have trouble socializing .. sometimes im even maniac. cant sleep. ...but overall.. i can function. i used to not be able to do that without medication. sometimes i feel like people are sending me subliminal messages. . . whether it be the song they are playing on the radio.. or perhaps just a regular conversation but i feel like they are trying to tell me stuff without saying it. i know thats unusual for most people.. but the thing is.. i know its not real when i think about it twice... and when i was younger i thought the aliens and such i was seeing were real. i swore up and down they were. im just really confused. but mostly my problems lie in the instability of my moods. i can go happy to angry in 2.5 seconds. ya know?

so what im wondering.. is this still schizoaffective disorder? did i get better? or was it the wrong diagnosis in the first place? i dont want to go to a doctor to find out.. he will just put me on medication. that i refuse to take,,,

anyway thanks for listening :)

[Naominjw]

You need to make sure it is not your brain not realizing it is still sick. If your symptoms are truly gone, what the doctors would say depends on profession.

My daughter was diagnosed with schizoaffective and no longer has symptoms after treating MEDICAL/BIOLOGICAL problems. Some doctors say well then it was not schizoaffective after all. It was misdiagnosis. Some say yes it is schizoaffective but caused by the physical problems we are treating. The psychiatrist simply says the schizoaffective went into remission.

Since all the diagnosis is is a label for a set of symptoms which matched my daughter's (and yours) -- take your pick.

[Buttons2]

Interesting question. You've convinced yourself that drugs are not the way to go these days (anti-psychotic's that is). And I think your earlier use of street drugs may very well have been a factor.Since you have been diagnosed bi-polar does this mean you aren't taking any meds for that either?

How would you describe your quality of life? Do you work? Have friends/family in your life? You seem to have discovered the hard way that the medical profession is too quick to prescribe drugs rather than search for answers.

[Buttons2]

As for the anger.....well that could very well be physical. Diabetes or thyroid. Just some thoughts.

[Missmidgey]

thanks fro the replies. no i havent been taking any medication.

to answer your questions buttons.. no i dont work .. im on SSI. im pretty unhappy all in all. i have a husband and a roommate and they are pretty much the only people in my life regularly.

im considering taking my pills again. im not sure though. i know i need therapy at the very least.
: /

[Deedeelyn]

Dear Missmidgey, I have the diagnosis of schizoaffective also. I'm concerned about the fact your not on medication or did you mean you still had these symptoms while on medication. What is the reason that you no longer want to take them? your symptoms are very familair to me. I would try to go off my medication in the beginning of my diagnosis but after so long of reoccuring symptoms I have remained on them as I never want to feel that way again. It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor and a therapist so that you can make the correct decision for yourself. Feel free to write back anytime.
Deedeelyn

[terric]

:)Hi Missmigey,

I've never posted on this board, but thought your question was interesting.

I have some problems and used to take alot of meds...way too many I think. I have found out something very interesting about meds. Actually this is only my opinion. Sometimes psyc docs order too many meds to cover all bases. This is an accidental finding on my part. (too much stuff to write). I found out that I need meds, but some of the ones I was on were causing problems. I've been on seroquel for a long time. My pdoc suggested abilify and cut out some others. I didn't want to do it. I decided to try 50mg of seroquel instead of 25mg, cut way down on lamictal, and cut out klonopin. All of which I asked pdoc if I could do. She said yes. I also think pdocs give 2,3,4 dxs also to cover all bases.

Well, I am doing much better. I think the increase in seroquel was the magic. If you still hear voices in your head I think it is probably not a good idea not to take any meds. We need pdocs who will work with us. Mine does. :)

I hope everything works out for you. It's no fun being unhappy all the time.

ps I am much older than you.

terric

[Naominjw]

I really hate to link to the following noxious forum (noxious because the admin does not allow free exchange of information and biases towards brain disorders being the fault of people's thinking and upbringing) and NOT a medical condition BUT - you might be interested in this thread on the Childhood forum: I wonder if her diagnosis will change again (http://www.schizophrenia.com:8080/jiveforums/thread.jspa?messageID=31984糰).

Obviously a lot is point of view. If you treat the underlying problem and no longer require psychotropic meds, was it a misdiagnosis, or does the person no longer have the condition or did the person have a "mental illness" but caused by medical problems the person addressed?

You might also want to look into Dr. Hyman's new book about fixing a broken brain by healing the body first where I saw "Broken brains" go by many names -- depression, anxiety, memory loss, brain fog, attention deficit disorder, autism, and dementia, to name a few -- and show up in radically different ways from person to person, making each seem like a separate problem.

But the truth is that these "diagnoses" are all the result of a few basic problems with our biology. Pinpoint these biological problems, fix them, and let your body's natural healing intelligence take over to repair your brain.

In that case, was it really a mental illness if it heals with nutrition, exercise, etc???

And there is http://www.itsnotmental.com .... where is the line between schizoaffective and a medical illness? Why do we even separate it into medical vs mental? All that does is give insurance an excuse not to cover treatment for these.

So... I still say take your pick.

[Greg_2789]

I was diagnosed with the same mental illness when i was 16 and know exactly where your coming from. I know this because i am coming from where you are. I have showed symptoms of schizoaffective in the past and been hospitalized twice but honestly i feel as if the disease is lifted idk. i have a hard time believing im still schizoaffective.
Also when i first went off my meds i had the exact same symptoms you had, no sleep, and rapid mood changes. Idk its a tuff call going off your meds but i believe i can be healed without the docters medication.