Other Schizoaffective disorder: got enough problems to worry about already

[Lady of Longbourn]

It sounds like a good place to start is by educating yourself. There is nothing wrong with reading and try to understand what the doctor's are telling you. Why not make a list of those things you don't understand after you have read about Schizoaffective Disorder?

I take some pretty heavy medication for my bipolar disorder CBX9 and it has helped me a lot though it did take a lot of time to find the correct medication at the correct dosage.

Wishing you the best.

 

[anthony]

CBX, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) isn't even close to PTSD in relation to the diagnostic scales. You've mentioned now a diagnosis of SAD and possible schizoaffective disorder, in your posts. Neither of these still come close to PTSD.

I'm sorry, but I still think you're looking in the wrong direction based on things you're saying here, and what your treating physicians are saying. Being socially anxious and extremely moody just isn't close to PTSD. I know you've said that you were bullied in your past, and your mother is schizophrenic, which has led some to PTSD due to abuse by the parent.

But therapists don't typically get that far off in relation to PTSD. Neither of these two disorders mentioned by your physicians are even close to PTSD, nor are they misdiagnosed for PTSD. I think you need to stop telling yourself what you want, you need to go research social anxiety and schizoaffective disorder and seek appropriate discussion communities to find out more about them, as this forum is not for either of those two disorders.

IF you get diagnosed with PTSD, then come back here and work on the problems. Right now, you don't present with any issues that even meet PTSD diagnostic criterion A, to even look at the symptoms to begin with. This forum is for those with PTSD, not for social anxiety or schizoaffective disorder diagnoses.

I do understand, and empathise, that medication is screwing with your mind, but that does not make this forum the right place for you. Medication issues does not make a PTSD diagnosis, and in fact, PTSD cannot be diagnosed due to symptoms that mimic PTSD due to medication, because it isn't trauma causing your concerns, it is medication and other issues.

Don't get me wrong CBX, I'm simply trying to help you to help yourself, nothing more. Helping yourself means looking in the right direction, not the wrong place, and listening to professionals who are assessing you and have already diagnosed you. You have a psychiatrist and therapist, and two of them together aren't often incorrect. If one had a vastly different opinion to the other, then sure, I would be seeking a third professional opinion by making appointments for independent evaluation, but that doesn't seem to be the case from what you're saying here.

You mention paranoia, which is schizoaffective to a tee, not PTSD. Paranoia is a very small part of PTSD, and isn't even present in most. Paranoia is more common in complex trauma (sustained longevity interpersonal abuse) and veterans, not general PTSD.

Nothing you've stated here, anywhere, allude to either avenue. If you seek a social anxiety forum and schizoaffective one, and then see commonality in what you say with those people, you will confirm or deny for yourself the validity of your physicians, because things you say here don't come close to matching most of what others with PTSD say or feel.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) isn't even close to PTSD in relation to the diagnostic scales. You've mentioned now a diagnosis of SAD

Oh...I thought at first when I read SAD that he was talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder, which isn't a disorder by itself so then I thought it was just for Schizoaffective Disorder.

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

CBX. Ask them. Ask them what the other problem is that they are talking about.

It is also possible that your moms disorder has got you freaked out. I know as a young girl, many of my moms issues did that to me. I took on a lot of her issues onto my body and mind because then somehow I had control over it.

It is very hard for a child to grow up with a parent battling mental illness. VERY HARD to say the least! My mom was in and out of mental hospitals, on all kinds of meds, etc. She even blamed some of her nervous breakdowns on me. It took a therapist2 years to get me to realize that I am not her and I am not crazy. And the reason I wrestled so much with googling symptoms etc to find out what was wrong with me every time I felt an uncomfortable feeling is because I grew up with that.

If diagnoses aren't correct, certainly all kinds of medications can cause side effects or paradoxical reactions.

Can you please tell me why you are apprehensive about going to get a 2nd opinion? Do you have any friends who can assist you in this process?

I see something strikingly similar in your story that reminds me of myself. I could be wrong, but at the first couple of glances, you seem like a guy who had his childhood muddled with the issues of his mothers mental illness and probably took a lot of that on himself where it doesn't belong. You seem like a guy with boxing gloves in a rink fighting himself because he felt so powerless growing up.

You seem like a guy who feels very lonely and who maybe didn't get the proper attention and mother-child bonding you deserved. That is so NOT okay. You deserved all of what you didn't get and then some.

So now you feel like a leaf blowing to and fro in the wind, a boy lost in the wilderness, lost at sea on a ship in a storm. I see a guy who desperately seeks love, approval and validation for how he feels and isn't getting it because his mother has been taken away by schizophrenia and his father has probably unknowingly abandoned him emotionally because the love of his life needed him so much. So there became no room for you.

The little boy inside of you could not possibly comprehend that so you take all of that on and think there must be something terminally wrong with you. You beat yourself up because then you don't feel powerless anymore. There is NO shame in that. You hear me? NONE. It is NOT your fault. Read that over and over again because it is NOT YOUR FAULT!!

One CAN get PTSD from a parent who has mental illness, yes. And like others have said here, we just wish only the best for you. We just want you to feel confident that you CAN do this. You do have the choice to stand up one more time and go for it.

Find a new doctor and get a 2nd opinion. We are here with you. You CAN do this!

 

[Abstract]

I also read it as seasonal affective disorder.

As far I understand there are severe mood and depression problems that come along with Schizoaffective Disorder CBX. And that is largely about brain chemistry from what I understand.

Its great that meds are helping the paranoia for you too. What you don't want to do is go off any meds without getting an OK from your dr. That is really important.

The way I understand it these are things that you would have and just from the Schizoaffective Disorder:
* Depression and feeling very bad about the world and yourself. That can include less interest in things and lack of energy etc.
* Feeling paranoid about stuff.
* Hearing or seeing things that are not real or believing things that are not real.
* Moving very slowly.
* Problems organising your thoughts.
* Problems speaking and organising your speech.
* Intense mood changes where you can feel super powerful and super energetic.
* Disorganised in general.

Can you think of anything that you have that doesn't fit in with these things?

Remember too that even if you didn't get PTSD from experiences it doesn't mean that those experiences did not have important affects on you and that you shouldnt get to discuss them with your therapist.

The types of experiences that can (don't always) result in PTSD are when your life is threatened or you think your life is threatened. Where you are seriously physically harmed or are threatened to be seriously physically harmed. Where you are sexually violated. Where you have medical procedures that are invasive and very frightening, where a family member is killed in a violent way or you witness someone being killed or badly physically harmed. These are just examples. For many people these things don't lead to PTSD but for others they do.

 

[anthony]

Could be... my mistake if the latter. Acronyms with no full writing...

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

People can also get PTSD from their own drug addiction, witnessing drug addiction, a loved one with a mental illness (remember as a child, we can feel threatened because we are children), people can get PTSD just from witnessing someone else's life being threatened (in which case technically his mothers was and we don't know exactly what he has witnessed or experienced growing up because he hasn't told us), and you can get PTSD by someone else's PTSD.

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

CBX, this thread may help you find others who share your experiences on these forums:

https://www.myptsd.com/threads/ptsd-and-schizoaffective-disorder.25939/

 

[Abstract]

Stronger now, I totally agree that having a parent with a serious mental health condition can possibly lead to PTSD as often that means there is behaviour by that parent that threatens serious harm or any one of the other Criterion A stuff.

Not only that but it can cause attachment problems (how we have relationships), depression and how we learn to be able to look after ourselves amongst many others things and that are very life and self affecting and regardless if someone ends up with PTSD or not. I saw you post after I posted mine by the way.

 

[anthony]

People can also get PTSD from their own drug addiction, witnessing drug addiction

Actually, you're incorrect, as you would not meet criterion H: The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medical condition.

Yes, you can get PTSD from someone close having their life directly threatened, however; that is rare. Again, because you have endured such a thing does not equate to you having PTSD.

People need to get out of this mentality of trauma = PTSD, because it is not factual.

Experiencing trauma equals "possible" normal symptoms that are expected as a repercussion. These symptoms should also dissipate within a reasonably expected period. Trauma does not equal having a neurological change occurring within your brain that forms PTSD. Read: [DLMURL]https://www.myptsd.com/c/wiki/posttraumatic-stress-disorder/#differential-diagnosis[/DLMURL], moreover; Moreover, "if the symptom response pattern to the extreme stressor meets criteria for another mental disorder, these diagnoses should be given instead of, or in addition to, PTSD."

If you have read CBX then you would have read what his psychiatrist and therapist are diagnosing, none of which are PTSD or close to PTSD. Therapists get PTSD wrong, but they don't get it that wrong as to the diagnoses given. General assessments upon entering a psychiatrist / therapist often quickly tell what the issues are, or are not.

Again, if CBX has PTSD that is not ideal, however; nothing stated from CBX or his psychiatrist or therapist is alluding to such, thus he should not be led along and down and incorrect pathway, and should be seeking help from those whom share his current diagnoses and look for resemblances there first, instead of self-diagnosing.

Statements the member has made such as, if anger management fails me, then I must have PTSD... screams issues outside of PTSD, and likely his current diagnoses are accurate based on reading such statements.

Leading any member on from self-diagnosing is just ridiculous and completely unethical. When trauma is not the focus, which it isn't in this case, then PTSD is not the problem. Last time I checked, this forum is for PTSD support, not other disorders as the primary issue. There are other forums online that better cater other diagnoses.

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

I guess I meant to say that drug addiction can produce traumatic events; therefore resulting in PTSD--not that drug addiction is an exact cause of PTSD. Sorry about that.

And I definitely do know that not every one gets PTSD from a traumatic experience. I have to remember to be clear. In my mind, that knowledge is a given but I realize it still needs to be said to prevent confusion to anyone who may not know this bit of information.

 

[Abstract]

I guess it boils down to actual experiences and what they entailed. The problem with saying "bullying" or "parent with a mental health disorder" or any number of other things is that it doesn't directly explain the type of actual experiences there have been. They can range from being called a bad name to attempted murder.

And then of course PTSD is often not the result for a most when there are experiences that do fit into criterion A.

There are also visual cues to diagnosing PTSD and very different ones for something like Schizoaffective Disorder.

CBX, the thing I am most concerned about is that you not go off your meds as a result of looking at this stuff. That could be really dangerous for you. I realise it must be annoying to need to be on them but it is most important to listen to your dr's and always get their OK first.