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Schizoaffective DisorderWhat is Schizoaffective Disorder?
It is a mental disorder marked by the symptoms of both Schizophrenia and an affective disorder (emotional disorder) which can be either severe depression or bipolar disorder.
Schizoaffective Disorder – Incidence
In the United States alone, around 24 million individuals fall prey to this disorder every year.
Schizoaffective Disorder ICD9 Code
The ICD9 Code for this disease is 295.70.
Schizoaffective Disorder – Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms of this disease are a combination of those of Schizophrenia and an affective disorder, two very complicated medical disorders. Although its signs may vary from one person to another, the condition typically manifests itself through:
Schizoaffective Disorder – Causes
The condition may result from a number of factors, which include:
Heredity
People with Schizoaffective Disorder patients in their families are more susceptible to the condition.
Stress
It puts greater psychological stress on individuals and might lead to the development of the disorder or even aggravate it.
Personality disorders
Those with multiple personality syndromes or split personality disorders might develop this disease.
Schizoaffective Disorder – Risk Factors
Anyone may develop this disease. However, males are at greater risk. The condition affects young people more commonly, especially in the stages of their late adolescence or early adulthood.
Schizophrenia vs. Schizoaffective Disorder
The two conditions are often mistaken for each other due to the similarity of their symptoms. However, Schizophrenia does not cause mood swings while a Schizoaffective Disorder patient goes through a lot of mood alterations. There are sad and happy stages which help physicians tell the symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder apart from those of Schizophrenia.
Schizoaffective Disorder – Diagnosis
An expert psychologist or psychiatrist can easily diagnose this disease. Close observation of patients for two weeks, to detect mood swings and other symptoms, and ruling out drugs and alcohol as the possible cause forms the main part of diagnosis. Other diagnostic tests include:
Schizoaffective Disorder - Prognosis
Patients usually have a positive outcome. The prognosis is usually better than that of schizophrenic patients.
Schizoaffective Disorder - Treatment
The condition is usually cured with the aid of:
Medicines
Doctors generally use antipsychotic drugs for curing psychological symptoms like hallucination or delusion. Antidepressants help stabilize mood and cure the swings from happy to sad stages. In some cases, Lithium is also used for mood stabilization.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is also useful in curing Schizoaffective Disorder. Even the family members of many patients have to go through such therapies to understand the difficulties in their dear ones and how to look after them properly.
Skills Training
This process aims at training sufferers in a way as to overcome their disorder and continue with their daily life and activities as normally as possible.
What is Schizoaffective Disorder Bipolar Type?
It is a condition in which patients exhibit symptoms of both Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Around 5% of all mental disorders are caused by this disease. Sufferers experience problems like auditory hallucinations and delusions characteristic of Schizophrenia and severe mood swings as evident in Bipolar disorder patients. The condition is caused by a combination of neurological, hereditary and social factors.
Famous people with Schizoaffective Disorder
The disease has struck quite a few celebrities and well-known personalities. Mary Todd Lincoln (wife of Abraham Lincoln), ‘60s Jazz musician Brian Wilson and popular Broadway star Meera Popkin were among the famous sufferers of this syndrome.
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