Question 1

what medication for schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Individual: Everyone is different and there are many different medications. Consultation with the psychiatrist is important!

Question 2

how can  schizoaffective disorder be treated?

Accepted Answer

Medications: Schizoaffective disorder has prominent mood problems as well as psychosis, so several types of medications may be needed--antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers.  They can markedly reduce overall symptoms and improve quality of life when they work but also can produce side effects that can make patients reluctant to stay on the medications.

Question 3

what are the tests for schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Clinical diagnosis: Schizoaffective disorder is a clinical diagnosis; there are no lab tests.  One is looking for a pattern of disturbances in both mood (depression, mania, or a mixture of both) and impaired reality testing (hallucinations, delusions, problems with thought processes).  Both types of symptoms need to be prominent over time.

Question 4

what are the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Combination: Schizoaffective disorder looks somewhat different person to person but generally it involves >1 month of 2 or more of the following: delusions, hallucinations, disorganization, lack of affect, decline in socialization, or lack of pleasure in daily activites and at some point also a "mood episode" which is a period of depression, mania, or a mixture of the two called a "mixed state".

Question 5

how come i have schizoaffective disorder, but nobody else in the family has it?

Accepted Answer

Not Unusual: Problems such as schizoaffective disorder tend to occur more often in families, but this is not always the case. It is likely that you have close family members with depression or bipolar disorder, because problems with mood tend to be associated with schozoaffective disorder.

Question 6

does schizoaffective disorder usually run in families?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Having a close relative with this disorder does increase risk.

Question 7

is latuda (lurasidone) good for schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Latuda (lurasidone): It is a very effective antipsychotic mood stabilizer which may reduce the risk of diabetes in persons with mental disorders. Many persons gain weight with those type of compounds, increasing the risk of developing obesity and high blood sugar. Latuda (lurasidone) is one medication with lower potential to produce metabolic syndrome (obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia)

Question 8

where can i find a support group for schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

NAMI: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill is a nationwide organization that does outstanding outreach for persons with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.  You can do an online search of a local chapter and contact them.

Question 9

what jobs could my brother do who has schizoaffective disorder?

Accepted Answer

Schizoaffective: If your brother is being treated for his schizoaffective disorder and is compliant with this treatment, his symptoms should be under good control.  With all these conditions met, he should be able to do most any job for which he's qualified.

Question 10

is schizoaffective disorder considered a serious mental illness?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's serious: Schizoaffective disorder causes thought disorder,  lack of contact with reality, and unstable mood.  It's less common than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but requires the same types of medications:   antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and others.  Prognosis for return to previous function is better than for other psychotic disorders.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/pmh0001927/.

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Dsm code schizoaffective disorder

A member asked:

What medication for schizoaffective disorder?

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How can schizoaffective disorder be treated?

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What are the tests for schizoaffective disorder?

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What are the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder?

A member asked:

How come i have schizoaffective disorder, but nobody else in the family has it?

A member asked:

Does schizoaffective disorder usually run in families?

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Is latuda (lurasidone) good for schizoaffective disorder?

A member asked:

Where can i find a support group for schizoaffective disorder?

A member asked:

What jobs could my brother do who has schizoaffective disorder?

A member asked:

Is schizoaffective disorder considered a serious mental illness?

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