BP/Schizoaffective?

[shelby78]

I just started back on Abilify and ambien (temporarily for sleep) after being off meds for 10 days.  I am taking 10mg which is an increase from the 5mg that i was on.  I was experiencing psychosis, paranoia, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. I'm not sure how my mood was at the time. When i went to my psychiatrist he mentioned Schizoaffective disorder but did not diagnose me with it. He told me that since i seemed to be "all over the map" that his diagnosis was going to be a Mood disorder with psychotic features, my original diagnosis was Bipolar 2 disorder.

My question is what is the difference between Bipolar disorder with psychotic features and Schizoaffective disorder? And which one sounds closest to what i am experiencing, if it's possible to answer?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

the diagnostic label is quite unimportant at this stage of your treatment..its the symptoms that have to be treated initially, and Abilify sounds like the right medication. There is no way to answer your question directly because the information you gave me is good, but not enough..and only a complete interview would be enough.

[shelby78]

thank-you for the comment Dr.Gould. you are correct, a diagnostic label is relatively unimportant, which explains why i wasn't given a specific diagnosis. I suppose the real question i had was what is the difference,in general, between bipolar disorder w/ psychotic features and schizoaffective disorder?