Schizoaffective Disorder

Psychiatry & Mental Health located in Tulsa, OK

Schizoaffective disorder is an incredibly complex and challenging mental health condition because you have schizophrenia together with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. People facing this disorder need the expert care provided by Bradley McClure, MD, and his team at McClure & Associates Psychiatry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Don’t wait to seek help if you have schizoaffective symptoms. Call the office right away or book an appointment online to get an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

Schizoaffective Disorder Q & A

What is schizoaffective disorder?

Schizoaffective disorder merges two serious mental health conditions: schizophrenia and a mood disorder. That means you have all the schizophrenia symptoms together with one of two mood disorders. You may have major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (mood swings between mania and MDD).

With this mix of severe and overlapping symptoms, it’s easy to understand why you need experts like the McClure & Associates Psychiatry team to accurately diagnose schizoaffective disorder.

What are the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder?

Schizophrenia typically causes periods of active illness alternating with remission, and the same is true for schizoaffective disorder. Your mood symptoms are always present during an active schizophrenic phase.

Here’s a breakdown of the different symptoms:

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is defined by psychosis (losing touch with reality), which includes four symptoms:

Delusions (believing something is true when it isn’t)
Hallucinations (seeing, smelling, feeling, tasting, or hearing something that doesn’t exist)
Disorganized speech (switching topics, jumbled speech, or speech that doesn’t make sense)
Disorganized behavior (performing repetitive or senseless movements or becoming catatonic)

You may also have negative symptoms, such as having no emotions and feeling lethargic.

Bipolar mania

Bipolar mania symptoms include:

Extreme energy
Difficulty sleeping
Rapid speech
Racing thoughts
Feeling irritable

During manic episodes, people often engage in risky or dangerous behaviors like driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Major depressive disorder

MDD symptoms include:

Having little or no energy
Feeling sad and hopeless
Oversleeping or having difficulty sleeping
Eating too much or too little
Struggling to focus or concentrate
Thinking about suicide

Your symptoms significantly impact your daily life, from neglecting your personal care to being unable to work or take care of your family.

How is schizoaffective disorder treated?

The McClure & Associates Psychiatry team takes a comprehensive approach to treating schizoaffective disorder, combining medication management with psychotherapy.

Schizophrenic symptoms need antipsychotic medicines to prevent psychosis. You may also need additional medications to treat bipolar mania and/or major depression.

Psychotherapy helps you learn the early signs of a pending mood swing and the steps you can take to stop it. You’ll also learn the skills you need to overcome the impact of your symptoms on your daily life.

Call McClure & Associates Psychiatry or use online booking to learn if your symptoms are caused by schizoaffective disorder and begin personalized treatment.