Schizoaffective disorder is a disorder that causes both mood problems as well as disconnection with reality. There is a combination of psychotic features such as those common with schizophrenia and a mood disorder such as mania or depression.

Causes of this disorder are not completely known. There are links that say genetics plays a big part in it as well as drug use and even early childhood trauma. So far there is no one hundred percent known reasons for this break in mental stability. Some even believe that there is no difference between this and schizophrenia. Both have similar effects and detriments to the sufferer.

There are no known cures for this disorder and very little testing that can be done to even diagnose the patient. There are psychiatric test that can be done but most rely on the patient’s recollection of the events and experiences. The treatments are just as “fun”. They are pretty much trial and error. They will set the patient on a specific course of antidepressants and antipsychotics and see if they work with little side effects. If they do work great, but they rarely work the first time. I was lucky and my second set worked well enough to function with little harm to my day to day. Also a “stay” in a mental ward of a hospital is almost assured to come for observation.

Those who suffer from this condition can have many symptoms. Disorganized thoughts seem to almost always be a symptom shared between patients of this disorder. With that usually come speech problems that occur because the thoughts are not organized or are irrational. Seeing or hearing things that are not there is also a big symptom. These psychotic episodes are the foundation of schizoaffective disorder. Almost every single victim of this disorder has some sort of hallucinations. Delusions are also common. The patient may have paranoid feelings of someone monitoring them or even controlling them. With these symptoms also comes some form of mood issue. The mood can either be too great or too anything. Lastly there may also be some social isolation due to fear of the public either finding out or their delusions lead them to believe it is unsafe.

No one will ever truly know what is going on in the mind of a patient that is afflicted with schizoaffective disorder unless they have the condition. Whether or not it truly is the same as schizophrenia or a separate disorder, schizoaffective disorder is very detrimental and should be treated right away.