I Have Schizoaffective Disorder

@quitwhendone i think so because there is no logical explanation. like i hear someone saying "hi" to me, but no one is around. and i ask "did you say hi to me?" and they said "no." then you have to conclude it was all in your head!

@AliceinWonderland That's good. But I bet the first time it happened you didn't know. That must have been scary.

So do you ever have visual, olfactory or tactile hallucinations?

@quitwhendone i wasn't scared, i just thought it was odd and there must be something the matter so i told my doctor. i have visual, auditory, tactile, but i haven't noticed olfactory.

@AliceinWonderland Can you tell me what the tactile hallucinations are like?

So even when you are having paranoid delusions, you know it isn't real?

@quitwhendone Thank you for not judging her based on her illness.

@SinlessOnslaught I don't judge anyone. Well, except for assholes, racists and malicious people. But I give them plenty of chances to explain themselves first.

@quitwhendone i felt someone push me. and put their hands on my face. that's why i originally went to ep because i was having this happen and i didn't know what it was. but now i know. i felt paranoid the first friday of this month, and i knew it wasn't real but it was scary because it felt real. one time i thought someone on the phone was a scam artist and i got mad and hung up the phone, but it actually was an important person i needed to talk to. they called back and my dad told me it was ok, and i trust my dad.

@AliceinWonderland That's good. Seems like you handle it pretty well.

What mood disorder symptoms do you have with it?

@quitwhendone depression and mania

@AliceinWonderland And they are sure your depression and mania are not bipolar disorder?

@quitwhendone yes because at first the diagnosed me with bipolar, but then they said i have schizoaffective. because i have symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar.

@AliceinWonderland I see. Those tactile hallucinations seem pretty weird. I had visual hallucinations once. I had retinal surgery and that night I was seeing things. I knew it wasn't real so I wasn't scared or even concerned. I figured it was something that happened to my retina during the surgery. They told me it was actually a side effect of the general anesthesia.

@quitwhendone i don't get scared either. my doctor always asked me if i was scared, and they say it is good that i'm not. some people live their life in a nightmare and it is truly scary what they experience. i don't have that, thank God!

@AliceinWonderland Yeah, that is great. I have come across a couple of people on SW who I think are delusional. I think they have paranoid delusions. They think people are reading all their emails, hacking into their computers and smartphones, and spying on them at home. I tried to politely and sensitively suggest that they may have a disorder but they both insist, "I'm not crazy." I told them it's not "crazy", it's a disorder but they still don't want to have it treated.

@quitwhendone sometimes people don't think they have anything wrong with them. but i felt like there was something the matter with me. i have always been very observant of myself and studied psychology, so i could know i needed to get help. i had been seeking help for anxiety and depression, so the next time i saw my doctor i told him how i felt, and he knew exactly what was going on.

@AliceinWonderland Cool. That's why regularly seeing healthcare providers for your issues is important. I have also seen doctors for anxiety and depression. You're pretty smart.

@quitwhendone thank you! lol i told my mom the other day, i think people think i'm slow. and she said, "i think so too." LOL

@quitwhendone So can I ask you what meds you were prescribed for your disorder and if they are effective?

@quitwhendone i have been on different things. i am on new med. my boyfriend said it wasn't an antipsychotic so i don't know if it will be effective for me. abilify and cymbalta. antipsychotics make you gain weight.

@AliceinWonderland Your mom thinks you are slow? Has she ever told you that before?

@quitwhendone no. she has alzheimers. she doesn't think i'm slow. i have a masters actually. she just thinks other people think i'm slow.

@AliceinWonderland Ohhh, I see. What's your masters in? What field do you work in?

@quitwhendone teaching. i used to be a teacher, but i don't work now.

@AliceinWonderland Oh cool. Kids? Grade school?

@quitwhendone yes