husband with schizoaffective disorder

[yodel]

Hi has anyone got experience of schizoaffective disorder?

We've just been told today by the psychiatrist that my husband has this after 10 years. We've always been under the impression that my husband suffers from OCD with psychosis and so I asked today whether he could have something different. The psychiatrist said she was always under the impression that he had schizoaffective disorder or bi-polar (she did not make initial diagnoses and come to think of it nobody has ever really spoke to us other than to clarify in the beginning that he had OCD). My husband has been doing really well recently and he is managing to hold down a job for the first time in his adult life. I am so disappointed that he is having a relapse and wonder what the future holds now.
Any good news stories would be welcome and lift my mood please!

yodel

 

[Dollit]

I don't have any experience of schizoaffective disorder but I would like to say welcome to the forum and I hope that it is as good a place for you to be as it is for me!

 

[yodel]

Thanks

Thanks Dolitt

Thank You for your reply

I am sure this site will be very helpful. I feel better already

yodel

 

[Fedup]

Hello and yodel

Glad you found us , hope we can help and support you as you care for your husband

Sorry he is having a relapse , hope he improves soon and can get back to his job as you say he had managed quite well .

 

[Rorschach]

My diagnosis is Schizoaffective. Can do what I can to answer any questions you have...

..and welcome

 

[Apotheosis]

Hi has anyone got experience of schizoaffective disorder?

Hello Yodel & Welcome to the site.

My last psychiatrist spoke to me last year about me having experienced something more akin to manic depression & scizoaffective disorder. I am unsure of what my actual diagnosis is, but in the past it has been schizophrenia, among other things. I have never really put much emphasis on what the label was I was apparently afflicted with. The term "psychosis" seems to be an umbrella term, & allot of people with an MH problem usually seem to be labelled with this diagnoses.

I think that the important thing is that your husband has a supportive & caring family & he is able to live in such an environment. I think that this will be more help to him in getting well than any insight the doctors may be able to provide.

I have recently changed psychiatrist again, & I found this new psych very helpful, they said that they will look into various things to help me with general support & help for some of my difficulties. They are going to try to find with Mind & Rethink; courses & support to help with dealing with low self esteem & anxiety, which are available. Also they are speaking with a colleague about a service which helps people discuss & assist with issues around the medication, & apparently offers support for people wishing to reduce & withdraw from it. They also said that they would have another chat with the psychologist, I saw last year, about any possible talking therapy. The psychologist had said that it would "rock the boat" - but I still think that it could help to have someone to chat with.

I have not ever had a psychiatrist who has listened so well or made so many positive suggestions of things they can do to help. Usually they just say to keep taking the tablets & not much else, beyond the what are you experiencing/feeling. I don't know if the recent amendments to the mental health bill have changed things for the better at all?

I am sorry that your husband is not well at the moment. When I have been psychosed in the past; I have found that the severe state has not lasted very long, although it does take time to get back to dealing with things on a day to day basis, I have found that the intense period of being unwell doesn't seem to last long. Some people give a 6 week time scale for a psychotic break. I hope that helps, & your husband improves in how he is feeling very soon.

All the best.

 

[yodel]

Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for the welcome

Fedup: My husband is still managing to work so thats still good news. He has managed to talk to his supervisor regarding how his illness is affecting him and she was very supportive.

Apothesis: Thanks for your kind words (again). Youre right about the diagnoses not being important at the moment but I feel my husband would be better able to deal with his symptoms if he knew what he is dealing with! He has a CPN coming on Monday, so that is good news.

Rorschach: any information you have will be great!

Thanks
Yodel

 

[Rorschach]

Rorschach: any information you have will be great!

I'd find it easier to answer specifics. I've had the diagnosis since 1992, and some think signs of ealry onset since before. Given that that is around 15 years, that's a whole heap of experiences. I'm not being difficult, but I'll ramble on happily if I have an idea of a few specifics. I'm actually working as well, and have a good HR dept. who understand my condition....

 

[yodel]

Thanks

Thanks Rorschach

Any ideas about keeping well would be appreciated i.e how do you cope with the voices what techniques could you share? That would be really helpful.

Thanks
Kerry

 

[Rorschach]

Thanks Rorschach

Any ideas about keeping well would be appreciated i.e how do you cope with the voices what techniques could you share? That would be really helpful.

Thanks
Kerry

Well this is going to sound so easy you might think it verges on the obvious. I'm not sure what kind of voices you husband hears, but mine are more thoughts that can take on 3rd person, as opposed to internal dialogue I can attribute completely to my own cognitive processes. What I'm really trying to say is that they do not occur as if air was moving against my eardrum. I have a constant internal dialogue arguing back and forth about so many things its hard to keep up some times. There are however some 'voices' that have filled me with paranoia. In the end I dealt with them as if they were a real person, and gave some back. If they spoke about something I didn't want to talk about I'd twist the argument, line of logic etc ( a bit like in real life ). I joked a couple of years ago with the consultant on my team. She asked 'So how are you finding the voices' I replied 'Oh you know, after 15 years they've run out of new things to say'

That the kind of thing you need? I'm happy to go into more detail if you had a question.

Any chance your husband might find some solace coming here amongst friends??

 

[daffy]

@Rorsrach

And yodel. I think it depends on what kind of voices your partner is getting. I occasionally get external voices but the majority are internal and to me its like being in a swimming pool all echoe,

Your psych may go down a few more avenues b4 he settles on a diagnosis. Some people on here have waited years, but hopefully you wont be one of them.

Anyway if you need any help dont hesitate to chat

 

[yodel]

Voices

Thanks Rorschach and daffy

Yes it would be good if I could get him to come on to the forum himself. I will try to convince him to, although he works evenings. He tells me that his voices are a bit like how you explain them Rorschach in that they argue amongst themselves. They are not derogatory (at the moment, although in the past they have). He finds them difficult to ignore and is having bad headaches from listening to them all day . He finds blocking them out with music to be helpful. He has had paranoia in the past (but luckily that does not seem to have surfaced this time). The other day they were arguing about the colour of playing cards! He also has hallucinations and one is a man in black with a cowboy hat on, again he does not seem to want to hurt him. In the past he has seen creatures. All in all compared to how they were in the past his voices and hallucinations are not harmful just damn right annoying and tiresome!

 

[yodel]

recent news

Hi everyone

I have been tearful over the past couple of days My husband does not seem to be any better. He is plagued by the voices especially when he is at work and has talked today about giving in his notice. This had made me very sad I was clinging on to this stupid idea that he would be able to continue working. I am caught inbetween wanting him well and believing that the job is important I cannot empathise with the whole situation I just see he is so unhappy and that makes me sad I am typing this with tears flowing down my face

yodel

 

[Dollit]

Oh sweetheart, what a miserable time for you. The job is important but your husband's health is more important. What is important to realise is that just by being there you're doing a wonderful thing for your husband. Mental ill health is almost impossible to describe to anyone else - sometimes I hit on a perfect phrase, sometimes it's just a wail of impotence. You can describe a physical pain and liken it to something and the other person can understand. Not being able to understand somehow makes things more frightening. Can you talk to your husband about the way you feel or, failing that, your GP or a family member? We're here all the time - just call round when you need to.

 

[Rorschach]

What meds is he on Yodel? Perhaps just some time off and try and find more suitable meds/dosage?