Question - SZ and Manic Depression
Q.I have been diagnosed as having "manic depressive psychosis". I have suffered with psychosis since the age of 3 and mood swings since the age of 13. I had my first major "manic" episode at the age of 18 and have had 4 major episodes since. I regularly suffer from "hypomania" and psychosis in its mildest form is present almost every day. From time to time it becomes very severe. I very rarely suffer from depression (only after a major "manic" episode). I get psychosis with mania and with hypomania. I hear "voices", feel "controlled", suffer from anxiety, paranoia, delusions and I get visual hallucinations.
A.From all that I have read on the subjects of SZ and MD I am left wondering whether the diagnosis of "manic depressive psychosis" is a nice cosy way of saying that I suffer from SZ and MD - or alternatively that the psychiatrists are unable to decide whether I have SZ or MD. My father in law has exactly the same symptoms and is now diagnosed "manic depressive psychosis". However, he was originally diagnosed some 20 years ago as being "paranoid SZ". I would welcome opinons on this - do I have SZ or MD or both ?? I was diagnosed as Paranoid SZ at about the same time as your father. Maybe in those days the manic depressive/mood swings bit was not as much to the forefront in diagnoses. If you don't suffer the depressions then you are very lucky although I agree that the manic aspects of the mood swings can be a problem. You seem to have some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. There are people more qualified than me who can quote complete theories on how and when schizophrenia is actually diagnosed. I think the symptoms have to go on long term rather than just during manic episodes. Are you taking any drugs to control the situation? Do they work? Are you functioning well in life? Are you a recluse or a social person? Do you suffer anxiety and fear? Do the voices and other Sz symptoms leave you at the end of a manic episode? There are far too many questions. If you are under the care of a psychiatrist then you should really clarify this with him/her. It all depends on whether whatever they have given you to cope with the situation actually works and whether you are to all intents and purposes - "happy". If you are having a bad time then you really need to speak to the person who is looking after you and explain why and see if there is anything they can do to help. The psychosis is present pretty much all of the time, but I have now learnt to live with it. I am totally intolerant of the side effects so only take anti-psycotics when things get too bad to cope with. The psychosis often remains once the mania has gone. I alternate between being very sociable and being very reclusive. I suffer anxiety and fear on quite regular basis, for varying lengths of time. Thankfully I have a very wonderful and understanding wife who is very supportive. This makes life much easier. I am currently functioning very well, although sleep is a problem. Lack of sleep leads to hypomania, but my wife simply "forces" me to take nitrazepam for a few nights and the hypomania soon passes. I do have a psychiatrist, but to be quite honest I have little faith in their so called skills. Psychiatry seems to be based on pure speculation - they don't have a clue :-) When all is said and done, I have accepted my mental illness and I am learning to live with it. It doesn't really make any difference what "label" I am given, but I have this inbuilt curiosity and will not simply accept what I am told by a psychiatrist. My experience of my father in law's problems has shown me that the psychiatrists know little more about the illness that my wife does. She has spent many years researching manic depression and psychosis and regularly finds gaps in the knowledge of my psychiatrist and her father's psychiatrist. Indeed, my shrink has even said that he wishes that she would consider taking up a career in mental health.
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