Schizoaffective Disorder?
I posted yesterday that I went to a psychiatric nurse practitioner. What I just noticed today on a form he gave me to get some lab work done was what is written on the “Diagnosis” line
295.70 schizoaffective disorder
Where did that diagnosis come from? I have mood swings, sure, but I don’t have delusions or hallucinations. And, sure, anyone who reads what I write or listens to what I say might notice that I digress from the central issue, but going on tangents doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s anything psychologically wrong with me. Nor do I have any of the “negative” symptoms.
In case the reader doesn’t know what I mean by “negative” symptoms, I don’t mean “bad” symptoms. In psychological circles, “negative” means that something you would expect to be there isn’t. For example, the ability to speak is normal, so being taciturn would be considered a negative symptom.
I asked my mother why I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, she said that the jail’s psychiatrist diagnosed me with that. According to my mother, the psychiatrist had the jailers observe me and report back to him. But what a terrible environment for making a mental health diagnosis! If I acted strangely in jail, then no wonder!
