[Velika]

My son recently had to have a genetic test that reminded me that his particular genetic makeup has a very high incidence of schizophrenia and related illnesses.

When this all started, a number of people had told me they thought my now ex had bipolar, but a few told me they knew someone who had followed this behavior pattern who was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

For those who are unfamiliar, someone with schizoaffective disorder has symptoms of both bipolar and schizophrenia, although not always on the extreme end of the spectrum, especially when occurring later in life.

I hadn't read about this for a while, and was surprised when I did some more research how very much like what we see described on this forum schizoaffective looks like. There is a wide variety in range and severity of symptoms, and there are more depressive and manic types — just like what we see here.

Schizoaffective is also thought to have a gut-brain connection, some people think it is impacted by full moon (what we see here), and can also be cyclical and even go into remission. This explains a lot and could help account for the type of outcomes and patterns we observe, where our spouses sometimes show more awareness and mental health than others. It could also explain while some can and do return home, or at least temporarily, with various levels of impairment.

It is also highly hereditary, and can be triggered and exacerbated by a number of factors including stress and drug use, consistent with many of our observations. Symptoms tend to coincide with digestive issues.

Also, surprisingly to me, it affects about 1 in 200 people over their lifetime. It is also difficult to diagnose, as many people afflicted with it do not think anything is wrong with them. Does this sound familiar?

I wanted to put this out there, especially for parents of young children who may be trying to coparent with someone who could be manic, and/or are having trouble describing the possible severity of symptoms to lawyers, doctors, therapists, or friends and family who may be able to help.

While MLC may begin with anhedonia (mistaken for depression), we are often not aware of it until it hits a manic phase (bomb drop). Knowing how to describe pre- and post-bomb drop symptoms with the correct medical terminology may help you find the support you need. If you are trying to advocate for your children in a custody situation, using the right language might make a difference.