Thought Disorder?

[Easeful]

My son's diagnosis has gone back and forth since Christmas, schizophrenia, bi-polar, schizophrenia, bipolar......now they're calling it a "thought disorder." From what I'm reading, that's another way to say schizophrenia? Does anyone have any experience?

Also last week during a group session (he's in intensive out outpatient care) the Dr. stressed to me that it was my right and in his opinion my RESPONSIBILITY to get all of the information they had on my son before he is released from their program. Wow, that's different. At 20, my son is an adult, getting information even with signed releases has not been easy since this event started.

The Dr. I was speaking to at the time is Indian and seems to have some cultural difficulties speaking directly to a woman so communications were awkard. But I had the definate feeling that he was trying to tell me my son is dangerous. Or maybe it just sounds to me like "thought disorders" would be inherently dangerous.

On the other hand, I guess I really already know that since his first episode began with trying to kill other motorists. ::sigh:: Hopefully I'll learn more this week.

[nandm]

Below are a couple of definitions and descriptions of thought disorder. I really learned a lot from the second one from Yale. Hope this helps some.

Formal thought disorder
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In psychiatry, thought disorder or formal thought disorder is a term used to describe a symptom of psychotic mental illness. It is also known as Knight's Move Thinking refering to the illogical way a Knight Moves in Chess.

It describes a persistent underlying disturbance to conscious thought and is classified largely by its effects on speech and writing. Affected persons may show pressure of speech (speaking incessantly and quickly), derailment or flight of ideas (switching topic mid-sentence or inappropriately), thought blocking, rhyming, punning, or 'word salad' when individual words may be intact but speech is incoherent.

Eugen Bleuler, who named schizophrenia, held that its defining characteristic was a disorder of the thinking process.[1] It is important to note, however, that the delusions and hallucinations of psychosis could also be considered as disorders of thought, but that the term formal thought disorder applies specifically to the presumed disruption in the flow of conscious verbal thoughts that is inferred from spoken language. This is typically what is referred to when the strictly less accurate, but more commonly used, abbreviated term 'thought disorder' is used. Thought disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Multiplex Developmental Disorder


Ever since autism was first recognized, its continuity with schizophrenia has been a matter of debate. In fact, until the late 1970s, children with autism were often labeled as having "childhood schizophrenia." In the last thirty years, however, the term "childhood schizophrenia" has been displaced. Diagnostic criteria for autism have been established that rely solely on social, communicative and sensorimotor symptoms, without reference to the thought disorders typical of schizophrenia.


Nevertheless, there are some children who display the severe, early-appearing social and communicative deficits characteristic of autism who ALSO display some of the emotional instability and disordered thought processes that resemble schizophrenic symptoms. Cohen, et al. (1986) coined the term Multiplex Developmental Disorder (MDD) to describe these children, although they are often given a diagnosis of PDD-NOS by clinicians who may be unfamiliar with this terminology. Unlike schizophrenia, MDD symptoms emerge in earliest childhood, often in the first years of life, and persist throughout development. Diagnostic criteria for MDD include:


Impaired social behavior/sensitivity, similar to that seen in autism, such as:
Social disinterest
Detachment, avoidance of others, or withdrawl
Impaired peer relations
Highly ambivalent attachments
Limited capacity for empathy or understanding what others are thinking or feeling


Affective symptoms, including:
Impaired regulation of feelings
Intense, inappropriate anxiety
Recurrent panic
Emotional lability, without obvious cause


Thought disorder symptoms, such as:
Sudden, irrational intrusions on normal thoughts
Magical thinking
Confusion between reality and fantasy
Delusions such as paranoid thoughts or fantasies of special powers

Children who show evidence of symptoms from ALL THREE of these categories may be classified as having MDD.


Currently, MDD is a research category, with no specific educational or treatment implications. Because we know so little about this disorder, it is premature to suggest special interventions. Children with MDD symptoms should be treated with individualized special educational programs developed in collaboration with parents, teachers, and a multidisciplinary team to address their unique strengths and needs. Parents should consult with a local child psychiatrist to determine whether medication may be useful in treating the accompanying affective and thought disorder symptoms. Multiplex Developmental Disorder

[adore79]

I was told that differentiating between bipolar and schizoaffective diorder is not really that important since they are treated with the same types of medication. As far as thought disorder goes, I know less about it but have heard of it before. I have always looked on thought disorders as something that a person has their whole lives, something that is created in childhood, like personality disorders. Please understand that I don't really know what I'm talking about, just thinking out loud.

[barb dwyer]

Easeful - I'm so glad you posted -
I had been thinking of you; and your son and what was going on!

thanks for that.

[newsandi]

My son has schizoaffective disorder. The first diagnosis was bipolar with psychosis and now it is schizoaffective, what this is, is having schizoaphria (sp) and bipolar. The thought disorder is part of the schizophrenia. They have disorganized thoughts, disorganized speech. In the past, was your son moody. Sometimes get angry and then turn around and be fine or depressed. That is what bipolar is. Hearing voices is in my opinion a form of some type of schizophrenia and there are multiple types. Hopefully you can find the proper pdoc that can get a correct diagnosis. I know for myself, I document every day since his first break and I do a lot of research on everything and made a spreadsheet so that I know what the hell is going on. I have a list of questions to ask the pdoc the next time we go there. I will not let a doctor lead me, I will be a major part in every decision and debate when need be. The doctors should respect you if they see that you know a lot of things and are taking this seriously. I wish you the best and still recommend you to the site I referred you to. Take care of yourself and I will pray for you and your son.