Is this schizoaffective disorder?

Hi
I just need to ask something.

Can you suffer from schizoaffective disorder and not hear voices and not see things? I was diagnosed with schizoaffective bi polar type.

People have been spying on me since I was 4 years old. I'm in my mid twenties now. I cant see the people but I know they are spying on my because I'm destined for greatness. I have to speak out loud sometimes to give the people information. Or other times I am limited to what I can do...for instance I cant do certain things when people spy on me because I don't want them to think bad of me. People have been spying/eavesdropping on me everyday, every single day since I was 4.

When I watch tv I know the people in the tv can see me. This eases sometimes.
When I go outside I know everyone is watching me and when I make eye contact with them they look away.

I never told anyone because for years because its very real to me. and so I didn't think it was an actual illness.

I was diagnosed with Bi polar a also previously

My psychiatrist said she doesn't want to use labels but that I have schizoaffective disorder. Can anyone help me determine this?

Of course I will ask my mental health practitioner again.

I'm not a professional, and we cannot diagnose people here, but yes, you can be diagnosed without the voices. The "people have been watching me since I was young, but I can't see these people" is classic Schizoaffective/Schizophrenia. Top that off with the bipolar disorder, and you're diagnosed as Schizoaffective Bipolar type.

Swall wrote:Can you suffer from schizoaffective disorder and not hear voices and not see things?

Yes. hallucinations are just 1 possible symptom. presumably your psychiatrist thinks you have delusions and/or disorganized speech/behavior and/or catatonia and/or negative symptoms.

I was diagnosed schizoaffective too & I also thought people in tv knew about me & talked about me.
yes you can be schizo without common hallucinations.
read the criteria.