In response to a thought-provoking article the other day suggesting that schizophrenia is really bipolar I psychosis and not a separate diagnosis, Current Psychiatry Online published a rebuttal titled Schizophrenia is psychotic bipolar disorder? What a polarizing idea!

While commending the first authors on spotting the misdiagnosis of one patient, Dr. Henry Nasrallah highlights some of the differences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, such as response to different types of treatment, and concludes:

I agree with Drs. Lake and Hurwitz that most cases of schizoaffective disorder, especially the “schizomanic” type, are probably bipolar disorder with severe psychotic features. To assert, however, that schizophrenia does not exist at all and should be reclassified as bipolar disorder with psychotic features would contradict a massive body of clinical and biological evidence.

It’s persuasive, but then so is the original argument…and it still leaves the issue of at least some people being misdiagnosed.

Please leave a comment or join us in the forum; we’d like to hear your opinions on this “polarizing” debate.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 10 Mar 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.