Is there a significant difference between Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder. The both have similar symptoms but quite different in treatment. What's the difference? And why?:cool:

People with Bipolar disorder rarely hallucinate visually and auditorally.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by periods of intense highs and intense lows. People with schizophrenia on the other hand have hallucinations and delusions, as well as highs and lows, but not as intense as bipolar.

Now, there are meds out there that work for both disorders. But the disorders are totally and completely different ends of the spectrum.

Here is some info I found:

Bipolar Disorder & Manic Depression Diagnosis and Symptoms

Bipolar disorder is one of the many brain diseases that shares symptoms with schizophrenia; this leads to mistaken diagnoses, especially in children. It's important to know that individuals with bipolar disorder, even those that display psychotic symptoms as a feature of their illness, never meet the full diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia. Someone with bipolar disorder is not always in either a manic or a depressive phase; he or she may have long periods during which they seem virtually symptom-free (does not have the disordered thinking, delusions, voices, or other symptoms that characterize schizophrenia). Likewise, any psychotic symptoms associated with bipolar disorder should occur within the context of a manic or a depressive state - delusions of grandeur and hallucinations may be either wildly optimistic and grandiose, or completely disastrous and guilt-ridden.

Schizo-affective disorder is a disease that does contain elements of both schizophrenia and bipolar - it can be described as "schizophrenia with a mood component." The major distinguishing difference between schizo-affective and bipolar with psychotic symptoms is that to be diagnosed schizoaffective, an individual must display the symptoms of schizophrenia (i.e. hallucinations, delusions, etc) without accompanying mood symptoms of mania or depression. In a diagnosis of bipolar, an individual may not always be symptomatic, but within an episode schizophrenia-like symptoms are in the context of mania or depression.

While I agree with you Glinda, there is yet a difference between schizo-affective disorder and schizophrenia.

A definite difference between the two. Have you checked out the NIMH site? NIMH · Home They have information on many mental disorders and mental health. Also use your own state's Mental Health Association (which often runs a hotline).