Dr. Janikula has years of experience working with patients with schizoaffective disorder.

Schizoaffective disorder is unique in that it typically has 3 distinct episodes of symptoms.    In other words, the symptoms change at different phases of the illness.   Schizoaffective disorder has clear episodes of the following:

• Mania, exactly like bipolar disorder type I
• Depression
• Psychosis without depression or mania often looking like schizophrenia

Some patients also have periods with no symptoms at all.  During this time patients feel perfectly fine and both the patient and doctor believe conventional medications are being effective, when in fact feeling well for a period of time is just part of the illness.

Other patients are always symptomatic and bounce between the three phases of symptoms listed above.

Commonly misdiagnosed.

Dr. Janikula finds schizoaffective disorder the most frequently misdiagnosed and incorrectly medicated condition, likely due to it’s three different faces.  Dr. Janikula’s initial consultation is often 4-6 hours long.  This consultation involves taking the time to understand the symptoms from both the patient and family.  After ascertaining a complete understanding of all the symptoms, in each phase of the illness, the diagnosis is easily made.  Many doctors spend far too little time with patients and therefore understand only bits and pieces of the patients symptoms. This is the number one reason patients with schizoaffective disorder are misdiagnosed and mistreated.

Homeopathy stimulates the body to heal.

Dr. Janikula’s approach with homeopathy involves stimulating the body to heal itself.  His comprehensive understanding of each phase of the illness, depression, mania, and psychosis is necessary to ensure continual improvement.  Patients and families find confidence when the condition is understood and improvement continues at each phase of the illness.

Example 1: Misdiagnosis

• 24 year old male was misdiagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.  This diagnosis was made at a hospital because the patient would not talk. There were no signs of psychosis and the patient could not talk due to obsessions and compulsions from OCD.  The hospital doctor made the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder very inaccurately.  After the hospital, a psychiatrist accepted the diagnosis and never seemed to question it. Anti-psychotic treatment was used for 3 years only making the patient worse and 50 lbs overweight.  Dr. Janikula spent 6 hours with the patient and family, and determined the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder was clearly wrong.  He made the diagnosis of OCD and the patient improved immediately with homeopathic care.  Dr. Janikula referred the patient to a new psychiatrist who agreed OCD was correct and the patient was removed from all the inappropriate medication.  After 6 months of homeopathic treatment the patient is free of OCD symptoms.

Example 2: Misdiagnosis

• 25 year old male presented with severe depression and previous diagnosis of  bipolar disorder type 1.  During the 6 hour intake, Dr. Janikula suspected schizoaffective disorder because one of the four previous hospitalizations did not seem to be from mania, but rather psychosis.  The hospital records were very incomplete and the family only had partial memory of the events.  Over the course of 2 months the depression improved until gone with homeopathic care.  The patient started to have an episode of psychosis that was not mania and resembled schizophrenia.  Dr. Janikula was prepared for this 3rd type of episode and confirmed schizoaffective disorder.  The psychosis responded very well to homeopathy until gone. The patient is currently free from mental health symptoms.  Because the condition has episodes and times where there are no symptoms, Dr Janikula educated the family that further treatment is needed to prevent future episodes.