Accepted Answer

Thanks for the reply and elaboration.

 

Well, from what you have mentioned your wife is suffering from Psychotic depression or Major depression with psychotic features .Now she is currently placed on ZOLOFT ( anti depressant ) , klonopin( anti anxiety ) , ativan ( anti anxiety) , which are appropriate for controlling depression, and she has been discontinued with Invega (paliperidone ), which is an antipsychotic , so this indicates that her psychotic features have remitted , and that predicts a fairly good prognosis , so i believe that she has a short term disability , and not a long term disability and once her all depressive symptoms have subsided she will be fit enough to continue her normal daily routine and resume her job as well.

 

Well,you see psychotic depression is nothing but major depression superimposed with brief psychotic epsiode which is easly taken care of by use of anti psychotic , mood stabilizer and anti depressant combination, and once the psychoses has subsided , the patient is treated as a usual depressive diagnosis patient , which is very much treatable and has a good prognosis , so the disability here in case of your wife is short term and is limited till she recovers fully from depression, now that her psychoses has subsided.

 

So, i suggest you get a second opinion from a new psychiatrist and i am quite sure he will term it as a short term disability.

 

I am mentioning below a link on psychotic depression, which will throw more light on it , and clear the air .

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotic_depression ( please make sure to read COURSE OF ILLNESS)

 

I wish your wife all the best.

 

I hope my answer serves your query according to your satisfaction.

 

Please press the ACCEPT button if you are satisfied with the answer as only then will i be credited for my service.

 

Regards...

 

Expert:	Dr. Kaushik
Pos. Feedback:	99.3 %
Accepts:
Answered:	4/29/2009

Psychiatry Resident

MD Psychiatry Senior Resident