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Dear sadly, happily I can say there is hope out there for you in the form of medications.  Meds make my life livable and keep me out of the State hospital.  I have been diagnosed with BPD, schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder w/psychotic features, and schizophrenia at different times.  I think as Christina mentioned, your symptoms can change over time and therefore so may your diagnosis.  I believe that since I did not respond to mood stabilizers but did respond to antidepressants and antipsychotics, my diagnosis went from BPD to sza, and then as depression lessened, psychosis and negative symptoms came to the fore and the diagnosis was changed to schizophrenia.  At least that is what seems to be true.   What does NOT matter is what you or your doctor choose to call your illness.  What DOES matter is that treatment is available.  Do you have sz?  Do you not?  If there is too much stigma attached to a diagnosis of sz there are creative ways you can describe your illness to others if it becomes necessary.  I tell employers I have a brain disorder, not that I have mental illness.  Somehow they are more receptive to this.  Whatever works for you.   I still don't know myself whether I have schizophrenia.  Most times I think it is more BPD with psychotic features because I have mania and depression off and on.  One therapist thought I had dissociative identity disorder and another thought I had PTSD.  But as long as I respond to meds (Olanzapine, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Deplin) I don't worry about what the illness is called.  I let the doctor and insurance people wrangle over that one.   Carolyn