I make more than the minimum wage at my delivery job and I charge more than that when people hire me to fix their computers, however I only work part time so I’m not making tons of money, plus I get a little from disability. :Like you I have no desire to get my degree and land some super high paying job anymore. I’m hoping this year I will break past the poverty line, lol
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Aw I’m sorry… I have to do something like that too… read slides and the text book then make a lot of notes and then read the notes over… with images I have to memorize it and then “draw” it and label it. I think this works a little better than what I used to do… it is a lot more effort I agree…
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Did you graduate yet? You’re studying nursing, right?
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I’m doing prerequisites… I have one more to do. Then I will start the nursing program. I am hoping I will do well. I hear nursing is a lot of pressure … I also worry because I have trouble remembering things sometimes… worried that this will cause problems…
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Hope you do well, good luck 
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Thank you @anon67051439 … 
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It felt like my cognition took the worst hit when I had nothing to do and spent the day laying about the house unoccupied and unengaged. It was like the useful part of my brain went into standby from the lack of activity. The higher function came back as I started to do more and get engaged more again. Walking, excercise, hobbies, and volunteering were what got me back on the path to having oodles of noodle again.
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How did you heal your gut brain axis?
@LunaNoir , I used to be an RN. I have a 4 year BSN degree. I worked in the nursing field in various capacities for around ten years and it was very, very, VERY hard for me due to my sza. I ultimately lost my nursing license because of my sza.
My last pdoc recommended that I not try to get my license back and return to nursing. He said nursing was too much stress for my diagnosis. And I agreed with him.
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Yeah that’s what I’m afraid of too that it will be extremely stressful and I will forget things or get flustered … I really would like to try though… it’s something my mom wanted me to do…
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I don’t really feel like my intelligence has gotten worse, not that I was ever super smart. I mean, it really took a nosedive during each episode of psychosis, but I feel like it has gotten back to the point it was at before the onset of schizophrenia or at least close to it. Overall, I’m actually doing better than I was pre-sz, but I had a lot of issues with severe social anxiety and depression in my teen and early adult years. Maybe things would be different if I was very successful before getting schizophrenia? I think it would probably be harder to adjust.
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I was talking with my doctor, today, about my bad memory. I was worried that Abilify was causing it, but if I’m honest with myself, I’ve been in jobs that don’t use the type of memory needed to answer a customer’s question, and then remember what item they had asked me to check, to see if it was in stock. This actually happened to me at a store. The customer asked if we had a certain shampoo, and when I went to check, I totally forgot what shampoo they wanted.
My doctor doesn’t think it’s brain deterioration, thankfully. It’s most likely caused by distraction (because of the voices) and poor concentration (caused by diabetes fatigue and other things). I would say I’ve gained intelligence from trying new things over the years, especially fiction writing and the research it takes to write stuff.
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My previous psychiatrist told me sz can cause memory and concentration issues. I started experiencing these during prodromal sz 3yrs before my diagnosis.
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That’s interesting. Maybe it made my bad memory even worse. I was trained in graphic design, so I would just slap some text into Adobe Indesign and make it look pretty. No memorizing required. 
Schizophrenia is such a horrible condition. 
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Yea and any tiny improvement is considered a win like by changing meds, doing hobbies, etc
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It’s hard for me to say,as both SZ and ASD can affect you when it comes to cognition. There’s how good you are on tests vs the ability to apply that to real life situations.
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I went from 98% in my cardiology exam to 57% in my respiratory exam within 3 months. I think sz was the cause
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I started off studying English,French and history, for A level, in the lower 6th. French was dropped, by the time I was in the upper 6th, because I wasn’t coping very well.
I’m someone who experiences a significant dip in cognition when stressed. I don’t do well under pressure.
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Yes, I think this disease steals resources from the brain. Making it very hard to retain new information.
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I knew I was not like other kids back in those days, and when sz hit me.
I did not show rage while my parents took me to hosipital.
I was acting all fine.
Doctor asked me few questions and all the secret thoughts came out.
Even then I knew something was a bit off with me.
I think sz gradually came in or sudden not sure.
Becuase when I completed bachelor’s I was one isolated guy, as I mentioned before people used to call me psycho.
Due to which I changed the college for masters.
Cut the story short.
In my experience till date,
I have gained intelligence a bit,
Yes there where fluctuation.
Due to which lost few emotions.
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