I think sz doesn’t make you less smarter. When you get cognitive issues, it appears to make you less smarter. In reality you are the same. Cognitive issues makes you use your brain lesser. But you are still the same with how smart you are. They are separate, cognitive and smarts. Also negative symptoms appears to make you less smarter…. It is the same thing. Negative symptoms are separate from abilities. Your negative symptoms appears to make you less smart…. But how can anything make you less smarter they are separate. 
1 Like
most definitely…I can’t read anymore and my concentration is shot.
3 Likes
Of course you can become less smart
2 Likes
My case worker was talking to me about something simple today and I got lost lol it was literally like a really simple argument and my brain just shut off… This didn’t use to happen even tho I was never very smart…
2 Likes
Nah, i just have to try a lot lot harder.
4 Likes
both sz and medications can make you less smart, at least that’s the case for me.
2 Likes
Not necessarily, but I do have to apply much more effort. But because my survival instinct goes higher as a mentally unwell person, so does my conviction to not give up and try hard, where possible
4 Likes
I believe in one way I am not as smart as I once was but I was making a lot of connections that weren’t there, so it was hit or miss plus my judgment was becoming porous. Now I am more fragile but more together, more coherent and less ignorant.
6 Likes
Cognition is about intelligence so yes and negative symptoms makes it where you can’t use intelligence even if its not affected
6 Likes
I think it definitely made me a little bit lest smarter.
4 Likes
I truly believe there’s something that keeps this disease alive in each of us, meaning I don’t think that this disease is like Alzheimer’s where you’re losing connections. I think there’s dysfunctions that will eventually be worked out and things like cognition and motivation will come back online.
Edit:
The disease definitely affects cognition but I think underneath it, whatever intelligence you had is still there. I still score high on iq tests but can’t really use it practically. I struggled profoundly with coding and the last time I was in school my scores weren’t anywhere near where they were before I got sick.
I agree with you @Jake. I think it’s still there we just don’t have full access to it.
6 Likes
I have a hard time grasping what people are saying but I try hard and with my best foot forward and giving it that old college try, I do my damnedest to be as smart as possible.
3 Likes
I think you can be schizophrenic and smart. I don’t think I’m significantly less smart. I’m just operating differently. The meds shut off a lot of my brain as well. Idk I can still figure stuff out. I don’t get tested a lot though.
4 Likes
I know I’m smart but I feel like sz makes me unable to do anything meaningful with it. I have to remind myself sometimes that my feelings aren’t always facts.
3 Likes
Overall smarts yes. My creativity remained intact though. The divergent side of the mind
4 Likes
Fixed er for ya buddaaay
1 Like
LOL
Will the real pimps and playas please stand up!
1 Like
I think I took a small cognitive hit from SZ. My guess is that people sitting around and staring at a wall instead of keeping busy with things that exercise their noodles is responsible for the majority of the cognitive decline.
Use it or lose it!
4 Likes
Guys schizophrenia used to literally be called dementia praecox, as in premature dementia. My cognitive symptoms are massive, especially when the positives are strong. Sure I will have moments of lucidity that if they lasted indefinitely would eventually allow me to recover most of my intelligence but as it stands, it’s shot.
The sheer amount of latent interference is magnitudes higher than before, it’s like taking a painter and forcing him to paint only while doing a cold plunge. He’s never going to be able to paint as well, his lines will never be as smooth, he will be less able to get immersed in the image.
Now let’s break down WHY at least I am less intelligent, one thing as I mentioned is the latent interference which causes us to need to expend extra cognitive “bandwidth” just to avoid slipping into disorganized thinking. It’s like walking where the floor is slippery. This falls under the inability to stay on task and the propensity to lose focus.
Second we have, for the most part, a reduced contrast in our thoughts, it’s as though the “colors” of our thoughts are duller, which reduces our ability to offload processing to our subconscious massively because the various aspects of our processing are less recognizable, unless we enter mania which raises the saturation of these colors, albeit unnaturally. It’s like having to study from my notes which are all taken with the same pen as opposed to those of most women which have highlights of different colors and an intelligent use of theme specific coloring. This is a side-effect of derealization by the way.
Then we have the impact the disease has on our confidence which indirectly gets us to backtrack more often than we would have before the disease, which further exacerbates both our diminished focus and thinking speed.
The list goes on we have the negatives which lead to less stimulation of the brain and an overall duller environment which causes a sharper cognitive decline over time than with a more full and engaging life. The you don’t use it you lose it situation, which of course is hard to notice because it doesn’t apply to our daily lives whose stimuli are the only ones we are able to stay adept at dealing with.
Then there is the other side of the negatives where the drive to complete the task is lessened and with it our effort.
Do we have to get on the medication side of things as well? Because all sorts of side-effects basically reduce your cognitive capacity to where you would be while at the very least under the weather.
3 Likes
I’m 67. According to some people that alone makes me cognitively not very strong.
2 Likes