Does sz get worse with age?

My ex has sz…I had a talk with someone who was trying to give me advice about my situation. .
He believes that people with sz get worse as they get older. …I don’t believe this is true. …what are your thoughts. …I would appreciate your opinions.thank you

Some people get worse as they age, some get better. I don’t what the percentage breakdown is by number but my symptoms at age 54 have gotten consideribly less intense.

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Thanks for your response. I appreciate it. …

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It depends on if they are being treated with antipsychotics. Antipsychotics have been shown to reduce the loss of gray matter in the brain that is associated with schizophrenia.

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As people get older many of them have to deal with senility and dementia. It could be hard to differentiate between sz and dementia.

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In many respects it’s got easier for me - I’ve had sz since 1989 - it’s a long, slow process and not something you can rush through or cut corners with - just plod on and in my case it’s eased a lot.

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Usually the positive symptoms (Hallucinations, Delusions etc… ) get better as we age, but the Negative symptoms get worse - its true for me so far

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It’s a neurodevelopmental disorder. The psychosis typically peaks from ages 18-24 in men. After that it usually goes into a “chronic disability phase” which is a nice way of saying “this is permanent.” However, the snippets of facts from this thread are legit- meds can influence the way the brain matures, offsetting some would have been brain damage (further brain damage, that is…) and rewire the brain to an extent. Positive symptoms do get better with old age. Negative symptoms not so much, they are also very hard to treat safely. The only thing that knocks out my negative symptoms is preworkout. Stimulants. Heavy ass stimulants. Nicotine eases sedation and cognitive hiccups. It is a central nervous system stimulant. I am on the 14mg nicotine patch indefinitely because it improves my cognitive functioning and I perform highly in college. I was gifted before the illness, reduced to bright after all this crap. Most people with schizophrenia are not bright. In fact, the average intelligence in persons with this illness is below average. My intelligence comes with a price; my positive symptoms are severe and chronic. I never get a break.

The answer is yes and no. It gets worse until around 50 then it usually lessens. This is about a 30 year illness at best. It usually eases up thirty years after full blown onset, which happens at age 18 for men most of the time and age 24 for females most of the time.

A rule of thirds applies to us. One third improve. One third remain the same. One third get worse.

With medication, therapy and perseverance, favorable outcomes do happen a fair number of times.

Lots of this is chance. Randomness. Entropy. Luck of the draw. The hand we are dealt. It’s how you play the hand you are dealt. It is a matter of what one is willing to do, because what one can do is not in their control.

I give an honest effort. It can be grueling and very much like hell. I am not religious, but I equate this to hell. This is a waking nightmare. We want to wake up but can’t and won’t because we can’t even when we want to.

There is a solid chance that he will get better with age. It depends on his age today and his current treatments and status in terms of functioning and severity of symptoms.

I wish you the best.

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According to statistics, after the first 15 years of diagnosis, the possibility of suicide decreases.

My breakthrough symptoms don’t last as long not quite as intense but that has been really slow marginal improvement

I have an Uncle with this illness… as he gets older his negative symptoms have been more noticeable.

But he doesn’t really suffer the positive ones any more.

You might need to look at


They have a lot of good information about this illness

www.schizophrenia.com
also has symptom over view… FAQ’s and a lot of other things.

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My Pdoc says no stimulants so I get them on the side from my internist. Huge difference for me too.

With age comes awareness. That can only be a good thing. Before awareness I was easily fooled into delusion without realising whats happening to me. Now when my mind wonders, I can put the brakes on instead of indulging.

Everyone is different though.

actually - the research shows that generally people get better with age, with regard to sz.

Here is a good summary:

Ten years after initial diagnosis, approximately fifty percent of people diagnosed with schizophrenia are either noted to be completely recovered or improved to the point of being able to function independently. Twenty five percent are improved, but require a strong support network, and an additional fifteen percent remain unimproved and are typically hospitalized.

Long-term statistics for thirty years after diagnosis are similar to the ten year mark, except that there are even more people who improve to become independent. However, there is also an increase in the number of suicides to fifteen percent. Over time, women appear to have a better chance at sustaining recovery from symptoms than do men.

Source:

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For me, the “worsen effect” did not concerned the SZ symptoms themselves but the associated disorders and induced disabilities like depression, unemployment, weight gain and its consequences, chronic fatigue, social isolation, altered affective and sexual life, etc…

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In my opinion it depends on how a individual deals with it over …whatever time period.

the results of a individuals coping mechanisms compound over time accordingly depending on how they are coping and the outside influences they are incorporating into that process that will decide how they eventually end up.

A good example is alcoholism, many people incorporate that into their method of coping and they eventually get worse.

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My social worker told me that SZ gets better when you age and some people stop hearing voices too.

He is not the smartest social worker but he gets his advice from the doctor.

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i am getting better with age :man: .
i hope by 100 years old i will be cured…!?!..lol :smiley:
take care :alien:

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Thank you …I appreciate it

Thank you. .I appreciate it

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