Seriously considering dropping out of my graduate program as a result of my cognitive issues. Not sure what kind of job I can hold down. In particular I have issues with focus, memory, problem solving, social cognition, and motivation / curiosity. My psychiatrist and therapist think I’m either bipolar with psychotic features or SzA, so I’m not sure if it’s cognitive / negative symptoms or depression.
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I don’t know about reversing it. It can be difficult to measure so it’s hard to know when you are making progress or losing cognitive ability.
That being said, I don’t think I have lost any cognitive function since I have been stable on meds. I don’t believe I have any cognitive decline related to sz going on anymore.
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I can’t say enough good things about fish oil. I take 1000 mg every morning and it has really helped me a lot.
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Can you take a break from your course for a year to get your mental health sorted?
I know how you feel. When I was an undergraduate, I had to complete both my dissertations whilst I was very sick
It was hard, but worth the fight
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I think being idle with my meds may cause decline in thinking, as the meds is made with reference with progressing mind.
Meds does not make me incline in thoughts, as they stop some chemicals.
But with stabel rate of functioning is possible.
I belive slow and steady.
May be yes one can reverse congnitive decline, by slow increase in brain activities.
If I spend lot of hours in sloving a problem immediatetley the brain cuts out the links made.
As there is excess of chemicals which is not suppose to be there in my mind.
I take it easy, to make strong links in my mind, by slowly inputing thoughts to the brain.
If I go fast it breaks the links, which leads to memory issues.
If I am at peace while learning with steady pace, I could make a good progress.
I learnt not to doubt my mind or brains possiblities.
We are gifted, if you ask me.
With right amount of focus on right things, we could even break the labels given to us.
I am in the process of reverseing cognitive decline, so the above is as far as I got.
I don’t know about reversing. The studies find the damage to iq is done in the prodromal stage. I code to stay sharp. It’s fun if you are into computers.
For the rest I wouldn’t worry about it to much, everyone is who he is. How long has it been since your episode?
Have you talked to the school councilors. When I dropped out I hadn’t talked to anyone for guidance. I don’t know if I could have done it but its good, I think, if you can. As far as cognitive decline, I think its a result of being alone.
Just my two cents.
EDIT: I wasn’t attempting a graduate program.
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Yes, I reversed most of it, but it took a few years.
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How did you do that?
I’ve posted a lot about it but basically treatment (meds and therapy) and my own pretty ambitious attempts at regaining function by pushing myself every day to do more and more and use my brain more and more. And as I said it took years and I almost gave up many times. But I’m stubborn.
It’s true that IQ declines before illness onset and that cognition on average remains stable after illness onset, but it’s not true that people can’t recover from cognitive deficits. You know this, of course, but many others here don’t.
However, we might not be able to completely recover. Some people have argued strongly against so-called “neuropsychologically intact” patients with sz.
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Do you think there is any relationship to social life, not in scientific research but your own experience?
Of being alone and isolated from society?
Yes definitely.
I think cognitive deficits are to a large extent a result of horrible circumstances and passivity.
I think much of it is a kind of brain damage though. But brain dysfunction can usually be compensated for pretty well.
I suffer everyday.im comatose.im thinking of uthunisia.its the only way for me no.i can’t speak I can’t do anything.
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Wow, yeah.
1515
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Thanks for replying. I’d missed your previous posts about it. Things are still nowhere near perfect, but there’s a much more positive attitude re what can be achieved compared to when I was dxed in the mid 1970s. That’s a very good thing.
For me the prodromal stage was certainly one where academic performance declined. I put that down to the constant, very high level of anxiety I was experiencing. After the dx there were more than a few incidences of ‘Don’t do that it’ll tax your brain too much’.
I think the approach that you and @shutterbug have taken is highly commendable , and a blueprint for others to follow. I think even if there is not a ‘global impairment’ there will be areas of relative impairment. I’ve posted enough about mine, so won’t repeat them!
I think some degree of improvement can definitely happen. I’d say being in the right psychological frame of mind helps. My attitude,I confess, has not always been the best. It’s tended to be quite defeatist. If something doesn’t come easily to me I tend to go into panic/I’m so beep stupid/I give up mode . Improving that is a work in progress.
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I’ve thought many times about quitting my masters, but for the time being I keep on going. However, I only study part-time. Sometimes you need to fight if you want something.
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Alpha GPC helps, good on price but short lived.
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I found the more active and engaged I pushed myself to be, the better my cognition became. I try to keep myself active both physically and intellectually as much as I can. I minimize passive activities like watching television (only allow myself a couple of hours per week). I just feel better and more aware this way.
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I don’t think damage to the IQ is necessarily done only in the prodromal stage because I was prodromal in my teens and when I began college, in my early 20’s, my IQ was 122. I became psychotic at age 23 and ten years later, my IQ was at 100 points.
My pdoc told me that my intellectual decline was due to living a lifetime with psychosis. I was in my late 50’s when he said that.
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