Is there a link between being very smart and Sz?

I have met and talked to a ton of people who before the symptoms started, they had a brilliant mind and were wicked good at math and whatnot. It’s just kinda weird that this seems to be a pattern. But then again everyone likes to think they’re at least pretty smart.

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I think I’ve read the statistics somewhere, and it actual is the opposite, the average sz has below average IQ. I’ll look for the link.

Edit: this wasn’t what I was looking for but it’s similar in idea https://www.sciencealert.com/high-iq-could-reduce-a-person-s-risk-of-developing-schizophrenia

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Finally, an explanation for my schizophrenia !!!

Seriously, a correlation does not equal causation.

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From that article:
"What really predicted risk for schizophrenia is how much you deviate from the predicted IQ that we get from your relatives,” Kendler said in the press release. "If you’re quite a bit lower, that carries a high risk for schizophrenia. Not achieving the IQ that you should have based on your genetic constitution and family background seems to most strongly predispose for schizophrenia.”

Yeah there is definatly a correlation. It might be before the illness hits but most schitzophrenics have very high iq’s. My mother had it bad, but she was a grade a student in collage before she got schitzo bad and she had an iq of over 130. She was in the genius range. I have also heard that most people with high iq’s develop some form of mental illness.

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I don’t think he was postulating causation. Nothing he said said that
Tht was kind of rude

I don’t believe low iq is it it’s high iq. Plus most schitzophrenics are extremely creative. Most so than average and often start out in life doing grandiose things before the full blown onset. Iv always heard high iq

Not grandiose as in manic. Cause that would be a cause of the illness. Rather- high achievers or busy in life

I’m just basing it off of scientific research, empirical data, published studies, etc. Anecdotal evidence will give you skewed perceptions.

There actually a link between lower than normal IQs and sz :confused: but I mean…psychosis literally damages your brain so :roll_eyes: I feel like people could be really smart and then take blows from it

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I would think its lower iq, just cuz sz starts damaging ur brain before u go full-blown sz. There-in the many people with cognitive burdens started developing them earlier in life. I dont have cognitive problems, and my iq was 118 even after mild brain damage from attempt and much psychosis that should have fried my brain. I come from smart family tho.

I’d say I was pretty smart before my illness I was self employed making good money right out of high school for 5-6 years, I’m currently recovering back to my normal self getting better everyday.

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I heard lower. I don’t know how I ended up with schizophrenia besides smoking marijuana and being really stressed out at university. Maybe my consumption of energy drinks triggered something too? I’ve read a lot of statistics about what can increase schizophrenia, and I seem to have had just bad luck. Maybe some virus, maybe some parasite, maybe my mom’s stress living with my dad, maybe my dad being hard on me, maybe me being a loner…

My cognitive decline sometimes felt like dementia. I’ve recovered a lot since then.

My IQ is above average.

I can attest to this. I was practically a theoretical physicist then after psychosis I was barely able to speak. Worked my way back up but I don’t think that I am where I was. Although if you are basing it off this site people on here seem to be above average.

i used to be pretty smart a few years before my illness started now i dont even try to do my online schoolwork anymore, no motivation and than when i finally do something i dont understand anything I’m just waiting on death I’m probably never even gonna finish school

Yeah typically this website isn’t the best representation of the whole population of those w sz or other psychotic disorders because everyone on here has some level of insight and realizes they are sick. People on the other end of the spectrum are not on here because they don’t think they are ill. Or worse, aren’t even well enough to operate a computer in the first place…

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When you consider that schizophrenia is essentially your own subconscious mind interrupting your conscious thought process and your ability to process new information you will likely have trouble showing any intelligence at all. Also when you don’t perceive reality correctly you will appear less intelligent.To this day I wonder what that I heard was really reality or the voices. That’s not a good confusion to have.

That’s my case 15

I live in an assisted living facility for the mentally ill - mainly sz’s. From my own personal experience, and from what I’ve heard, sz’s tend to have a lower than average IQ. I have a fairly large sample size to draw conclusions from. However, there is a subset of sz’s, apart from most sz’s, who have a higher than average IQ. One time someone posted an IQ test on this site. Everyone on this site who took it had substantially higher than average IQ scores. Some posted in the genius range. I think that if an sz is stable enough to have an internet connection he or she probably has a much higher than average IQ.

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They tend to have a lower than average IQ, even before the onset of the illness. It’s a pretty significant difference and the science is completely clear about it. Someone posted a study saying there might be a subtype of sz where people generally have high IQs, but that subtype would be rare.

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