Wow, I feel dumb again now after a good day and it scares me. I am scared to be an idiot… I can stay alone all my life because of this. Dont judge me of my fear, I was already dumbed cause I was seen as a dummy from my ex.
In my file of one of my hospitalizations it was written I quote - ‘‘memory and intellect oppressed by the illness’’. What does it mean? That I am intellectually disabled? and mostly, can I recover on this? Even after 15 years of being stuck on one place, without a development and efforts of my brain?
The real danger is not intellectual disability from sz. It is when people get discouraged and stop using their minds daily. We should all keep our minds active and young, with brain games, conversation, reading, exercising, even playing an instrument or singing…
9 Likes
Yeah, that’s where I am worried. My mind is now more occupied than ever but I spent whole 15 years or even more without exercising it. What if ill remain dumb on some things from life till ever? ill suffer and ill get depressed and complexed or even paranoid 
.
1 Like
I think you are still young enough and your mind can recover… don’t give up! Trust yourself… You were good in school right? You have a good potential.
2 Likes
Ok, thank you. Yeap, I was good in school but its the only place where I was good. Plus, even there I had some difficulties. Its scary for me to be a dumb, really…
Some meds I was on I could think a bit, others were just blank. Off, it seems I have mostly all of it back, just distractions with the rest of life. Nothing like laughing at a joke 2 days after it was said…
I think so. Not common normal brain intelligence, different intelligence in the malfunctioning sort of way. Like Nemo’s fin. Lmao
Did they made you do some IQ tests?
zeno, are you asking me? Nope, never. Those who I made were just online. But my pdoc have written this in my file by observating me, it sucks… Ive just realized today that I have this. and its one of the reasons why I get paranoid and anxious too…
2 Likes
1 Like
I’m kind of surprised they never did one, they sent me for one most years to ensure I wasn’t regressing
Well, I definitely have memory issues that have never resolved. I have a very intricately programmed Google Calendar for personal hygiene, meds, etc. Sarcosine helps a tad, but doesn’t roll back the problem.
I was very significantly cognitively impaired after the initial DX. I’d say that was split between being over-medicated on harsh, older APs and severe symptoms. I’ve overcome most of it and am now regarded as “scary smart” in my office by my boss and co-workers. Their words.
I think you can regain lost ground in the intellectual domain with effort and the right meds.
5 Likes
There is probably some intellectual disability in sz, but try not to concern yourself too much with this possibility. It won’t aid your recovery in any way. Hold on to your right to get well again and run with it. Little by little you will make more progress. Try a little bit every day to do something small to get well. Even if you feel like giving up, don’t. Set your aim high because you have to believe that you are entitled to make the best recovery that you can. 15yrs may or may not seem like a very long time but those years you were making sense of all that’s happened to you. It takes as long as it takes. I have exactly the same illness as you. There is no difference between your illness and mine. Everything you say on here makes sense: The lack of care from others, loss of identity, mood, medication, etc. What I’m saying is that I have what you have, but I refuse to let this sz nightmare we are living through win. Keep going, Anna1.
4 Likes
Yes, ill fight of course but I find myself disabled intellectually. Its depressing cause I guess its hard to regain on this. I was outside today once again. I am shaky because of my illness and the bad habits of passivity. But whatever, I was glad to go outside. I bought a present for my moms birthday in October 
I hope ill have a better self-confidence on day, its was misses me too.
2 Likes
I think you can if you get stable on good med’s.
Theres no more med change for me, crimby. I was switching meds for 7 years and this was a mistake of mine. I didn’t get better on any ap except Zyprexa so I am stuck with it now. Idk, if aps could help mental retardation, they would have been prescribed to another kind of patients too -alzheimers, mental retardatation patients etc etc. It will be hard to recover with certainty, ill just see.
there is no intellectual deficit.the antipsychotics interferes with brain’s intelligence
1 Like
Why i cant think then on a lot of things? Maybe i have inner conflicts, idk. Its mostly that socializing is hard for me. I am in social withdrawal in fact…
1 Like
This is patently not true. There is an extensive body of research that shows quite severe intellectual and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Also, if you really think people would be better off intellectually without meds, do a google search on how people with schizophrenia fared before antipsychotics came in the 50’s.
2 Likes