I had several psychotic episodes that were never fully treated due to poor complicance with medication. Each psychotic episode got worse. When I finally complied with medication my positive symptoms were all treated BUT I felt a huge difference in my mental power and intelligence
I noticed that my mental power and thinking capabilities were slowly lost - it felt as if there was a mental block on me
I was a high achiever at college and got admitted into medical school where I did amazingly well, before psychosis set in
As an example let’s take mathematics. I used to see the beauty of all sorts of mathematical concepts, but NOW they just seem as numbers and symbols on a page
After my first psychotic break I noticed I wasn’t as sharp as I used to be and said it to the doctor in the hospital. I thought he could do something.
I’ve had to accept a cognitive decline from before hospitalisation.
Yes. I was a top student in my first year of college and got admitted to a very competitive university nursing program. I became psychotic in nursing school and didn’t seek treatment until 8 years later. The treatment was unsuccessful and wasn’t successful until a total of 33 years had passed. The damage was done.
I feel this a lot. I was always compliant, but meds didn’t work well for me for a long time. Now I’m much more dim than I used to be. My brain just feels… Sticky? I don’t know how to explain it. Everything is so much harder than it used to be
Having been in critical condition for only a year, I noticed that I wasn’t as intellient as I was before and when I was prodromal. I just took a hit on everything really. I’m worse at chess, math, coding, reading, debating. I took my intelligence for granted. Now I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to where it was.
I think people with psychosis /schizophrenia are encouraged to use their brain nowadays much more than was the case when I was diagnosed in 1975.
I remember there was an attitude among psychiatric staff of “Don’t read that it’ll tax your brain too much” .
I cruised mentally for years (Is there something in use it or lose it?) and only really got to use my brain again when I got online in 1996.
I never pursued any formal studying though like going to the local college. This was due to severe social anxiety and the realisation I almost certainly had something that would make formal studying an uphill struggle. I came to the conclusion I have almost certainly got learning difficulties years later .
Nowadays young people with psychosis/schizophrenia are encouraged to get well enough to either go to college/university or work. There is a much more optimistic/positive attitude re what can be achieved.
I don’t like to think about the things I can’t do, I hone the skills that I still have, like art. Things may not come easier to me anymore, but I’ve accepted it.
I feel this way. For me it’s a loss in the power of concentration, I get tired mentally more easily than before by things that I used to enjoy, like reading long books. Also, crowded places and interactions with people exhaust me. It’s hard sometimes, maybe I was too proud of my capabilities,I accept that I may never be the same.