Will schizophrenia make me disabled?

I feel like from day to day I’m losing my ability to comunicate, to focus and to think. I have more and more trouble remembering things. I don’t know where this is going to end and that scares me. Do you know when the cognitive decline stops after starting medication ? Or is this going to continue until I become permanently disabled, unable to take care of me ?

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It’s difficult. I want to work but I can’t. Ain’t no shame in it I guess. I just feel bad cos I worked for several years. Now I don’t leave my house cos of anxiety.

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I know in my case my cognitive ability went down alot. I couldn’t remember anything, I blame it on the antipsychotics. I’m on disability because of my lack of cognitive ability, and the side effects of the meds

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I have gradually been dacaying after thirteen years of meds, but I’m fighting back with supplements and vitamins which has made a huge difference for me. I am still able to work part time. If I was not supplementing I guess I would be in very poor shape right now.

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It’s possible that you may become disabled and have to stop working if you are working now. That’s what happened to me. But I’m still able to take care of myself I just need help. And I’ve always had a hard time with my memory but it did get worse but I found that taking fish oil had helped a lot with that as well as concentration. I really recommend it.

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Without meds my cognition is non existent, my memory becomes very bad and I make lots of mistakes. Not saying meds don’t slightly decrease cognition but psychosis itself causes the most cognitive decline. I hope to get back some of my cognition with better meds if its not permanent brain damage.

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If I had to recommend just one supplement for cognitive decline it would be a amino acid complex.

I work out regularly and I noticed I always felt better after exersise and tought it was the exersise that did it, but then one day I started thinking what else I was doing when I exersised and came to think that I usually take a amino acid complex after for building muscle. I started experimenting with taking it every day and felt much better. My brain was not exactly painful, but was irritable and never at ease. Taking a amino acid complex changed that. I’m much less irritable in my head now and able to concentrate better.

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Meds are about the only option. Meds and lifestyle.

You could consider brain training apps. Eat refreshing health foods. Crispy apples. Natural foods that have that pop and zing to them. Stuff that wakes you up.

Exercise is difficult to maintain. Life has a tendency to shift around in it’s complexity.

I think bicycles are great. If you can get even just a half mile on a bike in every couple of days it goes a long way.

Psychiatric doctors come in a wide variety. Don’t settle on one unless you feel they actually care. Getting the proper mixture of meds is essential and that will only be possible if your doctor is invested in finding that for you.

Schizophrenia is tough. It has a way of attacking from all sides, but if you just read through how all the folk on here have found different ways to cope… You’ll find there are near infinite things to try.

I eat vegan, I don’t allow more than 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day. I vape nicotine but take a day or two break from that when I can. I make sure to sleep at least 8 hours if I can… I’ll allow myself to sleep up to 11 hours a day if I feel that’s how worn out I am.

If you are feeling cognitive decline though… I would recommend finding a fun brain training app for your phone or pc. Puzzles can be tough, but that’s what makes them fun.

For communication in general… Always keep yourself open to the notion of making new friends. Try to not burden anyone with your needs for interaction, but a simple hello or good morning/day… Can break that isolation a bit.

Nice weather is a blessing. Don’t pass up a chance to get some comfortable outdoor time.

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I was diagnosed in 78. I never went off on my medicine. Exercise helps.

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Myn case was pretty severe in the beginning. A couple years of constant psychosis, I really couldn’t function. Hospitals, group homes, seeing shrinks. I went the whole route. And my symptoms were bad throughout the entire '80’s. In the nineties my symptoms were still there but I actually functioned pretty highly and worked and attended college. Had a good friend who I hung out with, and attended 5 or 6 AA, CA, and NA meetings a week.

What I’m getting to is that I’m 59 now and though some symptoms and delusions have lessened and grown less intense and disabling, I am not as sharp as I used to be.

But hey, I got a B in my last online college class. I drive all over in an area notorious for it’s bad traffic. I work part-time and live pretty much on my own. I take care of my own finances and while there’s room for improvement, I don’t do badly.

My cognitive functions may not be as good as they used to but hey, I’m out here functioning pretty good. (and life don’t end when you’re nearing sixty, lol). If my social life ain’t the best, it’s because of choices I made, not schizophrenia. I am not “cured” or “recovered”, I believe it’s an ongoing process that even though I do OK in lots of areas, the schizophrenia often makes my daily life, “one step up, and two steps back”. I don’t like it, but I don’t have to like it, it’s a just an unfortunate reality.

I haven’t given up by a long shot.

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You should try to concentrate… again and again … Make a Habit. People who are not able to fulfill basic needs, Simply they kept all these nonsense and start working…if you have enough Money… think for comfort then you only heavy your mind. Be calm… Happy for whatever you get … and think many people are more problem than you…

If difficult to digest in your mind … think again and again …one day you will not be knowing how it is changed…

Good Luck !!!

Welcome to the forum!

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Well, it won’t help.

Could you please share which supplements and vitamins you ate taking.

I havent worked in over 10 years. I wish I could though. But I know I have to work on me getting to a point I am physically and definitely mentally ready I’m not there yet.

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In the last 8 years the longest I’ve worked is 6 weeks. I did finish a second degree at uni. My current plan is to be a student for a long time.

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Great post 77nick77!

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Good to see you keep on going no matter what. I am trying the same but schizophrenia is tough. Glad you are a survivor. We need more stories like yours.

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I have been taking antipsychotic medications for almost three decades, but it seems that recently I have been in cognitive decline. I’ll get up to do something, and I’ll forget what I meant to do. I have trouble remembering the simplest words. One time I wanted to ask this woman for a paper clip, but I couldn’t think of the word for it. Another time I couldn’t remember the word “counterfeit”. It could be due to more of a natural process than to the med’s. Both my parents died of Alzheimer’s, and I’m almost 62 years old.

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