Welp! I'm stupid now

Elaro

So 9.5 years ago, I began having obsessive thoughts and later I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I was hospitalized in 2011 and then again in 2014. I was in school and doing well from 2012 to 2013, at which point my psychiatrist changed my meds and it all went to shit. Rather than change my meds back, we went on a rainbow adventure where every I took every goddamn- Anyway.

Now, 2017, and I feel as though I am stupid. I can't, more often than not, do anything complicated or demanding in higher level cognition. I can barely do homework, I can't troubleshoot anything worth a damn. Like I said, I was doing well in University before 2014, but now I'm struggling with even the most basic things. It feels like my thoughts aren't connecting with each other, when I am barely aware that they should.

Question: Is it possible for intelligence to drop precipitously after the age of 25? Am I ever going to be intelligent again? Has anybody else ever felt like they were mentally broken and came out of it on top?

Ketar

Cognition and memory and other things you'd associate with intelligence can suffer greatly in cases of longterm untreated or under-treated anxiety and/or depression. Is it possible that something along those lines could be an issue for you?

MichaelLC

First, IANAD.

Yeah, depression and anxiety can cause all sorts of seemingly unrelated brain issues.

Some of it is the chemical imbalance but it's also just mental exhaustion from being stressed out.

Yes, many forumers are being treated for a variety of mental issues and are doing fine, and (I believe) both Gabe and Tycho are on medication and doing well.

If you didn't like your doc, find a different one and just stick with it, as hard as it is.

Gnizmo

So the quick answer to your question is no. Your intelligence generally does not deteriorate due to aging alone. You may think less quickly, but not inferior in any other aspect.

Anxiety and/or depression can cause cognitive problems as well as various medicines. I would look there for answers, but I can't give you any real advice on either topic. I am ill equipped to give you any advice on those topics for a number of reasons. Your psychiatrist or a therapist could probably help you if it is anything I have mentioned.

I will say, by way of sharing, that I have had troubles with PTSD and depression that has caused me to not be able to think clearly. It has caused me no ends of problems in school and work. I have bounced back from both with time and therapy.

Elaro

Gnizmo wrote: »

So the quick answer to your question is no. Your intelligence generally does not deteriorate due to aging alone. You may think less quickly, but not inferior in any other aspect.

Anxiety and/or depression can cause cognitive problems as well as various medicines. I would look there for answers, but I can't give you any real advice on either topic. I am ill equipped to give you any advice on those topics for a number of reasons. Your psychiatrist or a therapist could probably help you if it is anything I have mentioned.

I will say, by way of sharing, that I have had troubles with PTSD and depression that has caused me to not be able to think clearly. It has caused me no ends of problems in school and work. I have bounced back from both with time and therapy.

That's what I needed to hear, thank you.

bowen

It's worth mentioning to your doctors that you're struggling with these problems, and mention that when it began is when the meds were fucked with, maybe they can devise a better system.

dispatch.o

Not for nothing but when I finished up my 20's and figured out just how little I know about so many things it was an eye opener. It's not that I became less intelligent or less capable of learning. It's that the know everything teenager confidence that had been wearing off in my 20's finally went away entirely.

I think most people get a little perspective in their 30's.

That's not to say you aren't having cognitive issues due to medications, anxiety, sleep deprivation, illness, nutrition, stress or any combination of other causes.

Feeling "foggy" like your spark plugs just aren't firing is a really weird sensation and can feel very defeating and the answer is almost certainly someone who specializes in mental health that listens to you and respects what your concerns are when coming up with a plan for treatment. If you don't think you're being listened to or cared for, find a new doctor.

Cambiata

Foggy brain for me eventually led me to get treated for ADHD, which fixed the problem. So I definitely treat foggy brain as a symptom (of something medical, not necessarily ADHD) and not "I'm just dumb now."

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud

I'm not a doctor and DONT GO OFF YOUR MEDS but some schizophrenia meds cause slowness and/or problems with cognition. Try to work with a psychiatrist to find a better combo.

kaliyama

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud wrote: »

I'm not a doctor and DONT GO OFF YOUR MEDS but some schizophrenia meds cause slowness and/or problems with cognition. Try to work with a psychiatrist to find a better combo.

Yes, exactly. You're not dumb, you'll be OK. If your current doctor won't help you cycle to better meds, you need to find a doctor who will supervise you as you find the right combination of medication to treat your illness while minimizing side effects. If you don't work with a doctor on this you're going to be sidelined longer, esp. if you discontinue your current treatment.

Elaro

My doctor and I have agreed to lower my intake of prozac by a quarter.

Other than that, I'm feeling much better! Getting responses from you all has really lifted my spirits. Thank you.

Elaro

I know what happened. I destroyed within myself the idea that people, me, you, anyone, my teachers, could be wrong. It was an experiment, in the hopes of understanding the nonsense one of my teachers was teaching me. It failed.

This is speculation, but, I hope it helps: the mind-wound bled neurotransmitters into my system, activating it in a disordered state. My Obsession-Compulsion was a symptom of my wound, a thought engine running wild, like a motor without a load. Ironically, my dampening-down was a safety measure that I took for the good of others against myself in the event that I would become evil.

kaliyama

kaliyama was warned for this.

Welp your writing style (eg your arbitrary capitalization) definitely indicate you may be in the middle of a schizophrenic episode. To the extent you are able I’d check in with your doctor.

Tube

Geth, kick @“kaliyama” from the thread

Geth

Affirmative Tube. @kaliyama banned from this thread.

Tube

We can’t offer the kind of support you need here, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible for professional help.