Schizophrenia Support Group
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception of reality and by significant social dysfunction. Untreated schizophrenia is typically characterized by demonstrating disorganized thinking and experiencing delusions or auditory hallucinations.
I've had memory problems and absent mindedness for a long time, and I recently found out that both are "cognitive symptoms" of my schizophrenia, alongside positive symptoms and negative symptoms. It's not completely because of me, but I wouldn't have so many issues with my dad if not for my absent mindedness. He literally thought for years that I didn't care, when he told me to do something, and that I was being defiant. Never mind that my mom's the same way, though (I'm not biologically related to him, but he is my dad). I've been called stupid by teachers and students, throughout elementary school too, which was bad, but it developed a need to be the best I can be. I'm actually quite intelligent, so they say. I had to take an IQ test when I was a kid. I scored "borderline" on the memory portions, which is below "low average", and might actually be considered legally retarded, and I scored "very superior" on the rest, which is as high as you can go. Not that it says too much. My girlfriend's mom has an IQ of 140, which is frustrating, because she seems retarded to me. If not for my empathy and love and sacrifices for others, I would appear to have narcissistic personality disorder, all because of my absent mindedness. Now, I'm completely at peace with it. Probably because I'm so narcissistic. My girlfriend would yell at me a lot for not remembering certain things, but I've always said that accidents aren't worthy of anger, including hers. It's been a little over a year since we started dating--four years since we've been friends--and she seems to be at peace with it, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThQaYNXXL4Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThQaYNXXL4Y
braincandy
I have poor short and long term memory problems due to the combination of sz, meds, and ECT. I have an IQ of 149 but you wouldn't know it because I seem dumb or slow. I cant even read a book because I forget what I read as I go along. I dropped out of college because of my problems with memory. I am sure memory problems are quite familiar to schizophrenics.
worldofblah4
I don't know what my IQ is but as a kid every year I went to intense science camp, created experiments, got into the national honor society. Was on track to becoming a psychiatrist. Then my symptoms got so bad that it all went away. That future I had. I graduated (barely) with a B.S. in Integrative Neuroscience in undergrad but can talk on par with my psychiatrist. Then I have part of a Master's in Clinical Social Work and can talk intelligently to my Social Worker. But last year and this year I had A LOT of bilateral ECT so my memory is shot. I can mostly remember the basics from my classes from college and keep up with research about treatments and meds and different therapies because that is what I am passionate about but am constantly looking up the words in the articles and stuff to figure out what they are truly talking about and I take notes about them so I can review them and it helps me remember them. But I don't remember huge chunks of my life and knowledge. More short term problems. As for reading non science stuff like fiction, I read teen books so I can follow it and take notes. You should see my apartment...stuffed with notebooks and binders and lists all over the place! When I am really symptomatic my memory drops crazy hard and don't remember second to second ha. I hope this helps...
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