Quote:
Originally Posted by Row Jimmy
I never forgot anything pre-diagnosis. I was super sharp, never missed a trick unless I was out of my gourd. But I was a maniac and when I crashed into the wall, people were afraid of me. Thus......I'm not sure cognitive function is attributed to the illness. I don't believe memory is listed as a symptom of BP. When I started to take medication, I started to forget simple, but not major, stuff.......things like "what song was just on the radio". On the positive side, lithium seems to have made me goofier and less edgy and in my profession, being endearing is a big plus. One of my students last year wrote me a thank you note and said he'll miss my "classroom shenanigans". Another student said "legit, you're the funniest and most real teacher in the school, legit". Yup, she said "legit" twice. Legit. Anyway, while the the wide circle has plus and minus, being much less of an asshole has its benefits.
IMO - there could be a number of simpler things at work. Perhaps you have too much on your plate. Maybe you're not getting enough sleep or enough quality sleep. Check your diet as well. Or perhaps your mind just isn't engaged, especially at work. In my old job, my head went to mush because I was bored out my skull.
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That's great that you were sharp as a pistol. I was much sharper in the past, too. I'm sorry if medications seem to be your issue presently and/or in the recent past. However, I must disagree with you in terms of bipolar disorder itself potentially causing cognitive deficits. Perhaps some people with bipolar disorder don't have such an issue. Such as you? But it is a known issue for some. Not everything relating to bipolar disorder's effects on the brain must be listed in the mania and depression symptoms list. See the following journal article that discusses this:
Cognitive Impairment in Bipolar Disorder: Treatment and Prevention Strategies.
I believe the mild cognitive issues I've had that I attribute more to my bipolar disorder than to medications, have sprung from the years of episodes I've had, and the extreme severity of some of them. Also, the fact that I was not medicated until I was 34. There could be other factors, too, but my diet is fine. My sleep is fine. I am sufficiently stimulated. It's true that too many things on my plate can be destabilizing for me, but I don't see that as part of cognitive deficiencies. I see that as my propensity to be easily triggered by stressors. I have become more easily triggered as the course of my illness worsened.
I hope that many with bipolar disorder are spared any cognitive impairment from the disorder itself.
Thank you for being a teacher. Teachers receive far fewer thanks in life than they deserve.