-sigh- i vote...meds. with the neuroleptics, there's "tardive dementia," demonstrable loss of IQ points and such. I don't know how common it is...seems to be more of an issue with the higher doses of the old school tranquilizers. thing is...that sort of dosing was common until fairly recently, and even now inpatients are often drugged to the gills for "rapid tranquilization" or whatever.

I do think there's ill effects of mania, psychosis, severe depression, too. to me, its like...deal with unmedicated stuff or deal with life, medicated. in between i guess is life, lightly medicated...which is what i'm now striving for, to whatever extent possible.

there's also individual susceptibility to consider. some people are more vulnerable to TD from a given tranquilizer than others. people with TD often have a loss of IQ points. then you have cases where the TD goes away, usually in people who can live without a neuroleptic (or can escape the shrink and get off the neuroleptic...).

so, i dont know. severe depression made me feel stupid. then, i was given involuntary electroshock (long, long story), and i really did lose IQ points, for a good, long while. now...

im obviously skeptical of pyschiatry, but i dont want to live a life of misery, either. oh...or end up in a hospital again. never.ever.again.

stress isn't kind to one's intellect, either. i read this study...people who are stressed from all angles do worse on standardized tests of cognitive abilities and such than those whose lives are more easy breezy. guess who's stressed out? AMERICA.

I hope things get better for you. :-)