Can Bad Episodes Break Your Brain?

So, I am nearly three weeks out of a severe mixed episode and I have noticed my cognitive function is much impaired. This episode was possibly the most traumatic and serious one I have had. It lasted months. My heart feels broken from what I went through and my nerves are still frayed. I have noticed my memory is much worse than it used to be and I am not as reactive. Journalling is a very slow process too. I just can't find the words. I am not normally like this. It is like it broke my brain. This worries me as I start university in 2 weeks.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Have episodes broken your brain before?

Yes I can relate. I've heard that psychotic episodes can be like having a concussion. It took me a few months after my break for me to feel like my brain was back at a normal functioning level. Medication can cause cognitive issues too.
Take it easy, continue journalling, and maybe take some omega 3 fatty acids. You will get it back. I remember my pdoc telling me that a break/episode a major medical emergency so treat is as such, and remember it will take a while to recover from. I felt like I was hit by a truck so that made me feel a little better.

It definately takes some time to recover after an episode. I've read somewhere (may have even been on PC) that episodes cause brain damage. I don't know the validity of this, but it's something I plan to discuss with my doctor.

Please go easy on yourself. Do your best, it's all anyone can ask from you.

Sending you hug ms and luck for your upcoming school semester.

My episodes have become progressively longer and more severe over time, which is consistent with accumulated damage.

I don't know if it causes brain damage or not but I have noticed some rather big changes in my brain. I have been blaming it on the meds but now I am not so sure.

When I was younger, before mania, I used to have a pretty complex job. I did avionics for a living. Did electronics on aircraft. Fast forward to 6 months ago, I couldn't even get into nursing school. Might have been the interviews because I had so much anxiety.

Anyway, now I cant even remember anything from any of the classes I took so I guess I just wasted my time and money going to college. I don't work anymore, not sure if I can or not. Probably should be on disability but I got denied.

Its like I have to work super hard to learn anything and then will forget it soon afterward. I don't know if this is brain damage but something isn't right.

I experience reversible cognitive impairment with depression. Since a mixed episode involves depression, you might have suffered and still might be suffering from that reversible impairment. The positive in it: "reversible".

A few months ago I couldn't answer a question with a complete sentence, read a page, or write anything for ****. I was convinced my brain was ****ed.

Someone told me the brain's there, it's the mind that's that's gone.

Your brain has the ability to rewire itself. I don't think I can ever get it as sharp as it
once was, but time will heal.

I relate
I had a severe mixed episode in college; it's what got me diagnosed. It took me quite a while to recover my 'normal' (ish? Lol) cognitive function. Please be kind to yourself!

Every time I have an episode it's like I've developed dementia. I can hardly walk and talk at the same time. But it does eventually go away; it just takes a little while. Don't worry too much, OK?

I definitely lost cognitive function after a series of really bad episodes close together. I did get some back later. When it happened was when I went on SSDI and there is still no doubt in anyone's mind that I couldn't cognitively do my job now so it has had lasting effects but it did get better to the point I'm not as impaired as I was. I am now able to pay my bills without help, have managed to get my credit score up from horrendous to great because I pay my bills (stunning strategy I know), and generally as ok as long as there is little stress and I have help with some things like housework routinely.

I went into a psychosis that lasted about 2 weeks. I'm still not the same. I used to be a lot more sharp. I would read like 5 books at the same time. I was more witty. Since the break I have only read 4 books, it was 5 yrs ago. I'm slower mentally. Now I don't know how much has to do with the meds tho. I wasn't medicated before the psychosis, other than sleep meds and an AD.

I hope you return to normal soon.

Dern I can soo relate. I was hypomanic for a long time before medication stabalised it. But I stopped it due to many horrible side effects and then I started feeling really dull. Like my life was useless. The music that gave me the great nostalgic feeling was gone. Flat emotion even though I had the interest for the activity I enjoy. My mind was cloudy and similarly could not remember all the things I learnt in collage, difficulty find the right words and was less reactive. Strangely, I blamed it on the medication for making me feel that way(which till now I still have some doubts). However, after starting a new medication that helps mostly with my depression, the dullness and cloudy mind is gone and I feel better than ever. I hope it gets better for you too.

Thanks everyone for your input. It really feels like my brain is broken and its not the meds so much. I hope time heals as I would hate to have to live like this. My career hopes would be over. It saddens me as I used to be so sharp and I relied on my memory a lot. Like I didn't need a diary as I could recall all appointments and I could recall details of my life when I journaled. Now I struggle to recall what I talked to my T about later that day. It is not me, or the me I used to know.

Any ideas on timeframe on when I should expect some/total improvement?

Absolutely...yes. I'm certain it's a combination of both rough episodes and meds. I feel like an idiot much of the time.

I can't really give you a time frame since the changes back to normalcy will most likely be gradual and will occur without you even noticing at first. Then suddenly one day you will realize that you are better and it will feel as if it happened overnight.

After my psychotic break I was never the same. I have read some things that bad episodes cause damage.
Most of my ability has come back but my brain still feels beat up

i know this feeling. my worst episode was a mixed one, lasted around 2 months and was so severe and upsetting. I later described it, as you have, as traumatic to my brain. It felt like my thoughts were made out of static, like what you see on TV when the power comes out. fuzzy and loud and you want it to turn off because it isn't functioning. I certainly did not feel the same afterwards, for a long time. I sometimes wonder if severe episodes can actually damage brain cells and affect future cognitive functioning. it feels like **** afterwards. sorry you're going through this, it is a real frustration and a real roadblock for a lot of life's responsibilities.

yes I have heard this called kindling.
That after an episode we are effected. In such that the next episode will be worse for us.
Oh joy.
I don't think this is so though.
But I have to say that my memory is so bad...I blame it on the anti psychotics that I have been on for 22 years!
bizi

When I was in an outpatient program following my psychotic break, they told us that the brain would heal after 6 months on an antipsychotic. Mine became worse! But I was on a wrong antipsychotic, Risperdal, which made me more depressed than ever and the depression was morphing into psychotic depression. Now I am back on the right AP, which for me is Geodon, and I am regaining sharpness and it has not yet been 6 months - it has been 2 months and some. I think they were probably right at the outpatient program and I would go back to normal after 6 months on Geodon, but it has to be the correctly selected AP and not just a random AP to help heal the brain.

This is just my experience and what I was told at the IOP.