want to improve on my learning skills.......

Hey, I am schizophrenic...and the disease has affected my ability to analyse and understand things. Now I am working on ways to improve my brain functioning especially about learning new things like concepts and just about anything.....does anyone have any suggestions at all on how I can improve my learning skills and how to analyse things and understand them.....

I have found that my anxiety is the greatest block to my learning anything useful. So sometimes just letting things go for a while and not trying so hard, which seems like exactly the wrong thing to do to solve anything, actually is the best way to go. Getting in touch with your own mind sometimes is better than trying to learn learning techniques!

I did a lot of reading of fiction for a long time and saw how others approached problems and made their way in life. I focused on good young adult novels, Cynthia Voigt http://www.cynthiavoigt.com/, Madeleine L'Engle http://www.madeleinelengle.com/ Dianna Wynne-Jones (Homeward Bounders especially: http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/homewd-og.htm#bound), Lloyd Alexander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Prydain and David Eddings' "Belgariad" series http://www.eddingschronicles.com/index.html

hey Thanks for the input....

i have trouble remembering things, and sometimes i remember them differently. if it's really important i like to write it down, then i can refer back to it later if i forget, or if i question my memory of it at all. i make sure to keep any personal writings separate from the practical ones so everything stays easy to look up. also, i know that i can sometimes get caught up in the "why's" of things, so sometimes it's just better to let that go. like instead of over analyzing why the water bill is due on the fifteenth every three months and what those numbers mean and their relationship to the nature of water and what might be in the water etc, etc, i just keep reinforcing that the why part doesn't matter. ...and i guess i know that works for me, because i was just able to tell you when it was due!
good question.

To be fair to you, that is a bizarre system that would confuse most people, methinks.

This thread made me think of all the times i was studying, it seemed like I couldn't study without a big jumper, a mug of tea and a cold room with bright lights . . . but I'm not sure if I'm very particular or if those things would actually help anyone
When I first got dx'd, I used the pomodoro method:
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
I think somewhere on that site is a free ebook about it. IDK, I got lazy and I don't do it anymore.

I find thinking about my thoughts and what I think makes me think the way I think helps to understand things better. As for learning in general, try to apply it to some aspect of your life, the more we think about things, in a positive light, the more we understand those things, and the more likely it is to stick with us

i managed to fight my way through school and earn a degree in nursing. i found i couldn't focus on stuff for more than a few minutes, so i took everything i needed to learn and digested it in small chunks. i took frequent breaks to let my mind do the wandering it needed to do. and like Fish, i got as comfortable as possible with no outside distractions. a lot of it was trial and error for me. but eventually i found a system that worked for me. keep that in mind for yourself. try different things and eventually you'll find something that works for you.

I like to use analagies to understand things. Relating a new situation to something I already understand really helps me a lot.

Also I like to use color for things. Color coding things really makes complex tasks easier for me. For example, I have to build class schedules at my job. So by assigning all of the classes their own color, I can sit down with a calander and just use the colors where I want to block time for a class.

I have difficulty with reading, which is a new thing for me. If I'm having trouble reading I try to break it into smaller groups. Long paragraphs can confuse me, so breaking things down into bullet points or small paragraphs simplifies it.

Those are my suggestions I hope they help!

I've got problems reading, too. It seems like if there's too much on the page I can't concentrate and the words start moving around. However, I found (completely by accident), that if I read on something small like my phone or a small tablet, that it's so much easier to digest the text. I downloaded the Kindle app to my phone and have read so many books on it successfully. I was very excited because I love reading and was demoralized when I realized I was starting to have trouble.

anyway, long story short, the Kindle app was a life saver. i wouldn't recommend it for any kind of textbook that's heavy with images and figures though.

I have also really battled with what you are going through. It has stopped me from learning for many years. I began taking Ginko-Biloba (wal-mart has it, and GNC, or Amazon.com) It helps. It is compatible with many medications but ask your doc. to be sure first.

When I read, I do so in a "comprehensive" manner. I used to read a book and after ending it, I could not respond with the details of the main idea or give many details about the facts. Now, I read slowly. I do not skip words I do not know. I look them up. I do not move on to the next chapter until I am aware of what the current one is saying. I explore what the full meaning is now. I take my time more often. This takes practice.

Also, I began looking around myself and making a conscious effort to become more aware of my physical surroundings. Say, if I were to drive my car to the beach. Instead of just zoning out, I observe the signs along the road, the businesses, the vehicles etc.

I think, what is this sign's purpose? Why? Etc. I look at the trees along the way. I think, why are there palm trees here? Is there a reason? It always leads me into critical thinking. You must make a habit of it. Then it will come natural in most situations. Hope this helps.