[AAA3330]

I was diagnosed in 1998 and did quite well until a year and a half ago. I was really stressed out and my mind hasn't been the same since. I have a lot of confusion and my sense of reality is really skewed. Though my psychiatrist thinks that the Schizophrenia has progressed, I'm not so sure. I think that my getting stressed out may have damaged my brain somehow.

Well I know that bipolar progresses the longer it's untreated, it's probably the same for schizophrenia I would assume.

Originally Posted by AAA3330

I was diagnosed in 1998 and did quite well until a year and a half ago. I was really stressed out and my mind hasn't been the same since. I have a lot of confusion and my sense of reality is really skewed. Though my psychiatrist thinks that the Schizophrenia has progressed, I'm not so sure. I think that my getting stressed out may have damaged my brain somehow.

I think the general consensus is that if its a severe case (where meds is the only effective form of therapy) then untreated psychosis causes the disease to progress. meds in themselves will cause a certain amount of cognitive decline but nothing like the devestating decline associated with untreated psychosis. I speak from experience on that , and thats what the evidence is actually saying. cognitive decline in itself will not kill you , its the life style choices that are made in untreated psychosis that is actually doing the most damage imo.

[Sometimes psychotic]

I don't think it progresses in everyone but it definitely does for a subset of people. It's not generally time alone that causes this but each psychotic break seems to cause more damage.

[costello]

I'm not convinced that psychosis in and of itself damages the brain, although as Materly points out bad decisions made during psychosis could have serious consequences.

I also doubt the stress damaged your brain. But if you're prone to become psychotic, it's likely the stress set off an episode.

[AAA3330]

Thanks for the responses. I have a hard time believing that stress alone could have caused it as I'm sure that people get stressed over things all of the time and I'm sure that it in most cases doesn't leave their mind altered. It's just so frustrating and really scary that my mind isn't working right the way that it used to. They've tried several meds on me and none have helped.

[Sometimes psychotic]

So regarding the psychosis damaging the brain thing...I think it's still not convincing in research studies...it's more anecdotal....so I read this book a schizophrenic will and he has a masters in library science and he saw a clear long term decrease in his reading ability after a break that resulted from a trial off the meds. He also needed a higher dose of meds to restabilize after that break. So I think that while most people actually improve over time some people do get worse...I think psychosis is hugely heterogenous so any kind of one size fits all rule isn't going to apply. But yeah I don't think psychosis itself causes damage but whatever the underlying cause of that psychosis is might....and that cause is highly variable based on genetic studies...

[ZehR]

I have schizotypal which rarely turns into schizophrenia. It does sound like it is when I don't take antipsychotics which is why my psychiatrist is very concerned (He basically gave me 6 weeks to live without taking) so I gave my meds to my mom to manage. I just want to forget and live. Would be very unfortunate if it did though. Very very very very ******* unfortunate..

[ZehR]

@Sometimespsychotic, How has it been for you not on the Abilify?

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by ZehR

@Sometimespsychotic, How has it been for you not on the Abilify?

Good six months off no symptoms at all...pdocs think I'm cured...

[ThatsMe1981]

There is a book by Aaron Beck called Schizophrenia. There is also research by, I'm going to spell this incorrectly, Kindon and Turginton on Schizophrenia. They are both leaders in the research of Schizophrenia.

From their research what they indicate is that Schizophrenia is not degenerative. However, However, there is cognitive impairment after the first episode but this cognitive impairment does not get worse over time.

Now as for your recent break or episode, the number one cause of a psychotic break for someone with schizophrenia is stress. Part of my therapy has been to learn how to manage stress. My initial break was caused by stress. So don't dismiss stress as something small, stress induces episodes.

[ZehR]

Originally Posted by ThatsMe1981

From their research what they indicate is that Schizophrenia is not degenerative. However, However, there is cognitive impairment after the first episode but this cognitive impairment does not get worse over time.

I'm sure this is because you have to be in bad psychosis for at least 6 months in order to knowingly have.. or maybe even get.. schizophrenia.. That's what think idk.. I am shocked but it makes sense at the same time.

[Crescent Moon]

Originally Posted by AAA3330

Thanks for the responses. I have a hard time believing that stress alone could have caused it as I'm sure that people get stressed over things all of the time and I'm sure that it in most cases doesn't leave their mind altered. It's just so frustrating and really scary that my mind isn't working right the way that it used to. They've tried several meds on me and none have helped.

Intense stress is powerful. It causes the release of hormones that, if sustained, can put us in a loop of fight-or-flight that can make us paranoid and hypervigilant. My point is that stress (not transient stress, but severe or long term stress), long bouts of depression, anxiety, all of these things definitely change the brain. Fortunately, if the brain gets relief from the anxiety, depression, etc., in time it can 'reset'

I do know that my daughter's psychiatrist told us at the outset that sticking with treatment and quickly addressing any episodes was crucial. She said that the more manic episodes a patient has, the more likely it is that the bipolar swings will become more dramatic. She said the goal is stability - preventing frequent and wide swings. So far, it seems to be working. Over the last eight years (since her dx), she's had two or three 'crisis' that resulted in med changes and were stressful for me - but no hospitalizations, and we did get it under control. She's got a long life ahead of her, though, and as a mom, I'll always worry.

[jadeprincess01]

well I would say the stress caused the psychosis, cause stress causes my psychosis.

[DePressMe]

My schizo has progressed over the years. After my first really bad episode I got better for several years but my stress started building up and I went into a severe psychosis. Although I'm a little more stable now, I've never totally recovered from it. It seems like my thought process has been changed....I'm not sure if it'll ever get better. I'm trying to adapt to it and learn ways to cope with it. I've read a lot about the progression of schizo and my case is not out of the ordinary but there are many different ways that it can progress. And, there is always the hope of another recovery........D.

[AAA3330]

Thanks for the responses. It's more than I could have hoped for. Unfortunately, I don't think that I will ever recover from my mental condition. I'm seeing a social worker for talk therapy. I see my psychiatrist on Thursday. She just put me on Clozaril, but I don't think that it's helping either.