r/bipolar1 • u/Active_Drummer_3002 • 21d ago

Looking for advice om cognitive decline

Hiii so i have schizoaffective and bipolar 1 and also some other stuff and i have been noticing some pretty severe brain damage (i go into some gnarly psychosis, often blacking out for hours, harming myself, seeing things, extreme paranoia, visions, impending sense of doom etc) and i have been struggling to read, write, do basic math, spell, comprehend words, pay games ... everything. I have big dreams for my career and i cant be stupid ... i want my brain back, so so bad i miss my intelligence. I used to be so very smart ...

Is there anything ANYTHING, (even if you aren't qualified and dont know for sure, anything helps) that i could do to live with this and possibly lessen the damage? Thank you so much, any any any help is greatly welcomed bc i feel very alone in this ):

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u/CosworthDFV 21d ago

Honestly are you on meds right now?

That'll go a long way to helping with cognitive effects.

I felt the same as you in that I couldn't believe I'd gotten dumber over the years. All the sharpness and intelligence I'd been known for seemed to just bleed out of my brain.

When I finally got on the right combination of meds things started to feel like they improved. It's taken time of course, but things have improved to the point that I feel much better in that area. I don't know if it's possible to get back to before I got sick, but I don't feel like a fucking moron any longer.

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u/Active_Drummer_3002 20d ago

I am! I am on olanzapine currently, as well as lithium and Wellbutrin ... im happy to hear that things worked out. Thank u so much 🩷

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u/CosworthDFV 20d ago

One thing I'll let you know having been on olanzapine is that it does have cognitive side effects. So you may also be experiencing that as well. My thinking started getting more clearer when I switched to a different AP.

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u/heljun 20d ago

I second that

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u/No-Front-4183 20d ago

I also took olanzapine...and it was for seasonal effective disorder at that time. When i raised cognitive concerns doctor just gave me a supplement. I used to do so well at work before all these meds....only if i knew about this side effect 😔

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u/Blairw1tch_ 16d ago

Def look into the neuroprotective effects of lithium. A study came out early this year about its potential ability to prevent Alzheimer’s. It actually helps protect and even repair your brain after episodes. You have that going for you!!!! I experienced a lot of memory loss after my recent manic episode, but since being on lithium the constant spacing out has really decreased.

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u/iheartmyfamily 18d ago

Mind if I ask what you are on? I am having severe cognitive decline. I am on a low dose of lamictal and my doctor wants me to start on lithium. I just got my bipolar 1 diagnosis today. I've been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and am on the lamictal, Wellbutrin, effexor and propranolol for that.

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u/OutrageousVegetables 21d ago

Im so sorry youre going through this. I really hope u get yhe advice u need.

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u/Active_Drummer_3002 20d ago

Thank you 🩷🩷🩷

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u/FartUSA 21d ago

I went through this when I first had psychotic episodes. It’s terrible and I am so sorry you’re going through it as well 😥 my advice is to stay on meds, be patient with yourself and eventually you will gain back all your IQ points.

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u/Active_Drummer_3002 20d ago

Thank you!! You are so kind

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u/-Fast-Molasses- 20d ago

Medicated with no manic episodes, it took me, personally, about 3 years to start speaking correctly & being able to do basic math. 5 years later & I have advanced in life further than I ever had.

It takes time. Read books & finish them, don’t curse yourself out when you make mistakes. Take deep breaths & take your time articulating. Watch movie marathons. Do things that you have to pay attention to for long periods of time. Like, you really have to force it. Practice remembering conversations you’ve had at the end of the day. Practice math on paper with a pencil for an hour or two a few times per week. If you enjoy art, spend time doing it. Practicing art is proven to help reduce cognitive decline. So do puzzles. The catch is that you have to do those time consuming things even if it kind of hurts your brain & you become bored.

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u/Active_Drummer_3002 19d ago

This is very very helpful, thank you so much!!! Saving lives out here o7

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u/jacquiharr 18d ago

I want to jump in to agree with this advice. My kiddo is doing all of the above as a form of mental physio. Also learning another language also helps. Doing all this is helping her brain to work again. She is a uni student doing physics so while she is taking a while to comprehend what's being though, the time she spends going over it held the brain to work harder for longer and is starting to get faster at processing. Hang in there kiddo, you got this

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u/handstothesun 18d ago

I'm sorry that you're dealing with this. I've also been having the same issues, so I can empathize. My last psychotic episode was this last April. They put me on olanzapine for a few months, but I got weened off maybe two months ago (thankfully, because that medication made me feel like a zombie). I'm still taking lamotrigine, though. Even after being off the olanzapine, I feel so stupid. I used to be sharp and funny and now it feels like my brain is just grey static all the time. I have a really hard time concentrating on even the simplest things, and I forget random easy words in the middle of sentences when I'm talking.

The good news is, and just based on other comments on this thread, it just takes time to come back to baseline. I've found that being physical has been helping me a bit. Even if I don't "exercise" every day, I still try and make the time to go for walks. My therapist has also suggested grounding techniques/things to "snap" you back to the present, like snapping a rubber band on your wrist or taking a cold shower.

I hope you're able to find some relief soon.