Mental health and IQ loss

[sunnyside]

I took a real IQ test 5 years ago and scored 128. I took another one about 2 years ago and got 115. Then I took another one 3 months ago and got 109. I don't fucking like this pattern. I've also noticed in real life and all scenarios that require intelligence that im getting dumber and dumber, and I don't even have common sense anymore for simple ass things. Im stupid as fuck in real life now. Like you wouldn't believe it. I know IQ isn't everything, but im even dumber at other types of intelligence. This makes me more suicidal because im a self aware idiot and feel like im not good for anything. Im so slow. Anyone with similar experiences?

Did you ever get covid?
Covid causes some type of brain damage in basically everyone and I remember seeing a study IQ lowers with every infection. Happened to me too

 

[sancta-simplicitas]

It really fucking sucks. I haven't taken any formal (i.e professionally administered) tests but I don't need to to know mine dropped years ago with the sudden onset of my chronic derealisation and other MH problems—it's been very clear to me that my "g"/problem-solving/mathematical-logical abilities have worsened. While it's not really the worst aspect of my psychopathology I do find myself mourning what could have been a lot.

Some people in this thread are saying that such a loss isn't permanent. Of course mental health impacts cognition but that is essentially the same thing as telling someone that recovery (in an MH context) isn't impossible for them. Doesn't always apply and isn't always well-received (with good reason). My MH has only grown worse over the years and the same applies to the concomitant cognitive deficits.

Not at all. I'll never be "recovered" from being traumatized over and over again, no one will. My functioning is described as "extremely low" in my last medical note and last time I was retraumatized just this year. It's about stress level management, resting and learning how to not overuse your cognitive functions. Relaxation exercises, taking time away from screens, changing your focus from direct to open (ie by spending time in nature), light reading, small puzzles, supplements such as magnesium (though that I haven't tried, I've heard from others with cognitive damage that it helps them though) and l-theanine, free journaling, pacing and the art of doing absolutely nothing. You're not a prisoner of your own stress levels, no matter what therapy culture tells you.

 

[Aergia]

Not at all. I'll never be "recovered" from being traumatized over and over again, no one will. My functioning is described as "extremely low" in my last medical note and last time I was retraumatized just this year. It's about stress level management, resting and learning how to not overuse your cognitive functions. Relaxation exercises, taking time away from screens, changing your focus from direct to open (ie by spending time in nature), light reading, small puzzles, supplements such as magnesium (though that I haven't tried, I've heard from others with cognitive damage that it helps them though) and l-theanine, free journaling, pacing and the art of doing absolutely nothing. You're not a prisoner of your own stress levels, no matter what therapy culture tells you.

I truly think it depends on the nature of your mental health problems. Stress levels aren't the cause of my cognitive deficits—my MH problems are characterised more by under-stimulation than overstimulation, and I've always felt that one of the *upsides* of my chronic derealisation/dissociation is that I rarely experience stress in the conventional, emotional sense. My cognitive performance certainly hasn't improved during periods when I've been able to relax a lot.

I fully agree that diet, supplements, sleep, etc. can impact cognitive performance; that applies to both people with and without mental health problems. But in the case of a chronic MH problem I don't think it's a far stretch to suggest there's a ceiling to how good one's cognitive performance can get, and that it is lower than one's previous baseline. Incidentally, many psychiatric disorders are correlated with anomalous brain activity, which in turn is correlated with cognitive performance (deficits). So it really depends on the nature of it. Sure, I could take measures to mitigate things but I doubt I will be able to return to my former baseline unless I recover psychologically, which seems like a near impossibility at this point.

 

[telemark05]

From 120 to 80 is crazy. Hopefully it all isn't permanent ❤

Did you ever get covid?
Covid causes some type of brain damage in basically everyone and I remember seeing a study IQ lowers with every infection. Happened to me too

I had covid once and it didn't do much to me. Im not vaccinated. I didn't feel it much and it passed quickly.

 

[nobeertonight]

I'm pretty sure it depends on a lot of factors and those cognitive functions aren't lost forever. What worries me sometime is the memory loss after years of struggling. A lot of my past is completely lost to me and I have zero vivid remembrance.

 

[sancta-simplicitas]

I truly think it depends on the nature of your mental health problems. Stress levels aren't the cause of my cognitive deficits—my MH problems are characterised more by under-stimulation than overstimulation, and I've always felt that one of the *upsides* of my chronic derealisation/dissociation is that I rarely experience stress in the conventional, emotional sense. My cognitive performance certainly hasn't improved during periods when I've been able to relax a lot.

I fully agree that diet, supplements, sleep, etc. can impact cognitive performance; that applies to both people with and without mental health problems. But in the case of a chronic MH problem I don't think it's a far stretch to suggest there's a ceiling to how good one's cognitive performance can get, and that it is lower than one's previous baseline. Incidentally, many psychiatric disorders are correlated with anomalous brain activity, which in turn is correlated with cognitive performance (deficits). So it really depends on the nature of it. Sure, I could take measures to mitigate things but I doubt I will be able to return to my former baseline unless I recover psychologically, which seems like a near impossibility at this point.

I was the same in that matter. Was pretty much always dissociated before I broke down. It didn't help the least bit, because the reason I was dissociated was just that. Too much stress. I didn't even feel stressed at all, until my body gave in. I'd argue that understimulation is also highly stressful on the mind, since we're wired for using our brains.

As for going back to your baseline, from what I've read about the subject it's unclear whether you can regain full cognitive functioning, but that does not mean you can't regain functioning at all. A brief period of relaxation won't do much to change it though, it takes a change in lifestyle and many years. A study I've read quite recently found some levels of impairment after seven years of healing (as in healing the mental exhaustion, not the mental health issues that caused them). It's a major grief and I don't think I'll ever stop grieving it. But I can either completely succumb to learned helplessness, or I can work on making it better.

As for psychiatric "disorders" there really isn't good science behind them. All of them are connected to stressors, trauma and adverse experiences. In my case my brain developed under copious amounts of stress and I live with chronic (yes, chronic) fatigue. I still managed to go from not being able to form a correct sentence to publishing long articles. Not to invalidate your sense of hopelessness of course. It's completely valid and lord knows I've felt it multiple times, still do occasionally. Just want to give an example on how it's not impossible.

 

[Aergia]

As for psychiatric "disorders" there really isn't good science behind them.

I share that general skepticism of the field—I once saw the phrase "taxonomies for patterns" being used to refer to psychiatric diagnoses and I think that was well-put. But on the other hand, there are established neural correlates for a lot of the disorders that exist.

I do function, and I'm grateful for that. I'm in my fourth year of college and did okay during my first three. It's simply the differential—between what my brain is like now and what it used to be like—that causes me a measure of pain. As it stands, I've accepted that all I can do now is to mitigate things, and so that's what I try to do. But the fact remains that there was a real loss that I doubt can be recouped, and it's not something I feel great about.

I am glad that you were able to regain some functioning. Chronic fatigue can be awful from what I've heard.