Meet Elias
Looking beyond stable means understanding that Elias may have difficulty following instructions or conversations. These are called cogntive symptoms.
Most people living with schizophrenia may have cognitive symptoms
Cognitive symptoms, also called cognitive impairment, are a core symptom of schizophrenia. Cognitive symptoms can start early—even before someone has hallucinations or delusions. People with cognitive symptoms might have trouble with:
Problem solving
Attention
Memory
“After my first psychosis, I started to experience a shorter—Person living with schizophrenia
attention span but also, I had an issue with working memory
… I could keep fewer things in my mind at the same time
[especially when problem solving]. It was very disturbing for me
because I was always a high-IQ individual.”
symptoms
Let’s look at Elias’ symptoms
Elias’ hallucinations and delusions are treated with medication. Yet, he still may have trouble with cognitive symptoms. Here are 7 cognitive symptoms Elias might deal with. They include:
Trouble solving problems like remembering how to refill medication
Trouble understanding how others feel like recognizing when someone is angry
Trouble remembering things he’s seen like where he put something
Trouble thinking fast enough like performing task-oriented jobs at work
Trouble remembering things like forgetting a phone number just given to him
Lacking attention like the ability to follow a conversation
Not understanding what he reads like a list of food to buy at the supermarket
“I am a lot more forgetful than I was … I can’t remember what I did on Sunday. I don’t remember—Person living with schizophrenia
Sunday at all.”
IMPACT
Cognitive symptoms may affect Elias, and
others like him, in many ways
MANAGEMENT
Noticing cognitive symptoms is important
Unfortunately, there are no approved medicines to treat cognitive symptoms in people living with schizophrenia. However, it’s important to notice when cognitive symptoms affect your life, or the life of someone you care for, and to share this information with your care team.
Here are some tips that may help with the daily struggles of
cognitive impairment:
Develop and maintain social support
Set manageable goals
Keep up with regular activities
Remember to ask for help
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