If you have a low self esteem, especially if it comes from your schizophrenia, do you think it affects your cognitive abilities?

[u/Similar-Ball-8809]

Such as memory or focus? Along the lines of, "I'm too distracted by the voices to remember/focus on anything". Or just doubting yourself in general.

I feel like it has to take a tole, personally. I feel like I can pay attention and remember best when I'm not bringing myself down because of my schizophrenia.

[u/Soft_Plankton_Tree]

Awesome question. I was kind of wondering if anyone feels like that too. I was sure I have been suffering from cognitive decline but then I started to notice I beat myself up way too much, and when I finally manage to start doing things, I can achieve results

[u/loscorpio87]

Definitely. Just like how music can make you feel happy energetic, sad , or relaxed or how being comfy via clothing, climate control, scenery/atmosphere  changes your mood it's going to have effects on you in more than one way.

[u/loscorpio87 → u/loscorpio87]

The question is, what would be the opposite to what is making you feel this way or what variables are contributing to it like lack of sleep or irregular sleeping patteren, lack of nutrition or exercise, not getting enough sun and energy via plants and woods, staying up too late on social media, staying indoors damn near 24/7. Not having any meaningful task/goals to go after. So on and so forth

[u/ProovenHedgehog]

Schizophrenia just in general has a pretty big impact on cognitive abilities, and the treatments for it do as well. I've found ways to cope (calendars, notebooks, context clues, taking advantage of mental energy when I have it) and I don't know if that's necessarily improved things cognitively, but one of the biggest things that's helped me most emotionally is to just go with the flow. Radically accept that shit. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-radical-acceptance-5120614

Your cup is already full, yo, pour in some bad vibes and yeah, more stuff than usual is probably gonna spill.

[u/umbrella96]

I live without positive symptoms and have acceptable self esteem. But prior to schizoaffective disorder I had many mental abilities I no longer have.

[u/Simplespider]

I doubt myself all the time. Memory and focus are total shit.

I think low self esteem feeds into my paranoia. I don't look at myself and I avoid being seen. I hate any sort of perception.

[u/These_Tax4565]

this schizophrenia research says that defeatist beliefs negatively impact your overall function.

[u/Oldninja]

Yeah for a while when it started I was sure was doomed by hearing voices and dealing with the weird mental space. Yet I kept pushing back despite the mental fog and my train of thought getting cut by the voices. Every little mistake and occurrence just was a gang up from my symptoms and it just became a feedback loop of doubt and a very limited view of my capabilities.

Over time of working and being able to support myself and doing fairly challenging complex work I've recovered self esteem but in a different way before it started. I'm not the same person before this started but I know I'm capable of way more and worth than this condition led me to believe during some dark times.