C-PTSD and intelligence

[alive]

Before my first traumatic experience, my intelligence was tested to be in gifted range (130+ points). After the first trauma I had many many other traumas and I feel like it impacted my intelligence in some way. I know that it's normal to have cognitive problems due to trauma, but my cognitive problems never really went away after my first trauma... I'm now a young adult and my cognitive problems still persist. It's hard to study, it's hard to communicate with people around me, everything is clouded for a very long time and nothing makes sense to me anymore. I even left school because I'm simply unable to focus and integrate information in front of me, I can't even process it at normal speed, yet at gifted speed...

Do you guys think severe childhood trauma can affect intelligence in any way? I'm cognitively still developing to some extent, hah, but I want to know what do you think and I want to know if I'm the only one who feels this way. Are those deficits something that can be fixed? I'm really sick of feeling this way.

If anyone has any advice or any resources, please share :)

 

[Emotional girl]

I think CPTSD can affect all aspects of your life without you realising it.
When I look back now to my early school years I spent a lot of the time walking around in a daze and my concentration skills were poor.
As I got older into high school I had to have quite a bit of time off due to anxiety and depression but I didn't understand the symptoms of either at the time.
Now I am in my 40s and I can't read anything that is too long and it's not because I don't understand but because I find it very difficult to concentrate.
I do feel that CPTSD has definitely had some kind of affect on my intelligence.
Not sure if this helped at all but wanted you to know you are not alone.

 

[EveHarrington]

Are you sure this isn’t a dissociation issue?

I know if you tested my iq while I was dissociated it would be on the level of a toad.

I think much of what you describe is dissociation.....which is very much treatable.

Do you know why you dissociate?

 

[Abstract]

I'm really not sure is the answer. Sure someone will dish the science. I do know that when our lizard brain amygdala is in over drive that is where we are functioning from and the frontal cortex is not as active. Its like our brain switches over from complex reasoning to simple sensory and instinctual states. Dissociation means again that the brain is only partially functioning. Its like part of the brain is asleep. Then we add sleep deprivation, depression etc and it all effects brain function. Being symptomatic like flashbacks etc takes over centre of place in our attention and makes it hard to concentrate on other things.

Saying all that all my symptoms are down drastiucally for the first time and I am a bit horrified to find my brain not working well. Maybe its the first signs of senility. ? Worrying thought. I feel very reduced in my cognitive functions. I have read before that brain function can be damaged bypsychologicall trauma but because my thinking is impaired cant recall the detail. Welcome here and sorry to hear about your schooling. :(

 

[grit]

What is the intelligence you are speaking of?

Cognition or emotional?

IMHO, not based on science but what I read and some of my interest and life changes, your cognition should not change drastically; however, it is really hard to be highly cognitive if the brain is full of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, panic and hyper-vigilance. So you need to reach a level of functioning that is inducive to thinking logically for extended period of times.

Some of the people who came up theories we are using were themselves experiencing trauma, PTSD or even schizophrenia. So I doubt it.

However, your emotional side can take hit if all the defenses you were using are disabled but you do not become less intelligent, you become more sensitive and emphatic.

Hope this helps. It could simply be you are under duress right now and this too shall pass.