I donât think there was a marked âbefore and after developing schizophreniaâ. It was more an increase in the intensity of things already happening. There was a progression from social anxiety to increasing depression to what I would call âcomparatively mildâ psychosis . Schoolwork wise things deteriorated beyond that that could be explained by lack of recognition and lack of help and support for learning difficulties. Stress was and still is a major pointer as to how I was/am doing mental health wise. Being an undiagnosed autistic child and teenager at boarding school didnât help. To put it mildly!
Going to prep school, just after my 8th birthday, was the start of my being increasingly unable to function well in a neurotypically dominated world.
Cognitively I do wonder how many here have the marked peaks and troughs that I have. The troughs, from research I have done, indicating NVLD. Recognised far more in the USA than in the UK
When I was about 17, the world suddenly went from feeling 3D to feeling 2D. I still remember it happening. That was the start.