How intelligent are you? Do mental health or learning difficulties affect it?

[BrainacheBelle]

And how do you measure it?

Academically, emotionally, socially?

I think a serious lack of intelligence (in every field) has affected my life. Moreso because as a child, I managed to make people think I was smart. But was really all smoke and mirrors! Could never apply myself to anything. I think I was always very anxious, which turned into a diagnosis of anxiety and then depression in adulthood. Now on waiting list as psychologist thinks I have inattentive ADHD.

Unintentionally, I set myself up to fail at pretty much all I've tried. It is what it is though, I still enjoy life in many ways. Not depressed anymore but still experience crippling anxiety at times.

How intelligent are you? Do you disentangle your intelligence from other things going on, like mental health issues or learning difficulties?

I don't really understand intelligence or how it's entwined with these other aspects, which further points towards my general dimness

I do have other qualities - I'm kind and at times rather brave, for example, so this isn't a thread about beating myself up.

What do you think?

There are lots of different types of intelligence really.

We had a educational pschologist assess DD1 recently, it was very enlightening. She did multiple assessments with her.

DD1 as a result was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. She has very poor spelling and written skills, but is exceptional at reading and comprehension, in the top 2% in the country. The EP also said she was on the hyperactive side and struggled with concentration, but didn't go as far to say ADHD.

The assessment showed her as very bright in some areas, but the ones generally needed to prove intelligence are lacking (writing, spelling, and the speed at which she can do these things).

Intelligence is one of those things isn't it, I know some very intelligent people, the geeky sorts that specialise in one area, the socially intelligent who seem to be experts at social interaction, the emotionally intelligent, the super organisers etc. No one encompasses all those in one.

Oh and personally I'm a smoke and mirrors girl too , people assume I'm intelligent because I am quiet and shy on first meeting and I wear glasses. My interests sound geeky to outsiders but don't require any particular intellect on my part.

I have ADHD and chronic depression. Academically I would say I'm intelligent. I just graduated from my Masters program with a 3.98/4 GPA and I earned a 3.6/4 GPA for my Bachelors (both uni's are high ranking) and graduated high school (Canadian) with a 92% average.

From a critical/logical thinking standpoint, I'm also very intelligent. I'm very good at producing well rounded arguments, and I'm an excellent writer (not on MN's, I tend to be quite flippant on here).

I'm also earning 6 figures and doing very well in my job.

I am a complete idiot at mathematics though. I'm a 37 year old woman who still needs to count on her fingers. I also tend to forget my right and left.

Emotionally, I'm bad with my own emotions, but good at reading others. Which means I'm always the shoulder to cry on and end up in very one sided friendships. Any time I make close friends it ends up bursting into flames with me at the center once I show them a spec of my own emotions.

As a result of that, I now have no desire to make friends, and prefer to stick with my family. I'll make small talk when I have to, and I'm pretty good at it, but I won't get close to anyone.

So, overall, yes I'm intelligent. But my issues have hit me hard socially.

That's interesting. I would say I am intelligent academically and well organised and can get things done in my home life but I am very shy and quiet and because of this I am perceived as a not intelligent. I know this as I have had people remark how surprised they are when I have done something which they didn't think I was capable of. Noone is intelligent in every area of life.

I don’t think you’re unintwlligent OP.

I am “intelligent”. I’ve had my IQ tested, and I was told from an early age I’m incredibly smart.

I have suffered all my life from severe anxiety, and don’t really relate to people at all, and never lived up to my abilities. I’m unable to actually use my abilities because I’m locked in my own mind. I feel like I watch the world go by, through a window, and never actually become part of it. I can’t make friends. I don’t understand the dynamics of it.

I’m awful with emotions too.

I have ADHD, Severe GAD, OCD and other diagnoses.

I was very academic, but years of depression have made me feel stupid. Ever since the age of 14 when it started, I have felt blank and confused and like I don't understand what's going on. The only way I knew I wasn't stupid was that I seemed to always come top in exams, but it honestly felt like a different person had done it. Like there must have been a mix up with the papers.

It's similar now, I don't think I come across as a very intelligent person a lot of the time because I am quite blank and bumbly. But give me a mental task on paper and I'll do it better than anyone

Depression has also affected my emotional intelligence. I'd say I used to be very emotionally intelligent - feeling other people's feelings to the point that it was detrimental to me. But now I feel too numb to understand how others feel or what to say so I feel like I put my foot in it.

It's actually quite unpleasant feeling so blank all the time, and not being able to voice worries about feeling stupid because to other people it would look ridiculous or like I was fishing for compliments.

I am about to start therapy and one of the reasons is that I want to feel mentally sharper and to understand people again.

There are definitely different types of intelligence. Always thought it was quite unfair that only one type gets tested in education.

I recently couldn't remember Helena Bonham Carter's name. She popped into my head and I could list everything I'd seen her in, who she'd married, what she'd said accepting an award but her name escaped me. I have this often, with daft things. But it makes me worry about future memory loss etc. I have other "issues" which are generally well managed I think. But in the depths of anxiety I can't go into work, there's no point, I can't actually do any work.

Intelligence such a complex idea isn't it? And some intelligences are valued over others in different cultures/historical times etc. And how and what to measure is also governed by social mores.

I'm certainly no expert but I reckon that everyone is intelligent in certain ways, and daft in other ways.

Same as @TheHulksPurplePanties, but not nearly as successful in life.

I was only diagnosed with ADD last year, I'm trying to get my life in some sort of order, but I'm now 50 years old and people are looking for apprentices in the field I want to go into.

No degree, unstable job history and squeaking a living on a zero hours contract.

Intelligence can be over ridden by mental health issues.

Ken Robinson's TED talk was about this if anyone hasn't seen it - how there are so many different types of intelligence. He talks about a child who thinks 'kinetically' ie when dancing and moving, and how the education system fails those who aren't academic in a traditional sense.

Ps I should say the talk is more about different types of talent, not the impact of learning difficulties or mental health issues

Intelligence can be over ridden by mental health issues.

Absolutely. I think I'm very lucky in that the work/school I'm interested in fits in well with ADHD, especially my ability to hyper focus. Unfortunately, personal relationships are what suffer.

I actually think it’s easier to be average intelligence and have no MH issues than be intelligent but have anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism and so on.

Society caters to everyone else, we have to sort of fit in even tonight we aren’t made that way and it’s exhausting

Even though!

Thanks for replies. Some really interesting thoughts and perspectives.

I definitely agree with the different kinds of intelligence. Have bookmarked that TED talk to watch later.