Am I crazy? is this normal? :(?

Question

I need help, I don't know if this happens to everybody but I have a problem. When I'm driving or someone else is driving I can't stop counting in my head the number of mailboxes or poles on the sides..it's crazy I can go up to 200's and sometimes when I am just in my room or anywhere else I count every corner of everything or I also try to visualize every object as a geometric figure and then i count its corners...is it a psychological disorder or something? Need good advice. thanks!

Answer 1

Vampires do this. Do you go out during the day?

Just kidding...

I've done the same thing. It is symptomatic of Obsessive Compulsive. Have you ever watched 'Monk' the tv show? He's a OC detective and they make a lot of fun about it. It's an enjoyable show.

It could be that you just need more to challange you than what you deal with on a regular basis. In other words your environment is not up to par with your mental acuity. You don't have a disorder unless this behavior is causing you to become distracted from normal interaction with your world. For instance, if you pass a long row of mailboxes and run over them trying to count them - you have a problem. If it's just a little hobby going on more or less in the background it's fairly normal. But it can be annoying, sometimes intruding on your consciousness like a four-year-old trying to get your attention. If it is becomming too 'loud' for you to be comfortable with by all means talk to your regular doctor about it and let him know you're serious. There are med's that can help, you're NOT a lunatic, and no one else has to know.

Crap, you made me lose count of the number of times my faucet has dripped...

Answer 2

What you've described can be signs of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). If it bothers you that you do this, you can seek counseling and possibly some sort of medical treatment. I live with OCD without these things. I count as I drive/walk as well, organize by color, alphabetize, and have other obsessive behaviors that I act upon by impulse. As a solution, I try to make sure that my habits do not bother others. You may not have OCD however, many people are prone to obsessive behaviors by a sense of boredom or high stress in their life. Further advice would be to find a hobby to keep your mind off stress or to keep your mind busy; sudoku, chess, word searches; or if your athletic, try a group sport or dance-- exercise is very good for your mind. I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 3

do you still have this problem when you like example put a picture on a wall and it has to be perfect at all corners ? Or when you put a lamp on the light it has to be perfect, if its not you try and fix it ?? cause if you also suffer from any of these you may be suffering from O.S.B

{obsesive compulsive behaivor}

but however i may be wrong and you should see somebody for this type of suffering !!

I also tend to want to count the number of poles on the side of the road but thats only when i get bored while driving LOL

Answer 4

Youre not crazy. I wouldnt be counting mailboxes while driving tho since that could be hazardous to your health. Trying to see things as a geometric figure you know could be a giant plus for you if you go into drafting. I wish I had a better eye for seeing things like that because it would of helped me get thru my drafting class and into drafting but no such luck. If you havent decided on a career yet you should loli into drafting.

Answer 5

Nothing to worry about....i also do this sometimes,like count the number of stores,poles...etc.Its absolutely normal.If you want to get rid of this habit just tell yourself you wont do it again each time you do it......the moment you realise you are doing this just try to divert ur attention on other things...i am sure it will help.

Answer 6

i imagine all of us have a touch loopy in each human beings. i'm many times very suspicious of each person who claims they're thoroughly sane. loopy human beings can in certain situations be "smarter" than well-known human beings because they have a distinct way of searching at issues and do not continually experience the want to slot in or imagine like each human beings else. that's now to not say that they are continually properly yet they could in certain situations grant unique strategies to ascertain a situation.

Answer 7

Treatment for OCD

The mainstays of treatment of OCD include pharmacotherapy, behavior therapy, education and family interventions, and neurosurgical treatment in refractory cases.

* Pharmacotherapy
o These treatments center on the use of potent 5-HT reuptake inhibitors, such as the SSRIs and clomipramine (Anafranil).
o Doses above those needed for treatment of depression often are necessary. A therapeutic dose for 6-10 weeks may be required to observe a clinical response (see Medication).
o Other treatment studies also suggest a role for norepinephrine (NE) in cases of OCD. A certain percentage of patients show greater clinical improvement with a combination of 5-HT and NE reuptake inhibition as compared to treatment with SSRIs alone. These have included patients treated with clomipramine (a tricyclic antidepressant [TCA] with both 5-HT and NE reuptake inhibition) and those whose SSRI treatment was augmented with an NE reuptake inhibitor such as desipramine.

* Behavior therapy
o This is an important aspect of therapy that should be undertaken with a psychologist or psychotherapist who has experience and training in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
o This approach uses techniques of exposure and response prevention, meaning exposure to symptom triggers of gradually increasing intensity, with use of cognitive and relaxation techniques to suppress the obsessive or compulsive response.

* Strategies for treatment resistance
o Strategies always should include an assessment for complicating diagnoses, medication compliance, drug dose, and duration of therapy.
o The presence of a comorbid diagnosis that has not been addressed, such as depression or panic disorder, can interfere with clinical recovery and also may guide the choice of interventions.

* Interventions for patients with treatment resistance include the following:
o Change or increase in medication
o More intensive CBT
o Addition of an NE reuptake inhibitor, such as desipramine, to an SSRI or a trial of clomipramine
o Addition of a typical or atypical neuroleptic, especially in patients with a history of tics
o Augmentation with lithium, especially in patients with comorbid depression
o Augmentation with buspirone
o Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), especially in patients with comorbid depression
o Neurosurgery

Answer 8

It's called Obsessive compulsive disorder. Therapy can help with that. Some people take medications but therapy has been very successful. Good luck to you.

Answer 9

OCD.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder..

Or in your case "order"
As you have an order in which you count.
You're not harming anybody... we all do corky things.

Answer 10

You may be obsessive compulsive or autistic or something.