Arithmomania
filed in Blogging/Web, Nonsensical Ramblings on Apr.13, 2006
Merriam-Webster’s Medical Dictionary defines ARITHMOMANIA as “a morbid compulsion to count objects”.
Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary defines ARITHMOMANIA as “b. compulsive counting”.
I have arithmomania and I have had it for as long as I can remember. I’m still unsure if it is a blessing or a curse. Has it gotten better or worse over time? Not sure, but it has gotten more severe as I’ve gotten older. But…has it gotten more severe, or have I just gotten better at it?
It wasn’t until only a year ago that I discussed this with my wife. I always thought it was just the way my brain worked. Surely, nobody else would really be able to comprehend what my brain does on it’s free time.
My particular arithmo-flava centers in on geometric objects (better if they have corners) found in everyday life. Cabinets. Street Signs. Painted lines on highway. Bathroom tiles.
You get the idea.
I don’t actually count the number of objects. I count the angles, sides, corners of each object. Not the sum. Here’s a highly simplified example of what my brain does: Picture a white painted line on the highway. It is flat, so it has no dimension to it. There are four sides and four corners. Each side has two terminals (where the line ends at the corner). I tend to count those terminals on each corner. So in this example, each corner would have a value of “2”. So I would go around the painted line, counting 2, 4, 6, 8. Not too difficult, eh? Now, picture doing that to EVERY SINGLE PAINTED LINE on the highway while travelling at 65 mph. Now imagine applying that habit to a 3-dimensional object. How many line terminals can you count? Now, put yourself into a room that has tiles of all different shapes, sizes and thicknesses.
Now you might be starting to grasp the very edge of what I deal with constantly. It wasn’t until last year when I first stumbled upon this word and definition, and then yesterday – when I got an e-mail from a friend stating that he suffers from arithmomania as well – that I fully realized that I am not alone in my plight. I’m quite sure that the degrees of severity are all across the board. I like to think that my particular case is more severe than most, but it may not be.
How about you? Are shaking your head going “this guy is completely nuts!” or can you relate in your own life?
April 13th, 2006 on 12:34 pm
I have ADD. I can’t count past 10 without getting distracted. I’m not sure what’s worse… 🙂
Happy 2nd Anniversary to the Blaqenedwyte Blog! Keep up the great work Kenny!
April 13th, 2006 on 2:08 pm
I don’t know about “morbid”. This probably helps you with the geometry of graphic design. Plus, it adds to my case that your “bad at math” mantra is wrong. Count away…as long as you keep your eyes on the traffic too.
April 13th, 2006 on 7:46 pm
My dad has the exact same thing. He didn’t tell me about it until a few years ago when I started getting into the habit. He’s kept it to himself all these years.
April 14th, 2006 on 8:09 am
It seems like you have your “mania” under control. Is this something you do when your mind is idle, or does it distract you during meetings and while working?
April 14th, 2006 on 8:53 am
Comment Replies:
Scott: I think ADD is worse, but I’m thinking that arithmomania is certainly on the fast track to becoming an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Kate: I think it has become a good exercise for my brain that probably does spill over into my design.
Joel: Thanks for the comment. How severe is you and your dad’s arithmomania?
DigiGirl: I don’t think my brain is ever idle. It’s only the rare occasion that I can catch up with it enough to comprehend something. It is a distraction occasionally.
April 14th, 2006 on 10:31 am
Your brain sounds just like mine, except I don’t count things. But I am obsessively observant. I’m assuming that you and I are alike in that, when we sit in meetings it’s really hard to concentrate on the topic at hand because i’m too busy thinking of something else. In your case that something else might be counting things. In my case i’m looking at the details of people’s faces, what they’re wearing, the sound of their voice, the lint on their shirt, the how the wallpaper interacts with the floor patterns, how one chair is different from all others, etc. If it’s in the room, it’s a distraction. A pure white, empty room would distract me just as much as a casino!
April 17th, 2006 on 9:00 am
I experience a physical sensation of dis-ease when someone writes a bunch of words on a white board or chalk board, and then only erases a big circle in the middle, leaving little word fragments scattered all over the board. I haven’t yet jumped up and started to erase a board in class, but boy do I want to!
April 18th, 2006 on 11:31 am
I only wish that I had known during our trip upstate that you were counting the painted lines on the highway while I was estimating the midpoint between telephone poles and trying to calculate our speed using the time between mile markers. Quirkiness loves company…
June 15th, 2006 on 8:55 pm
Had never heard the term about counting, but for years I count the sum of numbers on license plates in front of me, or the number of letters on billboards or the sum of numbers on the hymn boards at church, etc. It doesn’t distract me from keeping my mind on what I should.
June 24th, 2006 on 6:42 am
Hello I’m from the Netherlands , so sorry for my bad English.
But i’ve also got arithmomania. I just found the right word for it on wikipedia and could easily see that i’ve really got it. I always count the sides of a square. It always has to be 5. So i always make one side extra to a square so it has 5 sides. So imagine when i see everywhere squares, i always want to make 5 sides to every square. i also have an obsession to NOT count things in numbers of six. So if something is six i surely want to make it seven or higher. I can make a lot more examples, but i think you understand that you’re not alone with “arithmomania”
October 3rd, 2006 on 11:55 pm
I have been getting worse with my counting everything as I get older. It HAS to be counted and by 2’s (2,4,6,8,etc.) and I can’t seem to quit till I get near 100. It is extremely distracting to me and very disturbing to my sense of reality. I think I am becoming insane. Sorry to hear about all your problems that are similar to mine. I can’t walk into a bathroom without counting corners by 2’s and then counting the tiles (can’t leave room till I count em all) but it is always by 2’s!! I can’t remember the total sum of the tiles even though I have counted them numerous times before so I count them again!!!!! Sometimes I don’t even realize that I am counting till someone says something. I am only 31 now and can only imagine how I will be in 10 or 20 years.
August 22nd, 2007 on 4:26 pm
I’m a 21 year old female from GA.I just found out the other day that I have arithmomania. I have had it for as long as I can remember. I do the exact same thing. I count the lines on the road, the tiles on my floor, the movies on my shelf. Really and truly, I think it will drive me insane. I can’t stop counting. I will try to force myself to stop, but I can’t. My mind just drifts back to the counting. I don’t know what to do, where to turn. It really bothers me. Will I do this for the rest of my life??? It just makes me feel better to see that I am not alone. That there are others who battle this same problem. If anyone can help me or any advice whatsoever… please contact me at (Leann.Stover@yahoo.com)Thanks!!!
-Leann from Georgia
October 2nd, 2007 on 12:37 am
hey there!! me too have the same habit…i tend to count all the corners or side og an object like doors, windowa etc…. wweeehhww!! its good am not the only one doing it hehe
October 12th, 2007 on 1:29 pm
I have been counting for as long as I can remember and I’m 57. Sometimes it has been a distraction as in school or conversations, but not debilitating. I’ve never known anyone else that has done this same thing (I count things until they add up to an even number). Thanks for sharing.
January 2nd, 2008 on 6:28 pm
I am 59 years old and have counted for as long as I can remember. It has gotten worse as I have gotten older and sometimes it drives me nuts. I will count steps, lines,and shapes as well as I mentally draw the outlines of shapes. jacket and shirt collars drive me crazy, I will draw the outline of them over and over. Wish I could make it stop!
February 8th, 2008 on 9:22 pm
I thought I was crazy and the only one who has this going on in hes life. I count things every waking minute. I tend to focus on corners. When I see a box I really see four and count it. (4 corners) What really drives me nuts is watching TV. I first count how many people and animals are in my house then add how many are on the screen. The number always changes because there is always different numbers of people on the TV. Therefor continuous counting. I like even numbers better than odd and if I use my fingers for fun I always have to end on my pinkie. If I don’t I just start all over again. CRAZY. I can’t stop and just live with it. Oh well
August 17th, 2008 on 4:28 pm
Hey there,
I’m Laura from Switzerland, and I have the same problem. I’m counting the numbers of letters in sentences, though, and pair them in groups of 3 or 4. For example when I read or even when I’m only thinking. But it’s not very distracting, I think my brain’s just bored. I didn’t know until recently that other people have similar (little) obsessions 😉
June 9th, 2009 on 11:54 am
I do the same thing! I’ve always thought I was crazy for doing it, i also count stairs as I take them, I like to count them by odd numbers, 1,3,5,7,9,11… it’s always special when a set of stairs has exactly 11 for some reason. On long road trips i constantly count the white/black/yellow lines on the road, you know from right to left its black, white, black, dotted white, black, yellow, black, yellow, black, dotted white, black, white, black. eventhough it always adds up to 13 (for a 4lane road) I keep counting it over and over again.
March 17th, 2010 on 10:04 pm
My obsession is with 3 and digital clocks.. I will add/subtract/multiply the numbers on the digital clock till I get them down to 3…If I end up with a number like 27 for example, well 2+7=9/3=3. And if I have a combo of numbers I cant get down to 3 then I’ll count the dashes it takes to make up the digital numbers until I get down to 3. if all else fails theres always the : (counts for 2) and the dot for PM/AM. I will have my 3! Muahahaha.
and I have to do all this in 60 seconds before the time changes because thats a whole new set of numbers. This has gone on for hours till I fall asleep. I have to have digital clocks because ticking clocks drive me mad. and you cant just turn the clock around and go to sleep.. Who we kidding? we know those numbers are there waiting to be manipulated. Odd thing, I hate math and failed it religiously in school. Hope this helps ease someones mind and keeps them from thinking they are the freak.. because really.. we ALL are 🙂
March 22nd, 2010 on 12:42 pm
OMG!!! I knew I wasn’t alone in this!! I can clearly tell you at any given time how many tiles are in my house (with a break down of every room), how many slats are in each set of blinds, how many buttons are on my couch, etc. My husband and I were at the hardware store, looking at new handles for our kitchen cupboards and he was trying to figure out how many we needed….. that’s just silly, he had to have known I already knew that answer (30!!!) This does not disturb my daily life, but I find it hard at times to rationalize why certain things are grouped the way they are. (13 bathroom tiles?? seriously?? how unnerving is that!) If i can count something that adds up to a peaceful number in my head, i’m done with it…..time to move on to the next geometrical puzzle. In retrospect, it could be something worse. I never do it aloud and it never stops me in my tracks….I just hope that I am actually hiding it well enough at times and people aren’t watching my eyes roll around sporadically, looking like i’m having a seizure!
August 13th, 2010 on 8:18 pm
Love this. I have language fixations that often center around counting. My compulsion can take one of two main routes: I either mentally spell each word I hear as it’s spoken or count letters that I see or hear. My favorite number is 16 — 4 seems perfectly symmetrical to my mind, so 4 sets of 4… satisfies something deep. A word with fewer than 8 letters I sense automatically (Chicago – 7. Clearly.) Beyond 8, I start grouping in sets of four. “Is this chick crazy?” becomes “isth isch ickc razy” I kept a ledger for a time with every combination of 16 I found but then decided that was really creepy and stopped. I also pay attention to vowel-consonant patterns, and rearrange letters to make new words. I do these sometimes not at all, and when I’m doing them truly compulsively it’s usually in a time of high stress.
August 22nd, 2010 on 7:55 am
Hi – I have an obsession with counting my steps in 8’s, and once the 8 is done I totally go back to 1 again. There is a distinct pattern for stepping on cracks on the sidewalk (1 is on a crack, 2 and 3 off, 4 on, 5 off, 6 and 7 on, 8 off) and as much as I try not to look down or count in my head, I can do it without even thinking it through each time. Coming down or going up stairs is the same. I always have to find the middle letter in words I see printed also – if it’s an even number I have to be satisfied that the blank space in the center is the middle letter.. Crazy! So I’m a choreographer and now I’m embarking on making a piece about arithmomania. This forum has been HUGELY helpful in seeing its’ other manifestations. Keep ’em coming!!
September 9th, 2010 on 7:36 pm
I have had the same thing since I was little. When I eat M & M’s, I will eat 4, 3, 4, 5, 4, 5. The colors don’t distract me too much, only how many I have in my hand to eat. I, constantly, count license plate numbers and add the letters in until I come up with a number that makes me feel good. Some numbers I like, others just don’t sit well with me. A few years ago, I started counting colors. Especially on signs. A stop sign, or cross-walk sign, street signs. I count the number of colors in each sign, then I spell the colors out and count the letters and lets not forget the polls that hold them up – they have colors, too. If there are multiple signs, I try to add them all up together. Also, I have a tendency to count the letters in peoples words when they are speaking to me. My hand will look like it’s typing or drumming sometimes. Digital alarm clocks. Counting all the lines that make up the numbers. I collect clocks and fecently, I noticed that they all have roman numerals. Don’t know why I didn’t notice this before 🙂 I’m sure there are a lots of other counting things I do, it’s always been a part of me and doesn’t distract me too much. My mom and my brother, also, do this but in different degrees.
October 5th, 2010 on 1:31 pm
It feels good to know I’m not alone to count!
While I watch TV, while I eat, read, write, work, take a bath, talk, … I always count everything. I count with my fingers on both hands and often also with my teeth. Everything is counted but never the sum, it always has to be under 5 (because I only have 5 fingers on each hand thank God). When a word is to small for example like “cat” I count by 3 fingers and I do this several times over and over but on 1 or both hands. When a word is to large I divide it by 2,3,4 or 5 letters for example like spider becomes sp-id-er or spi-der. It has to be even numbers of letters.(spi=3 + der =3= 6). Very difficult to explane.
I also do this with words I hear like in a conversation.
But not only I count words, I also count the corners from a room, from a window, from a kitchen, … When I drive I count the stripes on the road and the lights, and trees, and … then I almost have an accident. Normally it doesn’t botters me to much but it’s hard to stay concentrated. I can’t focus enough. Yeah well, nothing to do about it. Maybe the world needs to be counted. And we are the perfect persons to do this.
November 8th, 2010 on 2:31 pm
I draw simple shapes and patterns (often facial features or geometric shapes like a maltese cross)with MY RIGHT TOE. I count the lines and the spaces and shade it in with extra ‘dots’ if necessary until I get 15, 20 or 25. it always works unless I’m one off the total, in which case i will scribble over the whole design.
I often get a sore toe! It’s really dexterous, miles more so than my left lol.
I dont worry about the consequences of not doing it I just feel an excrutiating drive and my toe aches. I am always satisfied by my finished design and can do one after the other after the other. I don’t know why the numbers are significant either.
December 8th, 2010 on 12:23 pm
I have arithmomania too.I didnt know until i found out what the word was called on wikipedia.To be honest i didnt know it even existed i always thought it was just me!!
I seen to clench my teeth together and blink at a clear wall so many times i have 2 count it every time and until i get it right, i also HAVE to count the highway lines or the bathroom tiles or the number of trees outside its really annoying sometimes actually.
January 15th, 2011 on 2:17 pm
Hi, I am an Hungarian guy and I’m obsessed with number 8. I also count colours, edges, lines, patterns, shapes, numbers, patches, and I am looking for number 8 in everything.
It does not bother me, but I realized that it is not normal. I told my girlfriend about it and she advised to talk to a psychologist to give advise or guidance, as we thought there might be some sort of techniques to learn to stop me doing it. If someone can give me some useful tips I would be very grateful. Thank you…D
January 15th, 2011 on 4:56 pm
Why would you want to stop it? Is it disruptive to your normal life?
January 16th, 2011 on 12:48 pm
It doesn’t effect my every day life but I could probably use my brain and my attention to other more useful things…
February 20th, 2011 on 1:08 am
Glad to know I’m also not alone! I have the compulsion to count the number of stairs, the lines and spaces between the lines on the highway (always starting from the center and working my way to the outside symmetrically!), the shapes on wavy furniture (in groups of 3s or 4s depending on what feels right for the individual piece. A curve is 3- it starts out, peaks, then continues back down), and floor tiles. With floor tiles I always try to determine the number there would be with nothing in the room, AND the total number of full tiles there would be if you combined pieces of partial tiles with the full ones.
Recently I have found the compulsion to count the number of stairs so distracting, that I purposely start with a random number at the bottom stair and count upwards (like starting with say, the number 7- then counting 7,8,9…) so that I purposely “forget” the real number of stairs that there are! I feel that since I’m not really counting the number of stairs, that somehow that’s more “normal”. Weird huh? Ah, the crazy things our brains do…
March 21st, 2011 on 7:07 am
Hi, I’m from Russia. I was sooo happy to see that I’m not alone. I started counting things and sum them up when I was twelve. didn’t think about it until shared this problem with my friends who said it was not normal. I always find what to count it can be anything. When I talk to someone I count buttons on their shirt or stripes. Most of time it has to be even number. Letters in a word are also counted)))
April 18th, 2011 on 12:49 pm
I too have arithmomania. I have counted items since I remember. I only count even numbers. I do not like odd numbers. I mostly count in 4’s. I count items that have 4 sides (only 2 dimensional). A square light switch = 4. Yellow lines = 4 (because they have 4 sides. When I see a house with windows I have to count all of the windows (they each equal 4) since they have 4 sides. I count the number of tiles in our rooms. I count the number of steps it takes me to walk to our mailbox and back. I have a ritual when going up and down stairs. I have to start with my left foot and I must step off the last step with my right foot. If there is an odd number of stairs I must skip my foot back so I can still land on my right foot. I also find myself counting by 12’s up to the number 108. I do not find this very distracting as I can make myself stop. I have found that taking prozac helps me greatly and I don’t count near as often.
October 22nd, 2011 on 7:27 pm
I count to calm myself down, or if i’m extremly bored. When it’s bedtime, I tend to count the lines on a digital clock. I count the number of cabinets in our kitchen, always by twos. I sometimes count by tightening my flexing my muscles from my ankles – behind my knees – thighs/hips – fingers – forearms – last is my shoulders. It’s weird, but it helps me to fall asleep. I also count tiles in public bathrooms (work). I also countI used to count steps going up and down stairs (also at work). I count windows, how many in the house. the weirdest thing i count are facial features. Ears, eyes nose and mouth. Always starting from the right ear, moving to the right eye, to the right nostril, to the right corner of the mouth, then the left corner, (or sometimes the mouth is just one depending on if i’m counting odd or even) then the left nostril, then the left eye and alwasy end with the left ear. Also, I’m a lefty.
April 25th, 2012 on 6:49 am
Rather than seeing it as a curse, you can actually use this to your advantage. It’s really all about how you see things. As long as it doesnt affect your daily activities.Apart from that, you’re definitely not alone, there a lot of people who have the same dilemma as you have.
July 21st, 2012 on 6:49 am
Hi everyone! I have been counting things since I was a child (I’m 50 now!). I count words on my fingers eg the word FINGER has 6 letters, so the letter F starts on my left thumb and I count it out until all my fingers are used up going onto my second hand. Then I start the word again from the index finger of my second hand and keep going round (five times) so the word the last letter of the word ends on the last finger! It’s exhausting but I can do it for any word and I am quite fast at it now! Also, I “round-off” squares by adding corners to them, then corners to the corners so in my mind it ends up like a parabola, as near a circle as I can get it. I just can’t stop counting and thought it was just me!
July 30th, 2012 on 1:31 am
until i heard the term “arithmomania” i had no idea it was an actual disorder lol. i have had this weird obsession since about first grade. now im in my 30’s. my number is 4. almost everything i do has to correspond with that number in some way. it can be extremely agrivating at times, but in other ways it has taught me to remember things like a champ…as long as i can tie it to that number. lets say someone tells me to remember the numbers 35871. i instantly remember them because my brain can see them as a multiple of four. we start out at the 3 going to 5. 2 is in between them. thats a multiple of four. 5 to 7, also a multiple of four. put the 8 before the 7. eight if 4 times 2. on a number line its usually 1-9 then repeating, so 8 to a one is also 2, (half of four. everything in this number pattern i can associate to a four. it may not make sense to someone else but i see it and can remember almost any number sequence. but its very frustrating to half to count my steps and make them equal out 😀 we aren’t crazy we are just specials =)
August 31st, 2012 on 1:57 am
Oh My Goodness, I have been doing this since I was a very young child, now 37…..
I count paces when walking, but usually in 2s
I count letters in words, my favourite words are those that can be divided by 3
I count window panes, curtain tabs, fence posts, repetitions of wallpaper patterns, my kitchen cupboard handles,
I can’t understand why i do it over and over again…. I know there are 17 door handles in my kitchen, but I still have to count them.
I am well educated and was the head girl of my year at school. I studied medicine but gave that up to study music, now a music teacher in primary school. So I’m intelligent, probably an overactive brain or something???
It doesn’t affect me in the way that I go crazy if I don’t count something, but I do feel it always wins and I usually find myself doing it without thinking about it. My friends used to laugh at me when I told them about it, my husband finds it really amusing too, which is ironic seeing as how he is a financial advisor and is ALWAYS talking about numbers, money etc lol
August 31st, 2012 on 4:56 am
So glad to find this site, as with so many of you thought I was the only one. I count just about everything but also, attribute letters to facial features. A word with two Os or two Es are great as they fit into the eyes, a Y is good for a nose. A M? mouth, D? forehead. It goes on, had it all my life, now 75 but does not seem any worse. I often wonder what people, who do not count, do with “idle time” in their brain?
August 31st, 2012 on 4:26 pm
Just read abt arithmomania & tryin to find more abt it, I started countin as a kid, 1st tot everyone does it, but growin up I tot I would get rid of it, realised I couldnt, can’t talk about it with people cos it feels like wot kids do, but gud to know am not alone.
I mostly count in 2’s or 4’s wit my steps, snap out of it, but b4 I know it, am doin it again. I count my stairs almost everytime I use it(8/9 out of 10), but can’t say how many stairs/steps it has.
I watch foreign movies wit subtitles, rada reading d text, am counting d amount of letters in it,
When walkin on pavement/slabs, I count them, …etc
It could b distracting sometimes, I feel it makes my mind too active, just sometimes which I could manage it more, but I just drift into it witout knowin.
If anyone knows a gud way of managin it pls post
I actually just knew about it 2day, & am 30yrs
December 28th, 2012 on 11:40 am
I have to make sentences equal 10 syllables in my head to the point that it may make the sentence incomprehensible, but it must be 10. I have done this for as long as I can remember.
December 28th, 2012 on 11:41 am
I can write just fine without those restrictions and only do it with what I am going to speak
January 22nd, 2013 on 12:46 pm
Oh my God 🙁 I didn’t even know there was a name for this but I’ve been suffering from this for years. No-one I have ever talked to understood what I was saying (and I work in mental health!)
I count words and shapes and ….. just about EVERYTHING! I have my own ‘system’ for counting that no-one would ever understand.
So glad I found people with similar problems (if that makes sense?)
Fiona X
February 21st, 2013 on 1:09 pm
I have arithmomania. Whether I suffer from it, I have no idea. I count everything. Stairs are a articular obsession.
Of course, it was many years before I REALISED that I had arithmomania. I remember telling my parents. I asked them if they could remember how many stairs the been in the house we’d lived in when I was a kid. They hadn’t a clue. There were sixteen.
I haven’t seen that house for thirty years, but I can still remember counting the stairs every single time I went up or down.
July 11th, 2013 on 9:21 am
I have always felt a compulsion to count stairs, and a few years ago mentioned it to my sisters only to learn one of the two have it also, and the other thinks we’re crazy! I only heard the term this week on an episode of Fringe on TV! About 7 years ago I went through a rough time and was diagnoed with anxiety and depression. When I told the psychiatrist’s assistant about the counting and my mind always racing to the point of not being able to sleep, I was also diagnosed with OCD, which greatly upset me to think I had a disorder. However, I have been taking medications (Zoloft) ever since and it no longer bothers me if I count, I can relax so much more, and have found I have less mood swings too.
October 22nd, 2013 on 8:01 pm
I dont know if all of these, because of there extreme dissimilaritys can all be used under the same diagnosis but maybe that’s just me not wanting to have anything. I do all the little basic stuff i have heard of before from counting your steps while you walk to more severe where i sometimes miss out on something i.person may say as my mind is quickly adding up the numerical value of each letter they say added to the numerical value of each word they say and then sibsequentally mulitple if the number tries to turn out even. The numeric system used is the basic 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,1,2,3,4 system tgat you would use through a phone
November 3rd, 2013 on 7:13 am
We have the exact same thing and count the exact same things the same way. I always thought there had to be a name for what I have… As I count windows doors cabinets lines on the highway and every possible thing I see I sometimes find myself moving my index finger. Im glad I finally Googled “why do I count everything I see” and came across Arithmomania. I count in a very weird way that will be almost impossible to explain… the edge of peoples faces plus the edge of their eyes eyebrows lips nose etc… I also do cars for example if im driving and there’s two lanes I count 1 the middle intersection line 2, 3 the the space left and right 4, 5 my car and the person in the other lanes car 6, 7 the space before getting to the edge of the highway line 8 , 9 the two last lines of the higway left and right 10, 11 the outside space left and right of the highway… maybe you wouldn’t understand me but it was one exapmle out of so many that are so hard to explain.
November 17th, 2013 on 12:12 pm
For the longest time, I tried to hide the fact that I count. A lot of people still don’t know, I guess I am embarrased by it. I count all the time, but usually I count my actions, only to a certain number (usually 6 or 12). I don’t count road signs or objects, just my actions, such as my steps or hand movements when performing an act, such as changing the dishwasher or doing dishes. I am not sure if this is arithmomania.
December 24th, 2013 on 8:00 pm
I know what you mean with the room full of tiles. I have to count every letter in a word and then the words themselves. I then have to break each sentence and each word into a symmetric pattern. Pattern for instance is 7 letters and so must be spelled out pat T Ernest with special emphasis on the T. I have to count them repeatedly too, so imagine how interesting writing anything is, including this reply. 🙂
June 14th, 2014 on 7:39 am
Hi there. I’m 24 and from Ireland and away travelling at the moment. So glad I stumbled upon this site.
My thing is that I hear a sentence when anyone is talking to me around me and immediately I’ll count how many letters there are. Then I’ll try and fit the sentence and try to make it to twenty. I’ll add it commas, apostrophes, even eg and etc just to make it to 20. I would always be day dreaming doing it and sometimes it does stop me from sleeping hence how I’m awake now because I had to google it. I’m not sure if it’s classified as OCD or anything but I do have other things, counting steps. I have to finish with my right foot all the time hence I know exactly how many numbers there are on any step I’ve been on just to land on my right foot. Sometimes if I do forget ill double step just to land on the right.
With other numbers too, I look at license plates, phone numbers and figure out what to add or subtract in the hope I get 0 and then being annoyed when I can’t.
It’s not too much of a distraction but sure is annoying not being able to sleep. I’ve tried fighting the steps one but the phrases and numbers drive me mad.
Good to know that I’m not alone tho , if anyone had any advice, etc this would be great. Haven’t told anyone at all about it cause I thought I’d be laughed at ! Thanks in advance !
August 13th, 2014 on 5:28 pm
This is so crazy, I think we’re brothers, lol. I just recently discovered my obsession has a name, arithmomania (always just assumed it was a mild form of OCD). But yea, I also count corners, 99% of what you said is spot on! Only difference is I use a value of 3 on corners.
Googling around it seems only you and I 3Dfy objects to count corners. Everyone else counts objects themselves.
January 8th, 2015 on 6:55 pm
Hi guys,
Love the site. I have done the counting since I can remember and never so many others were out there. It’s great to know I am not alone.
What number do you count to or by. My number is 4’s or multiples of 4’s.
February 1st, 2015 on 2:09 pm
Interesting to read how different everyone is with this. I count also. I count everything! Numbers, letters, corners, angles, tiles, even the features on people’s faces. I always have to count by 2s though. Odd numbers drive me crazy! I don’t think it interferes with my daily life but I always wonder why I do it!
February 1st, 2015 on 2:09 pm
Interesting to read how different everyone is with this. I count also. I count everything! Numbers, letters, corners, angles, tiles, even the features on people’s faces. I always have to count by 2s though. Odd numbers drive me crazy! I don’t think it interferes with my daily life but I always wonder why I do it!
February 5th, 2015 on 5:24 am
I’ve been counting objects and drawing the outline of objects in my head for as k
long as I can remember.
my favorite thing to count as a child was beats in music… Not surprising that I now record music and my timing is impeccable
May 15th, 2015 on 2:51 pm
Hi. Nice to see this site. I also count the angles, sides,… when I count the sides and the result is even I get happy and vice versa. This happens when I am in deep thinking. Right now, I start counting the keyboards keys. I start from one corner diagonally and encounter to another side and continue. I expect to end all in another corner, if not it affects me…
Do you think this is a big problem and should be cured?! 🙁 🙁 🙁
August 26th, 2015 on 1:10 pm
Hello i have been reading some of the comments is there anyone that can maybe point me in the direction of a web page that will help with what iam dealing with? I can not stop drawing words objects no u name it on my finger tips i catch myself doing it while i am watchning tv if i am not drawing on my fingers i walk and count every for corner i can find wheather its the out line on the exit sign or my photo frames corners at home office ec i struggle so with this i even while holding my husband hand start spelling or making shps of what i am seeing ?
March 22nd, 2016 on 10:59 am
I also count, it kills me.
I count my fingers and front teeth in 10, 20, 50, 100. For example:
Middle finger is 10, Pinky is 20, Ring finger is 50, Index finger is 100 and my Thumb is 180 then I combine them all to get a total of 360 and do it over and over tapping my fingers on a table or my knee in the exact pattern one finger at a time.
With my teeth the side of my right lateral incisors is 10, the bottom and top of my left lateral incisors is 20, the front of my canine teeth are 50, the back of my central incisors are 100 and the top and bottom rows separately is 180, then combined – 360. I just keep counting them over and over again with my tongue.. 10, 20, 50, 100 I keep repeating in my head.
I also count letters in words but slightly differently than what others have posted. I add dots, lines and colons in between letters haha, sounds weird because it is.
For example:
A one letter word like “A” I will say :/A or :|=A (Colon slash A or Colon, line, equal, A)
Two letter word A:N or A|N
Three letter word A.N.D (A, Dot, N, Dot, D)
Four letter word W|H|A|T
Five letter word W:H|O|S:E
Six letter word W.A:|N:|:T|:E.D (W, Dot, A, Colon, Line, N, Colon, Line, Colon, T, Colon, E, Dot, D
And so on, it actually drives me insane some days. If it bothers anyone too much I’d recommend taking Dexamphetamines (prescribed) it actually blocks out my compulsion altogether and gives me some peace.
April 5th, 2016 on 5:14 am
Counting, counting , counting. Adding, dividing, multiplying. Mentally constructing various geometric patterns in 2D and 3D and counting corners. Then mentally drawing lines to intersect all corners for even more complex mathematical tallies. Ironically all of this seems to have no purpose. I do it constantly when I’m walking, driving, watching TV, taking a shower, eating or while talking with people. It never ends. Once I consciously notice it I can stop but then it starts again. I even count circles like the ones on the tops and bottoms of telephone poles and then divide those circles with 6 criss-crossing lines to form a “Zodiac” type cross if you will. Then I add those 9 intersecting points and multiply them by 2 and then multiply that number by the number of telephone poles I’m passing by. To make matters worse I imagine lines intersecting vertically along the length of the poles then in my mind I’ll slice the pole into pieces like slicing a carrot and continue counting and multiplying the circles, lines, intersections. It’s exhausting. I do this even when I listen to music. I do this with tiles, windows the different planes of buildings, signs, doors, tables, sidewalks, shelves, anything symmetrical but I’ll even count and dissect leaves in 2d and 3d, nothing is off limits except people, I don’t do this with people or animals, thank God! Strangely enough, the only time it seems to stop is when I’m playing music with a guitar, piano or harmonica. When I play drums I use only the most basic counting of 1.2.3.4. like any normal drummer would. Am I crazy? Maybe, maybe not. There seems to be so many people like us that this just might be a normal subconscious activity. I say “subconscious” because it seems to always be “running” in the background, like breathing air. I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember, maybe as far back as the 3rd grade and I’m 63 now. I wish it would stop. OCD is the general diagnosis but it seems the professionals want to put us all on medication and that’s the last thing I want or need. Just wanted to share. I’ve never talked to anyone about this except for my old girlfriend who was only slightly amused by it all. Go figure. As I was typing I realized I was counting the boxes and their squares on this reply form. There seems to be 32 including the scroll bar. When I count the exact number is never required. I always accept a general number because I feel that’s really not the point. Lucky for me because I at least spare myself the added anxiety. I have to go now, I’m counting the corners of all the keys on my keyboard, that might take awhile. I’m half-way kidding. Some things I might want to count but I stop if I realize that doing it is just, well, ridiculous.
May 11th, 2016 on 10:51 pm
This is crazy finding this..I am so much like you. This is my first time into real life in a long time so bare with me….I count trees in the median of freeways and I need even numbers. If it ends up off or the cat is to fast I will get like a pain in my doing ang get frustrated. I count mini blind slats or stripes on a scarf in the distance. I have always counted window panes and lights and almost anything really. My big button now is the tv volume. It can only be positive numbers but then I changed it to a primepositive and divide into a positive and It can be painful to not find a good level uggggg….good to know we exist xoxo
June 28th, 2016 on 2:12 am
Hi never knew there was a name for this. I don’t think I have OCD but I am very organised at work and home. Used to count tiles, bricks on the outside of someone’s house etc.. At the moment it’s number plates eg. 318 KRY is 3 1 8 11 18 25 adding = 66 then I’d multiply (any zeros I’d disregard ) 118,800.. And bar codes, I can memorise several bar codes in a couple of seconds and do the same thing with each of them add and multiply all the numbers together very quickly without looking at them and if I’m showing someone what I can do I’ll double the numbers up and do the same thing.. Thanks everyone for letting me know others do this too..
July 25th, 2016 on 3:09 am
Omg, I never realized there was a name for what I do. I Count by 5s and 10s on my finger to 100 several times a day. One I was doing it and my little brother asked, are you counting, I said yes how did you know, he said, Dale does it too. She’s my sister that immediately following me in birth order.
September 10th, 2016 on 4:32 am
This is EXACTLY me.
Thanks for sharing this. Can you point me in a direction for more info?
September 29th, 2016 on 4:15 pm
Hi all, I have a weird compulsion where I count everything in prime numbers , anyone else got the same?
January 10th, 2017 on 11:48 am
Wow, this thing in my head happened for ages, at the back of my brain I count corners. It can be letters, shapes, blocks on the windows, ceiling etc etc as long as it have corners. Everytime I come across a shape or big letter I will start to counting it’s corners eg, I read a word “LOL” then I will start to count how many corners does the letter “L” have, which is 14 then “O” doesn’t have any then another “L” in 14 then I add those two from there I’m OK. I’m just happy I’m not insane and I don’t remember that thing disturbing me but it happens so fast and automatically.
April 23rd, 2017 on 9:29 pm
I’ve had this ever since I can remember also… I have constant migraines and headaches on a daily basis because of this. It’s frustrating and aggravating. My counting goes on and on all day and I have to make sure that my counting NEVER lands on the number 6. If it does then I have to quickly count to a number higher than 6. It’s horrible, I can’t function right. Is there any medications that we can use for this that I can request from my physician? Because the doctors down here seem to lack knowledge of this disorder along with OCD…
Mandi
May 29th, 2017 on 4:46 am
Thank you everyone for posting your experiences. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with issue. Ever since I can remember I been counting corners as well I can be sitting down watching TV and catching my self counting corners I know how many corners the TV has I just keep counting I count side to side then corners and up and down sometimes I do it reverse. I do this mainly with squares and rectangle as well as with triangles. Does someone know the reason why we do this? By the way I don’t even like math. Math was not one of my favorite subjects growing up.
October 26th, 2017 on 10:00 am
Hi,
For 50 years I have had arithmomania and until today never thought to google my symptoms. Amazed to discover others with the condition which I now have a name for.
My symptoms are counting in 2’s with a system too complicated to describe and it bothers me most when watching tv and films and when travelling.
I feel much better about it now I realise it is a recognised condition.
Thank you all for sharing and normalising this somewhat for me.
Nellie, North Yorkshire, UK
November 26th, 2017 on 7:52 am
Hi every One,
I’m surprised and very happy to know that we share this.
for me I tend to split the word by groups of 3 letters and see if some extra letters remains.
exapmle : fantastic becomes fan tas tic
october becomes oct obe r (r remain)
I don’t know why I do it, it started when I was 11..
December 4th, 2017 on 12:38 pm
I have a similar situation. I always count the number of letters in a word. It has to be even. And I also prefer the number 6 because it is the highest even number that you’ll get when playing scrabble (a player has 7 tiles of letters when playing). So I am constantly thinking of six-letter words. And when I already have a word, I spell it in my mind while simultaneously tracing the letters in the air using my right index finger. People often thought that I havr a problem with my right index finger because it is always twitching. 🙂