strange obsessions

[Andrea]

Hi

Ive read a lot of posts about obsessions, but mine dont seem to fit. Id really appreciate your opinion on this. Is it normal? Its something that has bothered me for a long time and I thought I was going mad. Now I have the diagnosis, so much makes sense that didnt before, but this still bothers me.

If I am relaxing, with nothing going on, I find myself counting things. Like the number of squares across my bedroom ceiling, the number of tiles in a line. I even found myself counting the number of emoticons on this page. God, this really sounds mad!

Also, I find that when I am at work, I very rarely daydream. When I am at home it seems to happen all the time atm. I was writing on my tablet earlier and I only managed a maximum of one sentence before the screen went black cos I wasnt using it. Ive had to rewind dvds (and the tv) a lot cosi have drifted off and totally missed what is happening.

The other thing is that if I have done something wrong, said something I shouldnt (seems to happen quite a bit) I find myself worrying about it for the next 3 days. Its something that makes it hard to sleep/relax etc. After the 3 days, its like someone has deleted it from my brain and it is totally forgotten.

Does anyone else do this?

Andrea

[lwest200]

Hi Andrea,

I think I have something similar to you. I'm terrible at relaxing. Even during weekends from work my mind won't let me switch off and needs to be thinking about something, even when i'm playing the xbox i'll actually be thinking about something else whilst playing the game, so i think it might be part of Dyspraxia , we probably just have very active minds. Also I totally know where you coming from about thinking about things that you shouldn't have done and it stresses you out, have it for ages when something happens like that. Sorry not to be more detailed but hope it helps .

Luke

[Captain_Ludd]

Yup pretty much every thing both of you have said rings true with me, I'm always randomly counting things or doing sums in my head I find it oddly relaxing.
I'm also always analysing everything I'v said and done normally coming to the most negative conclusion and I really struggle to switch my brain off that why I don't sleep much so I'm pretty sure its a dyspraxic thing.

[Johanna]

When I was in Uni I had a terrible time concentrating on lectures until I worked out a bit how my mind worked;

It's like there are two parts of my brain: Part A wants to be thinking about things - so in class, it's paying attention to the lecture. Part B wants to be doing things.
Part B was like a small child tugging on my sleeve going "hey, hey you! Hey, c'mere!" and ruined my concentration. I found what helped was doing something with my hands - in class, making origami flowers and boxes, at home knitting. It keeps Part B happy and occupied so I can concentrate on the lecture/film (or whatever). It's not really obsessional for me, although I imagine it might be if I didn't pander to it.

[lwest200]

Johanna that's really interesting. I'm trying to study for an exam to get a qualification but i find it so hard to concentrate unless i'm fiddling with something. I seem to have a strange love for blue tack, it lets me squeeze and tug on it as much as I like whilst i'm doing something lol.

[Tom fod]

I pretty much always count stairs as I go up them. Even when I know exactly how many there are. I do the same with books and often like to either mentally work how far I'm through or I get my calculator out to work out a percentage.

I tend to over analyse with many things but I do like to know exactly where I am with something

[Andrea]

I tend to over analyse with many things but I do like to know exactly where I am with something

I like that. Never thought of it that way makes everything that little bit more stable and in the right place.

Might have to try the fiddling thing, although doodling never worked at uni. But then maybe thats cos the lectures were so dull.

[LGC2108]

I often see patterns in wallpaper, usually grouping items into multiples of five.

[Chookie]

Absolutely! I can pick up my knitting and get all excited by it, only to get through two rows and then I look for something else to do. It drives me quite insane as I don't finish anything off and then I am starting on another project. My brain has a life of its own

[lauraECFan]

I often find myself watching tv while playing on my 3ds... still managing to play the game perfectly lol.
I also unlock my phone and lock it again for no apparent reason

[Creative]

Sounds a bit like me exept I don't count things.