Counting seconds and steps I take, etc...
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Jitterz
- Posts: 45
- Joined: July 17th, 2016, 12:30 pm
- Gender: female
- Issues: Anxiety, panic disorder, ADD, body image, and depression
- preferred pronoun: She
Counting seconds and steps I take, etc...
I can't stop counting I've realized lately...mainly seconds in my head. It is mainly random counting like it doesn't have to be exact; I just say numbers in my head and repeat..not sure if it's a form of anxiety or ocd??? I don't know. I do it mainly at work. For example when I'm walking back from my break I'll count the seconds it takes me to walk back or the steps I'm taking as i walk. I also count in the shower as i shave my legs...stuff like that...its kind of annoying...who else does this and whyyy
"I am trying-I am trying to explore my unconscious wishes and fears, trying to lift the barrier of repression, of self-deception, that controls my everyday self." ~Sylvia Plath
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Olivia
- Posts: 1
- Joined: November 19th, 2016, 12:54 pm
- Gender: Female
- Issues: OCD & Trichatillomania
- preferred pronoun: She
Re: Counting seconds and steps I take, etc...
Hi! I'm a 15 year old living with OCD. Everyone's OCD is different, but I'll explain the basis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (btw I'm not a therapist. I'm not even an adult. So this definition is gonna be very simplistic.) The obsessions are anxieties or stress you feel. To get rid of that anxiety, you indulge in compulsions. A very common example is someone might have an anxiety or obsession about germs so they indulge in washing their hands for a very long time.
The counting thing is something that a lot of people with OCD, including me, deal with. I count things that I do in my head to make sure they're even. Like I'll count the amount of times I scratch my right cheek so that I can scratch my left cheek the same amount of times. That's not the only thing I deal with, but this is what's most similar to your thing. If I don't count or even things out, that's when the anxiety kicks in. I have to do it. I know that the sky won't fall if I don't count something, but my brain tells me otherwise. If you feel like you HAVE to count, you might be suffering from OCD.
OCD becomes a problem when it distracts you, takes up time, makes you upset, and/or does anything else negative to your life. It makes me feel crazy and sad because I just wanna live my life without having to repeat things. You said you get annoyed by it. I would encourage you to talk to a professional.
The counting thing is something that a lot of people with OCD, including me, deal with. I count things that I do in my head to make sure they're even. Like I'll count the amount of times I scratch my right cheek so that I can scratch my left cheek the same amount of times. That's not the only thing I deal with, but this is what's most similar to your thing. If I don't count or even things out, that's when the anxiety kicks in. I have to do it. I know that the sky won't fall if I don't count something, but my brain tells me otherwise. If you feel like you HAVE to count, you might be suffering from OCD.
OCD becomes a problem when it distracts you, takes up time, makes you upset, and/or does anything else negative to your life. It makes me feel crazy and sad because I just wanna live my life without having to repeat things. You said you get annoyed by it. I would encourage you to talk to a professional.