Thats very interesting. I've done that off and on all my life - just didnt know it was called something

I count tiles in the ceiling - designs on wallpaper -- tiles in a bathroom shower/bath -- anything that seems to have a pattern -- I will also repeat an expression, spell out a word, or sing a bit of a song over and over and over -- until I tell myself to "STOP IT". The only time its annoying is if I'm trying to go back to sleep around 2 am. I always figured it was one of my younger personalities bored and trying to get attention

I've been reading and hearing a lot lately about OCD, and after reading some of the signs of it, have to wonder if I have a mild problem. I don't count things, but only recently noticed that almost everything in my life is in "threes". Three pictures here, three paintings there, three candles over there, three knick-knacks in that corner. And if anyone ever moves one of those things out of place, it bugs me so much I have to get up and put it back.

There are a few other things that might fall into that mild OCD category. Perfectionist kind of things. Like being bothered by a bathroom tile with a design on it that hasn't been installed in sequence with the others.

I have to work very hard, talk myself through not being so anxious about things being "out of place", or out of sequence, or not symmetrical. Crooked pictures on the wall really bother me, but I can restrain myself in other people's houses. I never noticed all these little things before, but was always conscious of being unsettled and anxious and jittery in certain circumstances and can now directly relate them to something in the room being out of sync.

It's not a life-jarring thing, and I'm definitely not inordinately compulsive anymore (I think I used to be before my first breakdown in the 80's), but these kinds of imperfections do still irritate me, but it's more "under the skin" than blatant compulsion. I never understood why it was something I had to learn to live with, why these things bothered me...OCD might explain it.

You can get a grip on it if you focus on not doing it. I have to make myself stop. I too have a song running through my mind when I'm working in the yard and have to tell myself to stop it. Makes me crazy.

My shrink told me that it was something I developed in childhood to help me cope. I remember starting it around the age of seven. And, he said we bring it into our adulthood because we think it will still work for us but usually, it's just an irritation.

In school, I couldn't or wouldn't allow myself to listen to the teacher until I had counted the pictures on the wall, the number of buttons on her dress/shirt, etc. and it made it extremely hard to listen. I didn't know what the problem was, just that I struggled in school and this is one reason I didn't go on to college. I had worn myself down trying to listen and count at the same time.

I will still count the number of pieces on a blouse when I'm talking to someone...collar, sleeve, etc. and that is a little crazy making. I don't remember people's names because I'm busy counting different things they're wearing. It gets very tiring but I will continue to work on it, probably for the rest of my life.

Ladies, you might be interested in knowing that the Featured Authors for next month wrote the book, The Panic Diaries. I know this is a little off topic, but thought they might be able to shed some light on these topics.

Here's the Amazon link for their book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569754187/boomerwomensp-20/103-1780810-3417441

Now that I know this Dotsie, it might be time for me to panic!

Not really. Sounds fascinating.

I asked my husband if he did the things I do and he said no and seemed surprised that I did it. So today I took notice and realized that if I'm sitting in traffic and a big truck is close to me -- I count the lug nuts -- and the windows in a bus. I especially like to count by 2's.

Could very well be one of the ways I learned to cope with stressful situations as a child and its just stuck with me. Since I cant readily "switch" anymore, I'm starting to realize all my little "ways" as I learn how to deal with emotion.

But hey -- I could be sitting in traffic smoking a cig instead of counting lug nuts ;-)

Lionspaaw, I have to confess that I get really exhausted just thinking about you sitting in traffic counting lug nuts. Next time I'm stuck at a red light, I just know I'm going to be thinking about you and wondering what you're counting right at that moment. It's amazing how a child's mind learns to cope around the things that are too overwhelming for a child to have to cope with.

I'm not a counter, and actually get headaches when doing any kind of math, including counting for too long.

I think one of my coping mechanisms was to mentally redecorate people's houses. I used to spend hours as a child imagining what colours, fabrics, and furniture I would use...right down to light fixtures and curtain rods. It became almost an obsession; I couldn't go into someone's house and relax until I had "redecorated" it. Weird. Much more relaxing for me than counting would have been. It's still something I do if I'm in an anxious (or boring) social situation.

Funny thing is -- until this thread started -- I never realized I did it or it was something "abnormal" -- it just passes the time

I dont suppose you turned out to be an interior designer did you ????

I'm sure everyone does "something" to cope with stressful (or boring) situations. I'm just not sure if it would be considered a "mental illness" (I think that was the question many posts back that started this whole thing on counting)

Dianne -- any news from your sister?

My sister? About? Forgive me, I get lost easily.

I had a friend that was a counter but he had to count things that could be divided by 3. Now that would be tiresome.

Maybe that's why I write. I don't count when I'm writing.

Your sister was worried about her DIL - your nephew thought she might be having some mental issues ???