Why do I count EVERYTHING?

Question

When I walk I count the steps I take, or I count how many steps I have going upstairs. I count each finger by 5 a lot for some reason. And I count how many times i blink my eyes

Why do I do that so much? I'm not sure if it's and OCD thing or what?

Answer 1

OCD... I do it too.

They have books to try and break your habits, my husband can't stand it but I don't think its as severe as he does. Just look at some books or google OCD.

Answer 2

Most likely, it is a symptom of OCD. You should probably talk it over with a psychotherapist. Some folks say that cognitive-bahavioral therapy (CBT) is the best form of therapy for OCD. I am not sure if that is true, but it is something to consider if you want to see a therapist.

If you do want to see a therapist for this issue, find out in advance if that therapist has experience working with OCD. Some therapists will have a lots of experience with OCD patients, while some will have little experience. Besides CBT, there are other methods specifically designed to work with CBT.

There are a number of medications that can help OCD, but it doesn't sound like you need medication. There is a little bit of evidence suggesting that the herb St.John's Wort, which can help with mild to moderate depression, can also help OCD. Below is some info I got from Google about OCD symptoms. Be well.

Compulsions

Compulsions are repetitive behaviors that you feel driven to perform. These repetitive behaviors are meant to prevent or reduce anxiety or distress related to your obsessions. For instance, if you believe you ran over someone in your car, you may return to the scene over and over because you just can't shake your doubts. You may even make up rules or rituals to follow that help control the anxiety you feel when having obsessive thoughts.

Typical compulsions revolve around:

Washing and cleaning

Counting

Checking

Demanding reassurances

Repeating actions over and over

Arranging and making items appear orderly

OCD symptoms involving compulsions may include:

Washing hands until the skin becomes raw

Checking doors repeatedly to make sure they're locked

Checking the stove repeatedly to make sure it's off

Counting in certain patterns  

Answer 3

Yeah, it's probably ocd (but not REALLY strong- trust me, I know some people who have it really badly).  I do that too.

Answer 4

Sounds like OCD to me. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I've got that too; it makes you do those things. Alzheimers medication has helped me. But you'll have to visit a psychiatrist (or a psychologist with a medical degree) first to get a prescription...

Answer 5

autism?

get checked out?