Can obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) affect math skills?
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not necessarily.  math may just be her weak subject.  however, a lot of OCD behaviors involve counting...counting steps when you walk, etc.  it is possible that she sees numbers and has a hard time moving on to the next step because it is, for example, an odd #.  i struggled with some minor ocd.  heres an example...i would sort my m&m's by color.  i'd lay them out on the table and count them.  if there was an odd number, like 11, i would throw one out.  people often make fun of these kinds of habits and think they are quirks.  many don't realize it is something that we can't always control.  good luck to your friend...study with her to keep her mind busy and keep her brain from getting "stuck" on a number.
1164523
i think it is a right brain left brain thing-at a very early age i could do math that was way beyond my years and to this day i find it faster to do in my head than with calculator-when i was young i couldnt understand way people would have to learn math-i know now that it isnt the norm to do what i do-i dont think you can become a genius but should be able to learn the basics if you work at it-lots of love keep the peace old hippie
325626
I can sympathize with you because I am terrible at math.  But, of they gave it to anyone who is "just not a math person" the whole testing system would be skewed and GEDs would become useless.  You did great passing all those other parts.  Your anxiety is probably inhibiting you.  Learn some relaxation breathing exercises and review a little math every evening.  You can also sign up for Adult Basic Education math classes at your local school board (or nearest big city).  You can do it...I do really bad when I get worked up, and that might be your problem.  Also, slow down and take your time.
14732
I think a math tutor might be more help to get individualized attention and prevent daydreaming.
578869
I don't think people can have selective OCD. If at the start of the school year you are early and doing well, then get later and later and drop out, that doesn't sound like OCD. OCD is something that you cannot control on your own. It is not suspended due to motivation for a period of time. It sounds more like you may have ADD or issues with self-discipline. If you really think you have OCD, see a psychiatrist. They can help you with medication and therapy. You are not doomed to a life of being uneducated or poor whether you have OCD or not. You can get help if you really want it.
1038005
I have similar problems.  My problem is just being sloppy with calculations and numbers.  I just have difficulty paying attention.  If you continue with mathematics, you may never see a mumber larger than 30 or so after your sophmore year.  You will be dealing with proofs and theroms and the basic structures of math.\n\nMeanwhile, what has helped me is writing down every step, so my teacher can see what I tried to do, and give me partial credit.  After I am done, (or right away on multiple choice tests, or problems with lots of numbers),  I check my answer.  Devise little checks that make sense to you.  In equations, plug simple to solve numbers in the result.  In division, multiply things together.  It often takes less time to check an answer than solve it again.  Also, try to figure out exactly what mistakes you tend to make.  then you know where to focus your attention in checking work.  Solve things two different ways.  Perhaps by graphing and then algebraically.  (This may get you brownie points.)\n\nDon't worry too much.In college I have seen math teachers often make errors on the board, so they know how easy it is to do.  These same teachers will cut you some slack too.
864226
You already had good and detailed answers in here.\nAnyway as everyone had mentioned OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.\n\nIt is a type of anxiety that happens when there is a problem with the way the brain deals with normal worrying and doubts. Anyone with OCD worry a lot and feel afraid about bad things that could possibly happen. \n\nIt is very normal for anyone to worry every now and then but this normal worries usually go without causing any problem. When such worries become really intense and happening over and over again, it turns as OCD where the brain replays the worry thoughts and if nothing is done, the worry feeling can get worse and worse. These frequent worry thoughts are called obsessions, and the behaviors people do to try to make the worry thoughts go away are called compulsions, thus making it obsessive-compulsive  disorder. The thoughts and behaviors a person with OCD has are senseless, repetitive, distressing, and sometimes harmful, but they are also difficult to overcome. \n\nSomeone may have obsession on anything.  The obsessive worries just don't quit. The brain keeps repeating them instead of moving on to something else. No matter how much you don't want to hear it, your brain just keeps playing it back. Yelling the word "Stop!" loudly to a person with an obsessive thought is an incompatible response. Someone may have obsessions about:\n>>germs or dirt \n>>illness or injury (involving the person or someone else) \n>>coming across unlucky numbers or words \n>>things being even or straight \n>>things being perfect or just right in a certain way \n>>making mistakes or not being sure \n>>doing or thinking something bad \n\nCompulsions are ritualitic behaviors, or actions believed to let the bad feelings go away (and for a while, it often does), with fear that not doing the ritual will make something bad to happen. The more the rituals are done, the more the feelings of doing them.OCD afflicted persons know the repetition is unnecessary, but are unable to stop themselves.Afflicted individuals usually experience severe anxiety if unable to complete their rituals, though many therapies work by helping the individual learn that no catastrophe occurs when the behaviors do cease. \n\nResearch has shown that one of the most difficult problems in OCD is in getting family members to understand that the patient is unable to simply stop the behavior. Many times relatives become angry and upset when they are forced to deal with the time-consuming and unrealistic repetitive behaviors. With this background, it is no wonder that many patients do not volunteer their symptoms, and instead complain only of anxiety or depression. \n\nSome OCD compulsions:\n>>checking things over and over (such as doors, locks, or stoves and lights)\n>>recurrent intrusive thoughts of hurting oneself or one's children. \n>>lots of hand washing or showering (doing this way more than usual or having a hard time stopping) \n>>counting (like having to count 25 white cars before going into school) \n>>touching (like touching every single fence post between home and the bus stop) \n>>doing things a certain number of times (like having to try on five dresses before leaving your room) \n>>arranging things in a very particular or neat way \n>>asking the same question over and over \n>>tying and retying shoes over and over until they feel just right.\n\nOCD is a long term illness and a very disruptive illness which definite cause is still under research. Research and treatment trials suggest that abnormalities in serotonin (5-HT) transmission in the central nervous system are central to this disorder. Tke known causes which take their roles are genetics, some infectious diseases, stress, and defective interpersonal relationship. OCD should be differentiated from those being a perfectionist and being overly conscientious. \n\nIt
340236
It is Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD\nTreatment\nTwo forms of treatment are available for obsessive-compulsive disorder: a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy and antidepressant medications.\nCognitive behavior therapy\nThis form of psychological treatment involves retraining your thought patterns and routines so that compulsive behaviors are no longer necessary. One approach in particular is called exposure and response prevention. The therapy involves gradually exposing you to a feared object or obsession and teaching you different ways to deal with it, rather than performing your anxiety-reducing ritual or compulsion. During the course of treatment, your symptoms gradually decrease in frequency and intensity. Learning the techniques and new thought patterns takes effort and practice, but it's worth it. Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder show improvement of signs and symptoms with cognitive behavior therapy.\nCognitive behavior therapy may be especially helpful for children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A study published in the Oct. 27, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that almost 40 percent of children receiving cognitive behavior therapy had a significant reduction in symptoms, while only about one in five children taking antidepressant medication alone did. However, the study found that the most effective treatment was combining cognitive behavior therapy with antidepressant medication. Almost 60 percent of the children in the study receiving the combination treatment reported remission of their symptoms.\nIt's important to find a therapist who is well trained in cognitive behavior therapy. Ask your doctor for a recommendation or contact the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation at (203) 401-2070.\nCognitive behavior therapy isn't for everyone, though. As many as one in four people with obsessive-compulsive disorder refuses this treatment because it can be difficult.\nAntidepressant medications\nThese medications also may help relieve the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder:\n Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft). SSRIs work by enhancing the brain's ability to use serotonin, a chemical that helps brain cells send and receive messages. Doctors believe serotonin plays a crucial role in mood states. \n Tricyclic antidepressants such as clomipramine (Anafranil). \n\nBackground: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by distressing intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive actions that interfere with the individual's daily functioning. The DSM-IV criteria for OCD are as follows: \n\n\nThe individual expresses either obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are defined by the following 4 criteria: \n\nRecurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images are experienced at some time during the disturbance as intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. \n\nThe thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply worries about real-life problems. \n\nThe person attempts to suppress or ignore such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action. \n\nThe person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his/her own mind (not imposed from without as in thought insertion).\n\nCompulsions are defined by the following 2 criteria: \n\nThe person feels driven to perform repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. \n\nThe behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or prev
222781
Yes it can have physical symptoms.  I have OCD as well and I know what you are talking about.  OCD is closely related to Tourettes too and that causes tics.  Also, whatever med ur on (if any) could also cause tremors of the hands and legs.  Check with ur Dr.   :)
800201
Yes. \n\nhttp://www.tsa-usa.org\nhttp://www.socsci.ulst.ac.uk/education/scte/sen/types/tourettes.html\nhttp://www.tourettes-disorder.com/\nhttp://www.ucalgary.ca/oncampus/weekly/jan30-04/tourettes.html\nhttp://www.tourettesyndrome.net/education.htm\n\nBooks:\n\nTeaching the Tiger A Handbook for Individuals Involved in the Education of Students with Attention Deficit Disorders, Tourette Syndrome or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by  Marilyn P., Ph.D. Dornbush, Sheryl K. Pruitt\n\nFront of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had, by Brad Cohen\n\n\n\nI have a child with Tourettes, OCD and ADHD.  Early on, we did not know what was going on with him, but I knew that the school did not know or could not help and were eager to label him.  I am glad to see that you are reaching out to your students in this way.  Kudos to you.\n\nAfter four years of frustration, and home school trial and error, now we have a diagnosis and recognition of the disorder, he is in public school special ed and thriving with a caring and sensitive teacher. \n\nTSA will provide you an in-service presentation if you desire.  This, however, may focus on recognition of the disorder, and not teaching methods specifically.  There are articles on this web site that do have teaching information, though.  \n\nI hope this helps.  Please feel free to contact me for further, more specific questions, if you have them.
435284
sure, you could have OCD, or an anxiety disorder, or a number of other conditions.  the symptoms you've listed are classic signs of OCD (washing, counting), but are also signs of other problems. you seem very troubled by it all, so it's probably serious, and seems to interfere with your daily life, so you should get professional help right away. if you're not sure who to go to, ask your doctor for suggestions. it sounds like you're a minor, so your parents will need to pay the bills and consent to any treatment, but you still have privacy, they'll only know what you want them to. talk to them about it, then go to a psychiatrist. it might help if you take a copy of your question, and write down anything else that you notice, when you go.  sometimes, it's hard to remember everything, and will be easier if you have a lot written down. be open when you talk with the therapist, and on any tests that you take to come to a diagnosis. it's important that you get help soon, the longer you go without it, the more serious your problem can become.  OCD can also lead to depression, self-harm, etc. so get help soon.\nBest of luck to you!\nadditional information that may be helpful:\n"Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a common mental illness in which people feel burdened by unwanted thoughts or forced to repeat troublesome actions. Unwanted thoughts, called obsessions, often include unreasonable fear of dirt or germs. Another common obsession involves fear of losing control and hurting oneself or others. Many patients also feel a need to perform repeated actions, called compulsions, to prevent harmful events. Some wash their hands excessively to avoid infection. Unreasonable repetition of everyday routines--for example, checking that faucets or stoves are turned off--is also common. \nMost people have certain routines and habits that they find comforting. For example, a person may like to get dressed or prepare for bed in a certain way. But most people can change their routines when the need arises. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder feel trapped and unable to change, even though they know that their obsessions and compulsions are unrealistic. \nMany experts believe that obsessive-compulsive disorder involves an imbalance in serotonin, one of the brain's most important messenger chemicals. Doctors may treat the disorder with medicines that correct serotonin levels. People may also be helped by behavior therapy, which teaches patients ways to resist their unreasonable thoughts and actions."\n\n"Anxiety disorders are mental illnesses in which a person experiences excessive and unreasonable fear and anxiousness. They include (1) panic disorder, (2) obsessive-compulsive disorder, (3) generalized anxiety, and (4) phobias...Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by illogical and uncontrollable thoughts or impulses that result in obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are persistent thoughts that the person considers senseless or terrible but cannot ignore. The most common obsessions include thoughts of committing violent acts or becoming infected by germs. Compulsions are actions performed again and again with little purpose, such as repeated handwashing or counting objects. \nPeople with compulsions sometimes believe their actions will produce or prevent some future event. For example, a girl may believe her father will die if she does not perform a series of ritualistic actions each day. People with compulsions usually realize the senselessness of their behavior and do not enjoy performing the repetitive rituals. In severe cases, the compulsion becomes the person's major activity and thus prevents the individual from leading a normal life...Generalized anxiety is a persistent fear without obvious cause that lasts 6 months or longer. Its symptoms include muscle tension, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and hot or cold spells. People with generalized anxiety constantly worry that something te
320027
OCD sufferers are blessed with an innate ability to focus on the things that are important to them. They can drown out all other forms of input (screaming people, problems in their perosnal life) and focus on the game in front of them.
782283
Have you officially been diagnosed with OCD for these symptoms? The reason I ask is because your symptoms sound more like generalized anxiety disorder. \n\nOCD is an obsession with something (like germs) and acting on it in an exessive manner (like cleaning obsessively). However, your symptoms seem more like a fixated fear of HIV and substances that could spread the disease than the obsession and compulsion that is the trademark of OCD. \n\nI suggest talking to your doctor or psychiatrist about what you described here. He or she may decide to give you meds that will help with the anxiety related to these thoughts. \n\nHope this helps!
398554
I have OCD, but a different kind.  i once felt like exploring the different kinds of OCD, and found out some pretty interesting stuff.  Here's what i found:\n\nObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder, more specifically, an anxiety disorder. OCD is manifested in a variety of forms, but is most commonly characterized by a subject's obsessive (repetitive, distressing, intrusive) thoughts and related compulsions (tasks or rituals) which attempt to neutralize the obsessions.\nThe typical OCD sufferer performs tasks (or compulsions) to seek relief from obsessions. To others, these tasks may appear odd and unnecessary. But for the sufferer, such tasks can feel critically important, and must be performed in particular ways to ward off dire consequences and to stop the stress from building up. Examples of these tasks: repeatedly checking that one's parked car has been locked before leaving it; turning lights on and off a set number of times before exiting a room; repeatedly washing hands at regular intervals throughout the day.\nAnother symptom of the disorder is fear of contamination; some sufferers may fear the presence of human body secretion such as saliva, sweat, tears or mucus, or excretions such as urine or feces. Some OCD sufferers even fear the soap they're using is contaminated.\nObsessions are thoughts and ideas that the sufferer cannot stop thinking about. Common OCD obsessions include fears of acquiring disease, getting hurt, or causing harm to someone. Obsessions are typically automatic, frequent, distressing, and difficult to control or put an end to by themselves. People with OCD who obsess about hurting themselves or others are actually less likely to do so than the average person.\nCompulsions refer to actions that the person performs, usually repeatedly, in an attempt to make the obsession go away. For an OCD sufferer who obsesses about germs or contamination, for example, these compulsions often involve repeated cleansing or meticulous avoidance of trash and mess. Most of the time the actions become so regular that it is not a noticeable problem. Common compulsions include excessive washing and cleaning; checking; hoarding; repetitive actions such as touching, counting, arranging and ordering; and other ritualistic behaviors that the person feels will lessen the chances of provoking an obsession. Compulsions can be observable — washing, for instance — but they can also be mental rituals such as repeating words or phrases, or counting.\nMost OCD sufferers are aware that such thoughts and behavior are not rational, but feel bound to comply with them to fend off fears of panic or dread. Because sufferers are consciously aware of this irrationality but feel helpless to push it away, untreated OCD is often regarded as one of the most vexing and frustrating of the major anxiety disorders.\nPeople who suffer from the separate and unrelated condition obsessive compulsive personality disorder are not aware of anything abnormal with them; they will readily explain why their actions are rational, and it is usually impossible to convince them otherwise. People who suffer with OCPD tend to derive pleasure from their obsessions or compulsions. Those with OCD do not derive pleasure but are ridden with anxiety. This is a significant difference between these disorders.\n\nEqually frequent, these rationalizations do not apply to the overall behavior, but to each instance individually; for example, a person compulsively checking their front door may argue that the time taken and stress caused by one more check of the front door is considerably less than the time and stress associated with being robbed, and thus the check is the better option. In practice, after that check, the individual is still not sure, and it is still better in terms of time and stress to do one more check, and this reasoning can continue as long as necessary.\n\nNot all OCD sufferers engage in compulsive behavior. Recent
106370
Good question.\n\nThese days innumeracy (being unable to do math) is treated the same way as illiteracy in schools, or at least it is suppoed to be. But I know that when I went to school I had the same experience as you. A child who couldn't read was sent to special ed/remedial reading. A child who couldn't multiply was ignored.\n\nPart of it may be because of the gender bias, but that doesn't explain it all because I was alway a boy's boy and I sucked at maths until I started college.\n\nIMO, and with litttle eidence, I htink it is because most teachers don't undertsand math themselves and as a result are bad at teaching it. This is particularly true of elementary teachers, whose grasp of math is usally worse than their grasp of science.\n\nSuch teahcers are reticient to diagnose a student as innumerate because they beolieve the child probably just can't learn because they lack the ability to explain concepts. I know that was the reason I couldn't learn math at school. As soon as I started college and had to teach myself I suddenly found I could hurl numbers around with ease... but not using any technique I had ever been taught in school.\n\nNo teacher wanted to send a child to remedial numeracy only to have the kid sent back diagnosed as A1. Far better for their careers to sweep it under the rug and hope the child would catch up with next year's teacher or that the parents would solve the probelm at home.
1119689
I have a condition that some people know and some dont.  Its called Obsessive Complusive.  Part of the "disorder" is I count things.. all the time.. I find consistant patterns etc. The guy I am seeing asked me once to tell him how "obsessive" my counting was so I started telling him " I know the exact number of movements it takes to tie your shoes, I know the number of drawers you have on your dresser, and I know how many times you pat your pockets when you are getting ready to change your pants.. " He smiled at me and said there are some things you cant count you know".. I said Yeah like what... He said in the most cencere voice " You cant how many times a day I think about you.. You cant count the times of day that I wish you were with me... and you cant count the times A day I want to touch your face".... That.. was the most sincere compliment i have ever gotten
264164
it actually sounds like OCD, my family is full of it, my obsessions are about demonic posession and when I was having a lot of trouble with it I would be incapacitated to the point where I would whisper "jesus, jesus, jesus" for hours-- my brother constantly thinks about nuclear war and dying in a nuclear holocaust and my mother is that way with cholesterol (needless to say going home is lots of fun! There are 10 children in my family, 4 with OCD, 3 Bipolar and 1 autistic, 2 normal) It's not the wierd sort of "Monk" OCD, and not everyone washes obsesivly or anything but sometimes it's just that sort of constant automatic thought