Counting Syllables

[iisleepyy 0]

I do that too. I always take two or three letters of words until I run out of letters, and then I get upset when the number isn't even. I thought I was the only one who does this.. I also have a therapist but I have no idea how to tell her about it. 

[TCOUNTS 0]

Just found this forum and I do the same, counting syllables, letters, song words, adding figures over and over.  My twist is I count with my jaws/teeth (not on my fingers) using the formats on dice (particularly the 5) to make things fit into patterns.  I was up most of last night adding things to add up to $125.  Never l knew others did this same crazy thing.  OCD - who would have guessed it?

[Emirish 0]

I used to have to count corners and clench my jaw with each number when I was 7 or 8.   Now I'm 35, and I have to sound out syllables from tv, songs, conversations, everything, while moving my fingers and toes like I'm playing piano. I notice it's been getting increasingly worse the older I get, more frequent.  

I was hoping it was tardive diskonesia, but from the rest of these posts, I'm guessing it's OCD?

[bin_tenn 1252]

I also count things often. Syllables in words, especially. I also count things in groups of six, and frequently re-read the last six words of a sentence or paragraph. LoL. Weird, I know, but I do it all the time. It doesn't hinder my ability to comprehend what I read, it's almost second nature at this point. Oh well.

[TheCount 0]

On 4/27/2012 at 12:58 PM, JOYCICLE said:

SEA ! I did that for year and years and years and sometimes letters too. And did you find that when it came to a word like you're , you might break it into YOU ARE to fit it into the pattern easier? Like I had to end on 5, 10 , 15 etc. Had to be a full hand or ........idk.......just had to be . So I might even add an imaginary 'the' or 'and' to make the pattern work.

WOW do I sound like a loser just now. But I've never EVER heard anyone else say they counted syllables.

THREE CHEERS FOR US !

4 cheers, has to be an even number 😎

[Doug97 19]

I have to do everything in multiples of 8. Like, adjusting the volume on the TV. My wife deliberately turns it up to 15, then 17, because it amuses her when I freak out. 

If multiples of 8 aren't possible, then multiples of 4 will do in a pinch. And for the love of God, if even that's not possible, at least make it an even number you monster!! 

[ellen12244 0]

I have just found this thread after years of trying to google my habits. I am 22 now and it definitely doesn’t affect me as much, more comes and goes. But as a child I was constantly drawing the outline of a star shape in my head of every syllable I heard, with each syllable being a line of the shape. If the speech didn’t reach a full star, 5 lines, I had to cough or say another word to make sure it did. 

I also have other habits of counting steps, tiles, different slabs of pavement where the concrete changed, and doing an even number of steps in each one. And also commonly get pretty hung up on repeating mundane tasks, like putting an object down, multiple times until it feels ‘just right’ in my brain.

 

Only now as I’m looking online am I wondering if these are some obsessive traits and possible OCD traits. either way It feels good to have finally found others who share the counting of syllables after trying to explain it to friends and family for so many ywars!

[ellen12244 0]

I have just found this thread after years of trying to google my habits. I am 22 now and it definitely doesn’t affect me as much, more comes and goes. But as a child I was constantly drawing the outline of a star shape in my head of every syllable I heard, with each syllable being a line of the shape. If the speech didn’t reach a full star, 5 lines, I had to cough or say another word to make sure it did. 

I also have other habits of counting steps, tiles, different slabs of pavement where the concrete changed, and doing an even number of steps in each one. And also commonly get pretty hung up on repeating mundane tasks, like putting an object down, multiple times until it feels ‘just right’ in my brain.

 

Only now as I’m looking online am I wondering if these are some obsessive traits and possible OCD traits. either way It feels good to have finally found others who share the counting of syllables after trying to explain it to friends and family for so many ywars!

[Acomastarchild 0]

I am SO GLAD other people do this! I used to do this constantly as a kid and whenever I bring it up to someone that I used to do this I start doing it again. I count syllables in even numbers going back and forth on my fingers or my teeth back going 1 2 1 2 12 and if it doesn't end on an even number it bugs me. So happy to hear I'm not alone :)

 

[Alan Ibarra 0]

Finding this forum is the best thing that has happened to me. Now I wonder if anybody else counts "big" letters that use more space as double points (like d, m, j, w) while "small" letters only count as one point (a, n, i, v). Also as english isn't my mother tongue, I usually add diminutive versions of the words adding "ito" or "itito" (spanish diminutives) to make them fit into multiples of 4 if I'm counting with my teeth or multiples of 10 if I'm counting with my fingers because each tap needs to have 2 points.

[xoxoke 0]

On 1/25/2013 at 4:47 PM, vapidvector said:

I am 57 years old and have that sort of OCD. I mentally (and on my fingers on the sly) count and spell things. Words to songs, steps, heartbeats, length of events in seconds, you name it. Count by 1s, 2s, 3s, etc. If my mind is not actively engaged in something it is off to the races. I have taken meds for it but NONE worked even in the slightest. I have learned to live with it and unless I tell someone they never know what is running wild thru my brain. Exhausting and aggrivation but I can't stop it.

Wow! I am you and you are me! I came here because me counting words on my fingers is getting worse. Sometimes I am repeating counting the first word 3-4 times before I can move on to the second word. I had no idea this was ocd but I have been doing this since a child.  It’s 2023 and you have no idea how you have helped me with this post! Thank you for sharing.