friends help: I’m curious if this is a good thing or a bad thing. - Help.com

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If it calms you down and makes you feel better, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, just make sure you don’t hurt yourself. It’s almost a good thing if it keeps you from hurting yourself. Just don’t hurt yourself.

lol Jebus. If counting keeps you alive then I’d say it’s a good thing. Did I do okay? No help, no advice just my opinion.

I’m just concerned that maybe I won’t ever learn to deal with anything by just going off into my own world. Also, it’s not normal. People aren’t supposed to count when they get upset.

I don’t know about that. What’s normal these days? If you find it cathartic to count when you feel down or dissapointed, then that’s a good thing; everyone has their ticks and quirks. You aren’t nessacerily weird for it, everyone has their unique habits to get them through things. You’re just different, like the rest of us, that’s all.

I guess I’m just scared that either:

1. I’ll go off into my own world after something horrible happens and never come back
2. I’ll never learn to deal with any problems if I keep avoiding them
3. I’ll suddenly remember everything bad that’s happened to me and go crazy and kill someone or something

Also, it seems to make the teasing worse, which makes me do it more, etc. on and on for infinity until I lose it screaming at them and then go back to counting while I’m getting yelled at by a teacher.

Wow, you certainly sound very self-aware and very intelligent.

I am in no way an expert, nor can I say anything for sure just from this, but… based on your temporary aphasia, attention to the buzzing of the lights, and counting ability, I am speculating here about two things: mild alexithymia or mild aspergers syndrome. Neither is serious or dangerous; however, they mean that you deal with the world in a unique way.

Perhaps you should mention it to a counselor or doctor about testing. If you have either, they can help you develop ways to be more comfortable with your own habits and to come up with ways to improve your social life. If you do not, then you can be comfortable saying that you are unique.

#3 bothers me– it makes me also wonder about PTSD post traumatic stress disorder– which is connected to alexithymia.

well looks like you like math =]. but yeah like the first person says it must calm you down, i wouldnt say its a bad thing its just counting ya know? its not like you are doing something harmful to urself and others. why do the other people pick on you?

According to the teachers it’s because I can’t interpret non-verbal cues, but I think it’s actually because they all joined together and signed something saying that they were going to be mean to me for no reason.

Apparently I talk too much, and am too smart.

so ur smart that shouldnt be a bad thing, because you know what? all those kids will probably have crappy jobs and because your smart you can do what ever you want to be, i wish i could be smarter lol i got 3 tests tomorrow at subjects im not even good at

I’m not an expert but it sounds to me like you are autistic or have asbergers syndrome like another poster suggested. Have you ever heard that before? There is a lot of help out there for people with either one of those problems. The one thing I do know is that people with those problems are usually HIGHLY intelligent.

I’m trying really hard not to offer advice or to help like your post requested, but this is help dot com and I am a helper. Sorry. :-(

There was a kid at my old school who always was saying that I had Aspergers. I know that I have some sort of a social problem, since I have to go to a social skills class during study hall of Thursdays, and I know I have an executive function problem, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a diagnosis.

I’ve struggled my whole life to make friends, and have no clue what I’m doing wrong. The teachers could be talking in another language for all I understand, and once last year (When I was still in a normal school) I got yelled at by a teacher for not getting along with the other kids. I can’t understand others’ viewpoints, and can’t read body language.

How exactly should I bring this up?

its not your faultthat you that way. that teacher is so stupid i wish i could smack her for you lol. you can be my friend =D i kno its not the same as in person but hey its worth a try lol. some people struggle and i kno its hard but maybe you should just be honest to people saying that you are this or that… or have ur parents notify the teacchers so that they know

anon. Try to find a psychologist in your area who specializes in Aspergers or Autism. If you are high functioning and you have problems with light or sound you definitely need some help handling your issues. My best friend is a child psychologist who specializes in autism. (I live in NC) She creates action plans for parents and students, as well as teachers and students, that helps the high functioning person know what to do when they find themselves ‘going inside their own head’… it sounds like you get some help at school, but if they do not specialize in the high functioning problems you may need more help…..:-/ maybe this site can help.

http://www.autism-society.org/site/Pa…

Well I’m not sure Qzzzz. If this poster is in school his teachers should be aware of his problems and if he is high functioning, he is legally entitled to “special” help, so regardless of how young or old he/she is, there are ways to ‘redirect’.

My son has Tourette’s Syndrome, he has a motor tic that affects his learning…. he has described it as losing his words, I had to take him to a neurologist, but because of that he has a modified curriculum; he is not timed on tests, he is a separate setting tester, which means he goes into a room all alone with a proctor so that he can take his time and is not stressed out by the fact that he is the last one done. BUT BEFORE he was diagnosed and before he was labeled “special needs” his teacher would make the whole class wait until he was done….. so he would hide under his desk etc, they thought he was a smart alec… and now when he gets lost or needs help he puts a card on his desk and all his teachers know what it means without him having to ask.

thanks Qzzzz me too.

that’s your zone. so count, but when you count count the steps of the story inside your head…one by one what went wrong…and what you could do to fix it.

It sounds like you’re very intelligent, maybe you do things to distract your mind from what’s going on, but I don’t think you run away from your problems…you’re trying to work things out now aren’t you???
Please don’t let anyone tell you you are crazy or whatever…if anyone IS crazy, it is those kinda people like the ones you’re talking about. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, I just think the people you tried to be friends with are shallow and never gave you a chance…I know what you’re going through, when I grew up I started ’seeing’things and feeling and hearing things, and I did not know what it was…My parents always told me I was making stuff up, so after a while I started believing them and I started doubting myself. Now I know that I am not crazy, that I really see and hear ‘things’, and that it is them that are narrowminded, and are afarid of something they don’t know. Well, it took me 30 years to get where i am now.
So I hope you can work out your problems soon, talk to a counselor, or someone you really trust…one of your grandparents maybe? And yeah, having friends online is not the same as in person, but you’ll probably find out there are a lot of GOOD, non-judging people out here. Good luck, and I’m here if you want to talk.

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I’m female (Despite what some of the kids at school say). (I’d noticed you were using “he”)

sorry about referring to you as he…. when you are anon it’s more difficult to tell.

plz tell me you used multiplication to count the bricks… anywayz i guess theres worst things you can be doing, but maybe u should try something else, but if the other option is killing urself then i say keep on counting! it’s not a good thing what you do, but it’s not really bad either. Just try to find friends join a club or something try to find something that will make you happy and will distract you from your OCD tendencies. and u should see a doctor b/c it sounds like you have OCD but don’t worry it dosen’t sound harmful.

I’ve been trying to find friends. I doesn’t work. Everyone already hates me, and runs away screaming when I get near them.