Arithmomania
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| F42.0 | Obsessive-compulsive disorder |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
The arithmomania (from the Greek, German "number delusion") is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder .
description
Basically, it's about doing incessant arithmetic and counting tasks. First and foremost, it's a kind of ritual. The affected person may feel compelled to count things that are not really relevant, such as the number of prime numbers in 3600 (seconds) or calculating the necessary square kilometers to accommodate all people at a density of 3 people per square meter.
The famous mathematician John Forbes Nash appeared to have such disorders before falling into schizophrenia .
therapy
The therapy involves medical, but also particularly psychiatric methods. The emergence of fears can be treated with anxiolytics ( benzodiazepines ), but not in the long term due to undesirable side effects and especially withdrawal syndromes.
Sources and individual references
- ↑ Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias, Fugen A. Neziroglu: Obsessive-compulsive Disorder Spectrum: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment . American Psychiatric Pub, 1997, ISBN 978-0-88048-707-8 , p. 12.
