But then you have to have a good memory to recall the differences, plus you must be very aware of your surrounds.
Is it some thing you can use to make yourself more at ease, where ever you are in general.

Just though of some thing, isn't there any kind of self help group?
It would help people know they aren't alone and maybe share tips on how each person deal's with it.

Yeah, I've written about it before in my blog I believe. The best way I've managed to describe it before is like a camera taking photos. I enter a room and I take a snapshot of the surroundings. It takes a split second. The next time, I take another snapshot and overlay it on the one I took before. If they don't match then the missing parts become dark areas, the new parts become light areas. I then scan the original and the new in those parts to see what has changed. It sounds like a convoluted thing, but it seems to take just seconds.

It's not something that I can turn off, but it's not something that I can turn on either, if that makes sense. If I'm nervous, it seems to just automatically happen without me thinking about it. On the flip side, and where it can't be turned off, is if I look at a car registration plate, I have to multiply the letters and numbers for hours. I've had to learn to just not look at car registration plates. However, if you stuck a tray of items in front of me now, took them away and asked me to recount them, I don't think it would work that way.

I really don't blame you for avoiding number plates, it must drive you mad.
It may be hard for you but it does kinda make you unique as well, i certainly wouldn't be able to do it even if i tried.
So if your nervous it automatically kicks in.
Is it some thing you can use to your advantage?

If i upset any one with any of my post's please tell me, that's the last thing i want to do.

It's one of those things that I pointed to earlier about myself. I could spend the next xx years trying to solve it, or reason why I do it, or who is to blame, or....

I just reached the conclusion that life is for living and there isn't the time to sit worrying about it. I have lived with it for as long as I can recall. I have no reason to suspect that I can't go on living with it. Yes, I am sure that it makes my brain overload more quickly than it might which might lead to another complete shut-down. However, the last time taught me a lot about recognising the symptoms and when to offload for my own mental safety. These days I use writing as an offload mechanism, and at the moment all is rosy.

I should add to my last example. I might not be able to recount what was on the tray, but I may well be able to tell you how many books were on your bookcase, as I will have counted them subconsciously the moment I entered your room. A cool party-trick if nothing else. Every cloud.....

Well all i can say is keep up the writting, by the way all our books are in a cuboard.
Life is for living, i just hope every one of you find a way of overcoming your difficulties.

Whats OCD. I used to have to count everything when i was younger. It had to be an even number. If it was odd ised to panic and quickly make it up to an even number. Thats really weird.
When me and my brother were little we used to have bad nightmares about numbers & shout them out.

I used to be very stronge until i got with my ex for 6 1/2 years who was a complete a***e hole and pretty nifty with his hands

I lack confidence. He used to call me fat & ugly. And he had loads of affairs behind my back. I think looking back this is where my issues have stemmed from.

I'm very lucky now as i have the best bf in the world who fully understands.

What is OCD as I find that I also do this. Especially when I am out or stressed. Its just stupid things like having to count how many red cars pass or how many white doors I pass. I just seem to have to count ridiculous things and have to do this for a certain amount of time. Some of the things are so silly in my mind. Another thing I have to do is time myself doing things like I must empty the dishwasher before the kettle boils. It is like a race sometimes. So glad to hear I am not on my own.

I can lie on my bed, counting the flower shapes on my curtains but the pattern has to be even colours
And i have to put my washing ot just so, with the socks in pair order.

Obsessive compulsary disorder. Mmmmmm makes sense.
I'm not so bad now, but a couple of years ago i was.