Aculculia is the topic of this blog....it is a personal testimony experience and is best described as difficulty with conceptualizing time and judging the passing of time.
It is an acquired impairment and caused by trauma to the brain or others experience it as an outcome from a stroke (a brain injury as described by some folk).
The name comes from the Greek's "a" meaning "not" or "without": "Calculare, when translated means "count".
Individuals with this impairment have difficulty performing simple mathematical tasks such as adding, subtracting etc.
From an early age we are taught to "cover" our memory lapses by pretending to know in order to remain social acceptable.
Abstract concepts (thus abstract thought) presents individuals who experience this with little or no ability to manage mathematics in any manner. Mismanagement of finances and an inability to add and subtract is often one of the first signs of dementia....a sad correlation.
Persons with abstract thinking issue will often have difficulty when making purchases. To cover up , they will select a bill or two, present it to the cashier and ask if what they have in their hand is enough. A lot of trust is required to practice this compensation strategy.
a person with acalculia has an ability to use time in a meaningful way early in the post-traumatic phase of an insult to the brain. this includes the ability to know the meaning of what time it is, what day of the week, month, season or year. The ability to tell time is also compounded by being unable to interpret other external cues in their immediate environment.
As an individual who experiences Acalculia, I struggle to remain a social individual in my community. I live independently and to do so, must create and maintain coping strategies to this limitation.
When I have a need to attend a social function, I experience great anxiety as I cannot judge when it is time:
to begin a time-based routine,
attend to cosmetic matters,
attend to a hair style.
get dressed, and
book a taxi.
Any solutions or suggestions to the above dilemma, would be greatly appreciated.
......Nightingale
(please excuse spelling and grammar erros)
The name comes from the Greek's "a" meaning "not" or "without": "Calculare, when translated means "count".
Individuals with this impairment have difficulty performing simple mathematical tasks such as adding, subtracting etc.
From an early age we are taught to "cover" our memory lapses by pretending to know in order to remain social acceptable.
Abstract concepts (thus abstract thought) presents individuals who experience this with little or no ability to manage mathematics in any manner. Mismanagement of finances and an inability to add and subtract is often one of the first signs of dementia....a sad correlation.
Persons with abstract thinking issue will often have difficulty when making purchases. To cover up , they will select a bill or two, present it to the cashier and ask if what they have in their hand is enough. A lot of trust is required to practice this compensation strategy.
a person with acalculia has an ability to use time in a meaningful way early in the post-traumatic phase of an insult to the brain. this includes the ability to know the meaning of what time it is, what day of the week, month, season or year. The ability to tell time is also compounded by being unable to interpret other external cues in their immediate environment.
As an individual who experiences Acalculia, I struggle to remain a social individual in my community. I live independently and to do so, must create and maintain coping strategies to this limitation.
When I have a need to attend a social function, I experience great anxiety as I cannot judge when it is time:
to begin a time-based routine,
attend to cosmetic matters,
attend to a hair style.
get dressed, and
book a taxi.
The timeline issues present a long list of limitations and frustrations. Usually, by the time I am organized, I am too exhausted to attend the event. Relationships fracture.
In our social world, friends tolerate an individuals seemingly disrespect for the time of others and being constantly late for an engagement, meeting etc.
Any solutions or suggestions to the above dilemma, would be greatly appreciated.
......Nightingale
(please excuse spelling and grammar erros)
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