Hi Christine. Just catching up on my reading. I never knew dyscalculia was a thing. I'm so glad that you finally got a diagnosis for this. And I loved reading your life history.
I sympathize with your struggles completely. I’ve also dealt with this condition all my life though, like you, I didn’t know it had a name until recently. When I was young, I was incapable of using formulas in math class, so I would convert them into word problems; some unconscious part of my brain would miraculously make the calculations and I would arrive at the correct answer. Because I couldn’t “show my work”, teachers accused me of cheating. I even struggle with analog clocks. It can be embarrassing but it’s mostly just inconvenient. It’s also amazing how we can find ways to cope, make the most of our strengths, and figure out how to accomplish what we need to get by.
This is quite a story, Christine. I applaud the courage it took to write it AND to live it. I also applaud how far you've come. When I taught business at a massage therapy school, I always stressed that therapists should hire accountants for their taxes. Folks need to stick to their strengths and if numbers were their strengths, they wouldn't be massage therapists! But I had no idea this was actually a condition and a name for this. Lord knows I struggled with numbers a bit (working in Philanthropy and fundraising, I was always dropping zeros - not a good thing to do in that field!), but hearing your story increases my awareness and my compassion for others who struggle. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading, Jan, and for sharing your own experience. It’s been such a weight off my shoulders knowing there’s been a reason behind my struggles. I’m really glad this piece increased your awareness and compassion for others who may also find themselves struggling.
I feel all of this so hard. I too have dyscalcula and just realized it recently. there really was a reason why I couldn’t do math, why accounting and finance terrify me, why I hate hate hate having to do presentations on data every month. I have a CPA which helps with some of my business stuff but I still have to get together my expenses and audit my QuickBooks for her. And even that just makes me nauseous. So I totally get everything you just said.
I suspect a lot of writers have dyscalcula, and that’s why we became writers. But most people don’t know about it so they don’t understand why they’re not like everyone else.
Hi Christine. Just catching up on my reading. I never knew dyscalculia was a thing. I'm so glad that you finally got a diagnosis for this. And I loved reading your life history.
Thank you for reading, Cali, and for your kind note!
I sympathize with your struggles completely. I’ve also dealt with this condition all my life though, like you, I didn’t know it had a name until recently. When I was young, I was incapable of using formulas in math class, so I would convert them into word problems; some unconscious part of my brain would miraculously make the calculations and I would arrive at the correct answer. Because I couldn’t “show my work”, teachers accused me of cheating. I even struggle with analog clocks. It can be embarrassing but it’s mostly just inconvenient. It’s also amazing how we can find ways to cope, make the most of our strengths, and figure out how to accomplish what we need to get by.
Wow! Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I really am glad there’s a name for this. And I’m grateful to hear your experiences.
This is quite a story, Christine. I applaud the courage it took to write it AND to live it. I also applaud how far you've come. When I taught business at a massage therapy school, I always stressed that therapists should hire accountants for their taxes. Folks need to stick to their strengths and if numbers were their strengths, they wouldn't be massage therapists! But I had no idea this was actually a condition and a name for this. Lord knows I struggled with numbers a bit (working in Philanthropy and fundraising, I was always dropping zeros - not a good thing to do in that field!), but hearing your story increases my awareness and my compassion for others who struggle. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading, Jan, and for sharing your own experience. It’s been such a weight off my shoulders knowing there’s been a reason behind my struggles. I’m really glad this piece increased your awareness and compassion for others who may also find themselves struggling.
I feel all of this so hard. I too have dyscalcula and just realized it recently. there really was a reason why I couldn’t do math, why accounting and finance terrify me, why I hate hate hate having to do presentations on data every month. I have a CPA which helps with some of my business stuff but I still have to get together my expenses and audit my QuickBooks for her. And even that just makes me nauseous. So I totally get everything you just said.
Thanks for reading, Jackie. You’re the first writer I’ve ever known who also struggles with this. I’m with you. You’re not alone.
I suspect a lot of writers have dyscalcula, and that’s why we became writers. But most people don’t know about it so they don’t understand why they’re not like everyone else.