Mental Health News

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Math anxiety can be considered a minor mental health disorder.  All it takes is one bad experience with math and a person can develop an anxiety around math for the rest of his life.  Most of us get plenty of bad experiences with math in school, so we end up feeling nervous about handling the checkbook, doing taxes and dealing in numbers as adults.  This is a real phobia.  It actually has its own diagnosis code from the American Psychological Association, which is 315.1.

Math Anxiety can cripple you financially.  From a hesitance to balance your check book to avoidance in balancing your bills, this mental health disorder can be a real problem. 

However, you can slowly work your way back into feeling comfortable with working math.  Here are a few tips.

1. Use Shortcuts-Don’t be afraid to use a calculator for your daily math needs.  There is no reason to feel bad about using this tool.  You went through school to learn all the basics already.  No need to keep testing yourself on them.

2. Immerse yourself in Finances-If this mental health disorder has you feeling like you can’t handle planning for your financial future, then try learning a little bit about the sector.  Get yourself a subscription to Money Magazine or leave the television on CNBC for a few minutes each day and you’ll be surprised at how much you start to soak up about money and the math that goes with it.

3. Don’t forget the kids-Keep your kids from getting your math phobia too.  Sit down with them and help them with their math homework.  Be encouraging, without pushing them.  You can even ask your child’s math teacher what you can do to help your child learn math, without becoming overly worried or anxious about it.