U2's Larry Mullen Jr. reveals dyscalculia diagnosis, which affects his drumming: 'I can't count'

Larry Mullen Jr. keeps time for one of the biggest bands in the world, but he's always struggled with numbers — and now, he has a diagnosis that explains why.

The U2 drummer has revealed that he was recently diagnosed with dyscalculia. "I've always known that there's something not particuarly right with the way that I deal with numbers. I'm numerically challenged," he said in a new interview with U.K. outlet The Times. "And I realized recently that I have dyscalculia, which is a sub-version of dyslexia. So I can't count [and] I can't add."

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) defines dyscalculia as "a specific learning disability with an impairment in mathematics, which can affect calculations, problem solving, or both." The condition is inborn and affects an estimated 4-7 percent of the population.

The LDA notes that dyscalculia often manifests in math anxiety, difficulty memorizing basic math, and struggles managing finances, directions, and time.

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Mullen said dyscalculia strongly affects his work. "When people watch me play sometimes, they say, 'You look pained.' I am pained because I'm trying to count the bars," Mullen said. "I had to find ways of doing this — and counting bars is like climbing Everest."

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Other entertainers have discussed having dyscalculia. Robbie Williams reflected on the condition in an Instagram post last year. "Phone numbers give me anxiety," he wrote. "No joke. If they’re not spaced out I can’t read them. A month or so ago I was with some new friends. And I offered to pay for lunch. There was an option to leave a 15 percent tip, 20 percent tip, or 25 percent. None of which I could work out. I started to sweat. Got the sum wrong. Scribbled it out and in the end I had to ask for help."

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Other celebs who have been reported to have dyscalculia include Cher and Mary Tyler Moore.

Mullen recently produced and composed music for Left Behind, a documentary about a school for children with dyslexia. The drummer said his son has that condition, which often goes hand in hand with dyscalculia. "Making the music through the eyes of my dyslexic son felt personal and visceral," he told The Times.

The drummer recently underwent neck surgery that prevented him from performing with U2 during the band's Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. Bram van den Berg served as his replacement for the shows.

Related: Ailing U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. attends penultimate Sphere Vegas concert

"Not since October 1978 have we played shows without Larry Mullen Jr.," Bono told the crowd at the band's penultimate Sphere performance in March, reported Variety. "That is the man who pinned the note on the notice board at Mount Temple Comprehensive School all those years ago. And we are very grateful that he did and that he's here with us tonight. We wish him a speedy, speedy, speedy recovery. We love you, Larry Mullen Jr."

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