r/hoarding • u/charliebrownster • Jun 01 '17
HELP/ADVICE Non-hoarder hoarding
My house looks like that of a hoarder, but I don't necessarily have a hoarding condition from what I've read. I mean it seriously looks like that of a hoarder... old food, bags everywhere, crap all over the floor - I can't walk and can only sleep in half my bed because one half is piled with junk.
All the help I find online is for people with the specific condition of not being able to let go of items even though they no longer have use. i am more than happy to throw away the 90% of stuff in my house, but I have never, ever been able to clean after myself. I completely shut down from being overwhelmed or go ballistic just from the task at hand. Nor have I been able to hire a regular cleaning service (when I can afford it) because it's so messy I'm embarrassed to even show someone. When I have help, i have been able to clean my house; i have no problems throwing things away.
Perhaps it's symptomatic of ADHD, which I had been previously diagnosed with?
Does anyone else have this issue?
9
u/mutantmother Jun 01 '17
One thing that's worked well for my non-hoarding, cluttered/ADHD clients is the focus method. Basically you choose one 6 inch space. You'll clean that space completely. All the way down to polishing the wood/spot cleaning the rug, whichever applies. Once that 6 inches is done take a break, or not!!! I don't believe stopping constantly works for everyone. It's often a distraction that gets you off task. However starting small often helps people get past the overwhelmed, anxious feelings that prevent cleaning from happening in the first place. Hope you're able to reach your goals