So so overwhelmed ☹️☹️

[SoEffingOverwhelmed]

Sorry posting for traffic. I need motivation and well god knows what else.

My mental health is rock bottom. I am a hoarder. I live in absolute squalor.

Today is the day I need to blast through the clutter. The junk. The piles of clothes. The piles of rubbish. The empty packaging and empty boxes. Empty cups. Some mouldy. I know how gross this is.

I am overwhelmed I’ve allowed it to get to this point. I can’t see my floors. Dust is everywhere. No wonder I’m constantly run down and have allergies.

It’s all m fault. Everything is filthy. I’m so ashamed and embarrassed.

It’s just me though. No kids. No pets. No partner. So im not putting anyone else through this hell. My friends don’t know. They’ve never seen it.

I’ve made a start. I’ve almost filled a roll of bin liners up to take to the tip. Cardboard boxes ready to be ripped up for the recycling box. I can now see a fraction of my wooden floor.

But by God. It’s hard. So hard. This is just a quick break to write this and have a drink. (Of tea) now I’ll be back to it and hopefully finish one room by this evening.

I don’t even know why I’ve posted here. But if you’re this far, thanks for reading.

You're doing amazingly.

Been doing something similar at home with the jungle garden and my partner's hoarding of books and DVDs etc. Couple of things that have helped:

1. Congratulate yourself for everything you achieve. At the moment we've cleared all the ivy that was affecting the neighbours and the garden now just looks scruffy and a bit neglected rather than completely overgrown. So I'm just congratulating myself on that rather than thinking about how it doesn't look like a Chelsea Flower Show entry.

1. This may not be possible but if you have stuff that's usable by other people can it just go in boxes outside your front door? This has made a MASSIVE difference to my partner's willingness to get rid of books etc - there's something so much nicer about knowing they're going to people's homes and not in the tip. Of course Freegle's another option but a lot more work!

Best of luck!

Fantastic OP, even starting on it is a huge achievement. My daughter struggles with hoarding and I know how difficult it is to get yourself to the place where you can even think about tackling it. Everyone here is rooting for you!

Well done OP. I have these tendencies and we have hoarders in the family. It's part of OCD. It's so so hard to do what you have done. You should be so proud of yourself to take that first step.

I don't know where you are in the world, but if you were near to me I'd come and help. I love cleaning, I find it hugely therapeutic - though ironically a bit shit at keeping my own stuff clean and neat. But other people's? no problem.

But silently cheering you on because YOU'VE STARTED and that's huge, its the worst bloody bit of any big task! so you should be really proud.

I echo those that say well done! I hope making a start gives you the motivation to keep going.

Stick an audio book on, or pod cast, and plough on.

You're inspiring me to sort out the shit show that is my wardrobe tomorrow!

OP, you are an absolute legend. The amount of motivation it takes to tackle a task like this, and all on your own? You're bloody amazing!

Just wanted to add to the chorus of people saying well done! You should be very proud of yourself.

You are amazing! Well done for making a start.

No matter how hard it is you have made massive progress today, hold on to how significant that is.

Well done. Do you know how you managed to motivate yourself to start today ? Maybe try to keep tapping on to that motivation to keep going (with rest ) until it is done

@SoEffingOverwhelmed

Well done, well done.

I just wanted to add to the messages of encouragement and say a huge well done to you @SoEffingOverwhelmed being so determined to get a grip of this and actually make a start on it.

It is very, very hard but keep going it will be worth it.

Another who would as a friend be more than happy to pitch in and help out with no judgement at all, it is very easy for things to slide and then before you know it it is at overwhelming levels. I would hope you have friends you could ask.

Be proud of yourself.

You can do it 💪
Today I'm painting an area that I started on a year ago!

Well done you! I have moved many times due to husband's job so am a bit of a 'clearer outer'. You are doing fantastic. I suggest that you make regular trips to the tip, recycling centre and charity shop as you go. I find that quite cathartic and when you get back it will be noticeable how much you've cleared.
Also, keep stuff that might be worth selling, get it washed, take photos and put it up on vinted. You might make a few £££ along the way.
Keep going and enjoy the sleep in your clean and tidy bedroom XX

Well done you!! I hope you are very proud of yourself as you should be!
as others have said I would take some photos to try and remind yourself how bad it got.
Keep it up!! You can do this!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Cheerleading OP in their efforts like mad.

You can do this!

Well done on starting! Obviously, loads have already given really good advice but I would definitely not keep stuff aside, with the assumption it would be useful to you in the future. X

This is one of the most lovely topics I’ve seen in ages. Hope we aren’t derailing OP progress but what a star to a) speak up and b)crack on. Sometimes MN is such a helpful place.

Oh well done for deciding to make a change. That’s the hardest bit. You’ll feel overwhelmed. That’s to be expected. One step at a time though, and you’ll get there.

Sounds like you are having a big blast at it today which is great. It might be hard to go at it full pelt every day so may be set yourself smaller goals for days you don’t have as much ooomph. May be to fill a bin bag? Or throw out ten things a day. Ask yourself ‘is keeping this more important than my long term well-being or is it better to tolerate that short term sense of loss/anxiety for my longer term wellbeing?’

Anything that is a memory but something you really have no use for, you could take a photo and then one day create a photo book if you feel the need.

Good luck!! You deserve to live in a nice environment. I can recommend a book called Real Life Organising for when you are more on top of it. I think you are brilliant and courageous for noticing your unhelpful patterns and tackling them head on. Much easier to keep avoiding. You obviously have some strength within you, it is always there so keep searching for it on tougher days.

Well done you OP, you have taken the first step. Put some music on or radio on while you sort, 3 piles, keep, dump, donate. You can do it.

Amazingly well done @SoEffingOverwhelmed . It’s so very hard to start something, anything when you’re in the mind space you describe. You are an absolute star.

You’ve got this! Fabulous efforts have already been made and the more you do, the more motivated you become to continue.

I am so proud of you!

If you can OP- get a huge skip.

Put the stuff straight in there.

Sometimes the bin bags full of stuff can just sit around and it will take probably multiple trips to the dump and some councils have a restriction on how many visit you can make.

Proud of you!! Keep going!!!!

You've done the hardest part, which is making a start - massive well done!!

The more u get through the more determined you'll be to finish it when u see how much progress you've made! Keep up the good work and treat yourself afterwards 👏🏽 xxx

Well done OP. Imagine what it will be like waking up in your calm bedroom tomorrow morning!!