The Hoarders Anonymous Thread. Sorting It Out.

[Solo]

There was a thread that I was involved in some time ago which was started by someone trying to understand why her Dh kept so much 'stuff' and couldn't throw anything away.

The thread quickly turned into a support thread for many MN hoarders and there was a large support network that evolved from that thread.

Eventually, the thread died and with it, certainly my 'support and encouragement mates' circle...

From other threads where lovely Mumsnetters have supported and given rl help, there have come other hoarders, untidy people and those who are just plain stuck in a rut admitting they have a problem. People like me that have become emotionally attached to stuff and it has taken over their homes and their lives. People that cannot cope after loss of different types (parent, relationship, job etc) and it just turns into one big nightmare ~ it certainly did for me following my relationship breakdown, my Dad dying and another nine people in my life passing away inside 11 months.
Personally, I feel that being unable to let anyone in through my front door means that no one can hurt me; I've pulled up the drawbridge, so no one can get to me and shoot me again.

I've always been a bit of a collector of things. I'm a make do and mend type and I can make something out of nothing. Trouble is that once I started to lose important things (people mainly) from my life, I felt unable to let anything made of something go...what if I could never get or have another?! that'd be terrible right?

So! that is a part of my story and here is a thread of support and encouragement (I hope) for others feeling overwhelmed by their hoarding, clutter and stuff. I am hoping that I can get my life sorted out and that there are others that will come along on the journey and perhaps also sort out their homes and lives.

I want to raise my drawbridge and invite friends in. Anyone else? :)

I'm going in!

There's no cash for clothes near me I think? I always have a excuse ;0)

I've emptied the cupboard, and taken the doors off as the damn things don't close anyway. Incentive to keep it tidy and to keep on at the council.

Now to clean up the spill of red food colouring from the top shelf.

Hope you're all having a productive day.

I tackled the living room and dining room today. I have cleared everything, hoovered and moved furniture around.

I had the children rake all their toys upstairs and do a hit more tidying themselves.

We stopped for a late lunch.

I am going upstairs to change all beds and help kids sort their room.

Tomorrow or Saturday I want to sort out tubs and storage drawers in living room and dining room. See how much I can throw.

I skipped hall as the living room really needed to be next.

Just wondering if it is worth putting a few of the bigger things on eBay....even at 99p it will save me moving it ?

Do it Babies or netmums. You can list for nothing on there and choose local to have it picked up!

Gradually getting a few bits done but I'm really tired (couldn't be anything to do with the fact I didn't go to sleep til 1, oh no... ) - I'm just going with the 'think of something small that needs doing, and do it' method. Rather than trying to tackle something massive, which I'm pretty certain would end up halfway done and abandoned. I figure even if I just chuck a few things, and put a few little bits and pieces in their proper homes... that's still progress, right? Right?!

Fuzz pig. ..any progress is of benefit.

The only reason I can get a room clear in a few hours now, is that I have spent years digging away at...one corner, one shelf etc and back slide lots.

I have never tackled hidden clutter before...I. E. All the drawers and cupboards which I am doing this time and that takes forever.

I have to bite the bullet about the big things...silly me hates strangers kn my home so I never really used any selling sites...except for buying more junk !

That's what creeps me out about selling on FB too. I'm very insular (not just because of the state of the house) and don't really like having people here. I'm going to bite the bullet for the few things that should make £20+ and put them on FB - we need the money - but other smaller things are just being ditched, sod it, I'm not having someone here for the sake of a quid. I'd rather get the space straight away.

I've started sorting stuff back into the kitchen cupboards. I am NOT just stuffing things back in though - it still needs to be nice and spacious in there!

I've put everything back in the kitchen cupboard and there is a clear quarter of the space free!

Right. Next!

Wahey! Well done :o

Well done PG :)

I've done the two drawers underneath too. I'm exhausted. I have so little energy. Stopping for a brew then am going to do the lower two cupboards. That just leaves the coffee cupboard. Thankfully I did under the sink a few weeks back so I know there's no junk under there!

Yup same here with the zero energy I am definitely suffering for the last couple of days' work, although for once my mind is itching to actually do stuff, so I'm doing little bursts of 15mins or so.

I do find that I am very all or nothing, though. I keep thinking, what's the point in doing such and such, when the rest of the house isn't done so it might not last anyway, or it won't be perfect. This mindset has plagued me, I don't know, forever and it is really, really proving hard to beat.

Right, DD is back from her day playing out, so it's Wii time (including my very small amount of Graded Exercise Therapy) and while they're playing I'm going to clean out a little cupboard and bowl which is used for storing potatoes. As I'm a bit sick of always feeling nervous about using potatoes when they've been in there (see, that's the messy-yet-germ-phobic thing). Such a rock 'n' roll life I lead!

Ooh, and the utensil drawer. Maybe I could do that too

And Solo... we're going to need a shiny new thread soon! :o

Yes, Solo start a new thread and link it here and we can follow you over :)

I am sat down in my newly clean living room, pleased with what I have done today.

Just have to make a couple of beds and I am finished today. :)

fuzz I did the utensil and one of the junk drawers today. My muscles in my right arm were twitching so I sat at the table with them and put them back when I was done. With a cup of coffee it was a relatively painless twenty minutes.

I bought three things I didn't need. That's 15 things to find and chuck out tomorrow! I will have to tackle the shoe mountain - again!

Well done folks :)

I didn't clean out any more spaces as I got somewhat caught up with the DCs and before I knew it DH got home, but I did manage my GET. Might carry on with the drawers and such tomorrow. I do have the slow cooker, mixer and food processor beautifully cleaned and in their new home in the clean cupboard though so that's something!

Wow! you ladies are flying!! :)

Yes, I will sort a new thread in a day or so, don't worry!

I have done nothing at all. So exhausted. Off to sleep. Night.

Wow there is more of us..I have just lost my husband of 31 years together, 25 years married due to my hoarding.I'm going to tackle it this weekend not to win him back but to prove to him I can ,my skip is coming Monday and I have charity shop coming Wednesday.we have lived in this house for 20 years so have 20 years of build up..some of your posts have pushed me into starting my clear out.thankyou.it will also take my mind of the split I hope anyway.as there was no warning he is very minalistic and I never realised how much I hoarded items ...until now ..

Welcome Kim...sorry to hear about the husband. Congratulations on dealing with your house...sounds like you are going to flying from the start.
Look forward to hearing how things go next week.

Think I am going to try and bite the bullet and try and list a couple of smallish things on ebay and see how that goes.
Also going to take my kids out today....They wouldn't like two housework days in a row !

Might start on dining room tubs tonight. Problem is all the 'keep stuff' is ending up in our room...which is storing up problems for my future. I need to throw more, once I am sure I don't need it.

Also thinking of my comic collection....will I reread them or add to the collection or bite the bullet and sell them and reclaim the space and some money. I love having them but I never have chance to look at them, sigh.

what a wonderful thread!

Hello Kim, good luck with the fresh start

Not going to get much done today, supposed to be heading to a friend's house for some coffee and downtime. We have six children between us but they get on quite well. Saturday doesn't look good either as I'll be in and out of the house all day. I'll try to take a carrier bag to the charity shop each time I head out though.

Right, laundry is tumbling and I've got a coffee. Let's rock this Friday.

Sorry to hear that Kim, I never realised I was a hoarder until my home start team told me, I mentioned it to someone else who didn't refute it so I had no idea it was that bad.

I am just picking away but I might have to purge as well, it still going. I'm regretting some things going as well. Oh well, I will get over it!

Going to grab a bag now for the bin!