The Hoarders Anonymous Thread #7. Keep On Keeping On!

[Solo]

We are a mixed group of likeminded householders that are leading somewhat challenging lives; be that living with too much 'stuff' that we find difficult to deal with, houses that are falling apart (mine included), health issues within the family unit, wider family, or ourselves (myself included) that means sorting out our households is challenging, to say the least. So...

You are all welcome to join us for support, adding your own ideas to help others out, storage ideas, and even tips on actually getting those items out of the house which sounds so simple when you say it, but this part can be so very difficult; we are often attached emotionally to our 'things', afraid of letting things go just in case we need them.
Encouragement and support abound here, and we do not criticise. EVER! We even try not to criticise ourselves as it's not helpful to anyone, but this can be very difficult not to do.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by clutter, mess, disorganisation and generally don't know where to start. If you can't be bothered, but really do want to be bothered. If you think you are a bit lazy, or if you just need to see your highs and lows and everything in between on the screen here, join us, and we will help you. We'll virtually high-five your achievements - small or large, and virtually hug you when the need arises, and if you want a hug, just ask because we are here for you, here for one another because we get it. The art of washing up is sometimes our great achievement of the day, but it's still an achievement.

Welcome to thread #7 of Hoarders Anonymous - Keep On Keeping On!

Thread #6 HERE

I seem to be playing constant laundry catch-up at the minute as it’s been so wet - I have folded & put away nearly all the clean dry laundry that has accumulated over the week and have hung out my second load of the day.

My plan now is to pop my headphones in, set my timer and tackle the kitchen for 30mins, but I need some caffeine first.

None of this is tackling the stuff problem though I have identified a few very holey bits and pieces to go for textile recycling.

I've made some mental progress.

Whenever I bring something in, I now put all the packaging into the rubbish bin or recycling, as appropriate. No keeping it in case it comes in useful. Sometimes it does but mostly it clutters the place up needlessly. Proper bin sacks which fits the bin are so much better than using random plastic bags, which sometimes leak or are the wrong size etc. I'm not too poor to afford bin sacks! It's rare that I post anything these days either so no need for endless supply of packaging.

Most of my decluttering now is things that need using up. So although I still have too much stuff really, I'm pretty much done with big decluttering sessions.

I'll take a look at the Christmas stuff for potential decluttering when I put the tree up later this week. For as long as I can remember I've had a huge bag full of wrapping paper. I barely buy any presents now so it's taken ages to get through but I think this year it'll finally be used up.

I've made practical progress with less mindlessly scrolling social media and more doing things which uses things up so they're gone and also eventually the worn out things, if they're long lasting, or empty packets are recycled.

I've bought so much stationery over the years it's taking over the desk. I've had a lightbulb moment today, realising there's always going to be something in a shop which I like. So there is no need to purchase it straight away when I see it. I can "store" it in the shop and purchase it (or something similar) at a later date when I actually need it.

Thanks for the lovely welcome really appreciate it. 🙂 Glad to hear you are on the mend @Elleherd, hope you get home soon.💐

I (we) have been busy the last couple of weeks trying to make our house suitable for an electrician to come and do a quote for rewiring without freaking out at the amount of stuff and refusing the job. It’s slow going and already postponed him once! We have stuff boxed up like books etc in preparation but also piles of loose stuff (categorised mostly) without a home. There is a visible difference in several rooms but not there yet and the final date is next week.

Not helped by the time needed to declutter the spare room inhabited by my mother of rotting food in shopping bags and much treasured tatty newspapers, mould and thick cobwebs (squalor, she is disabled/elderly but doesn’t let is in to clean), so the sparky can get in the room. She takes hoarding to the limits, we mainly have too much stuff everywhere (not squalor).

Anyway, we managed to declutter one hoover as it totally broke (we have 2 more, no fear!). Also, took a lot of stuff of ours out of the spare room cupboard and sorted it. Our biggest hurdle now is the massive declutter pile and getting that out to where it goes. Hardest part for me. ADHD doesn’t help either.

Dana K White is also one of mine! I also love Hoarders Heart, she is very real
and shows it can be done. Suitcase Designer. Basically I just watch anyone doing decluttering to get it into my brain somehow, it works. I like the ones who talk about their reasoning best.

I’ve watched some Hoarder’s Heart, but don’t recognise the name Suitcase Designer so I will do a search.

Good luck with the clearing ahead of the electrician’s visit.

I killed the thread

did you get your home electrician-ready @Phrenologistsfinger ? We also have multiple hoovers

@BlueSummerBaby any tips on how to make the new habits stick? I have periods when I get things a bit more under control and it is through doing the things you mention like getting rid of all packaging straight away and being strict about not buying more until I’ve used up what I have etc. but I struggle to keep the new habits going so things slide back again. I’ve been feeling quite under the weather for a few months but it’s all low level so not really a good excuse.

How are you @Elleherd are you on the road to recovery?

I managed to clear a lot from under the stairs when sorting Xmas decorations, just typical, a place where you can't notice 😔

Been too cold to get out of bed to tidy on days off too. That's been my excuse anyways. Had daughter more and too tired to do both. Hopefully will have a couple of days next week to tackle a room or two.

I'm thinking of taking photos, for before and after, just for myself, anyone do this?

Before and after photos or taking videos of myself tidying then watching speeded up are helpful to me.

TalkToTheHand123 - I’ve read advice that you should start by clearing a little-used cupboard because it’ll be filled with stuff you don’t need so well done for getting started!

Aw thanks @Miaowse good idea, when I can get to any of them 🤭😌

Living room isn't too horrific and I can walk around half of the bed, so a little progress. Hoping to do a bit more next week.

Hi everyone, the cold is definitely making it harder to progress here. I’ve tried buying some festive things in to give me an incentive to clear things out so attempting a purge today so I can decorate next weekend, wish me luck.

@TalkToTheHand123 my living room is particularly horrific right now and I’m sure if it was less so I’d feel much less stressed!

Just popping in to say hello and hope you are all well.

It's freezing. I'm still without a boiler (almost 5 years now), so we are very used to the cold, but my electric shower is dead, so I'm having a problem with hot water - or lack of it - right now. I need to sort out so that I can get help in.

That sounds very challenging Solo

I haven't progressed much as I haven't been able to decide where to start as everywhere is a mess. Plan is to do a little area in each room.

I somehow managed to clear a basketful of stuff in the bedroom and some floor space in the 2nd bedroom and a little clutter in the living room.

Kitchen and small bedroom quite bad so hopefully I'll have some motivation tomorrow to do some of it.

Spent about an hour and a half tidying which is a lot for me and quite surprised how much tidier the rooms are in that time (long way to go though).

Anyone else who has paperwork all over the place? Tomorrow I plan to take a mountain load 😯

TalkToTheHand123 - we have so much paperwork and also the issue of mess everywhere so where the hell to start. Well done for getting stuck in

solo

why have you not had a boiler for five years ? Can a heating engineer get to the boiler to replace it ?

@Miaowse I managed to get a start on it so quite chuffed. Hopefully I'll have motivation tomorrow to continue. I've been identifying little sections to tidy up which helps make it a bit less daunting.

I feel a bit less stressed if anyone needs to visit too.

Nanalisa60 I won't let anyone into my house - including a gas engineer. In a way, I'm glad as we are used to the cold and my gas bills will be minimal. Not having an electric shower though! That's annoying. So, the plan is to spend some time sorting out enough to at least get a shower replacement.

@Solo what are the other people in the house like for tidying?

I'm hoping to tackle the kitchen next as it's really bad. Dishes piled up again, stuff piled up on kitchen table and difficult to move around as lots of junk on the floor.

Solo

The problem of not getting the boiler fixed is that you never get any heating in the house in the winter, and if you have piles of stuff against the walls , when they eventually get moved you will have most likely have mould on the walls. Hoarding really is not good for the actual fabric of your home.

Would you consider asking family or friends to come and help you.

I've always been too embarrassed and ashamed to ask for help. I'm a few hours tidying away from being able to have visitors.

I'm trying to get in the habit of tidying as I go, even if it's a very small amount. I'm also trying to work out where to tackle next and have a bit of an order.

How's everyone else getting on?

Solo that does indeed sound very challenging.
I went without for a couple of years (after challenging an impossible bill) and while you get used to managing, it’s certainly no picnic. We now can’t afford to use our new system for more than hot water, and I assume you’re already more than aware of oil radiators, heated blankets, cling film and bubble wrapped windows, etc, keeping ventilation gaps, and ways of airing rooms and stopping damage, but if there’s anything in particular that ideas might help with, please say something.

Hello to all. Turned out my boast of internet accessibility was a bit premature! Sorry.
But, I finely got out, very late on Friday evening, (nurses strike has silver lining for some!) but to a terrible mess in every sense.
Frustratingly as soon as hospital care ceased, problems started. I developed what is almost certainly DVT last night and am still waiting for conformation and treatment. Have been told to stay out of wheelchair and do nothing in the meantime as moving around potentially exacerbates things.
Was supposed to travel to Scotland this morning to see GC's and take up their long-awaited bunk beds and other stuff they couldn't take when they had to move to be close to specialist treatment. (everything’s been sitting in my storage ever since)

But apart from the potential DVT, turns out 'responsible for vehicles' Dc, hasn't maintained vehicles and works needed before heading off for a long journey and possible adverse weather conditions. So scraped together enough money to book a van for a week, as also have overdue gas inspection, then couldn’t get large deposit back, so Dc been sent to collect anyway.

Have come out to one hell of a messy situation on all fronts, aunt still in care and huge debts, all sorts of legal situations brewed or brewing. Adult DC's haven't looked after things, and have created a great deal of further work, (there seems to be a lot of new stuff literally on top of the old) and all the systems that kept things tidy and organized, if cluttered, have broken down, serious issues around work and education, and I'm close to bankruptcy. I don’t really know what to do, but am trying to come up with some sort of a plan…

It feels like I'm back where I started and possibly worse, but possibly as family is claiming, I'm catastrophising and when I get a bit further on, it won’t be as bad as it all feels right now.
Apart from all that, I am glad to be out, if afraid of the expectations that I'll now be able to produce a good Christmas.

While in hospital, I did de-clutter and wash bag, and pouch, and de-cluttered contents of jacket pockets etc, so rubbish, and broken bits that I was carrying around everywhere got evicted, but bad habits are very much back – I’ve come out with so much stuff, and a strong sense of needing to keep things for the future, which I thought I’d broken.

Not sure there will be that much de-cluttering between now and Christmas, but lots of organizing what’s here has definitely got to happen.

Oh Elleherd what a lot of stressful goings on. In a mad rush & no time for a proper reply but didn’t want to read and run and potentially forget to reply later so and get well soon wishes from me & hope things turn out to be less awful than you fear.

@Elleherd it all sounds like a bloody nightmare 😳!!! I’m so sorry ! I hope it’s not DVT and if it is you get treatment quick and somehow manage to sort everything out !
biggest hugs 🤗!