PairoDocs
Well-known member
We have an unusual problem, partly because of my deteriorating condition since last summer, and the problems since surgery in December. We live in an old farm house with virtually no storage space, and we also have many hobbies. Normally, we manage to keep at least partial control over these, but because of my pre and post surgical depression and lack of local help, we have too much stuff everywhere. Due to my ADHD and mild Asperger's syndrome it has been very difficult for me to decide what to keep, what to give away, and what to throw away. I fritter away my time on my hobbies as they help my emotional overload and make me a more bearable person to live with, but at the price of not cleaning up around the house. I also lack the energy most of the time to even get close to tackling the problem due to the OHS recovery issues. Attempts to hire a housekeeper have failed. My wife is overwhelmed by all of this, too, as are our children.
We cannot let guests visit due to the condition of the clutter--no rotting food or anything like that--more 'intellectual' clutter than anything. Most places the floor is visible, too. We aren't at the stage of newspaper stacks to the ceiling or anything that bad--we actually recycle all our newspapers regularly, but there is just simply not anywhere to put the stuff, and we've culled the trash and truly useless items out already. It's difficult for me to part with a lot of it because I'm afraid useful stuff would merely be discarded, and I haven't gotten my head together enough to sell on eBay. The local thrift stores are a bit fussy, and I watched them throw away lots our old perfectly good toys--making me reluctant to take stuff there again. Perhaps some people here have dealt with similar situations where heart-related problems made it so that their entire house has become a 'disaster area' in my wife's words. I'd like to get a handle on this problem, but right now I can't. No relatives live nearby except my father who is too sick to help, and we have virtually no friends. Any suggestions? I have managed to tackle a few single rooms at a time, leaving them clean and tidy, but the stuff just goes into another room--hence the problem continues... What worked for anyone here who faced 'mountains' of stuff to do with limited resources and energy?
Thanks, Chris
We cannot let guests visit due to the condition of the clutter--no rotting food or anything like that--more 'intellectual' clutter than anything. Most places the floor is visible, too. We aren't at the stage of newspaper stacks to the ceiling or anything that bad--we actually recycle all our newspapers regularly, but there is just simply not anywhere to put the stuff, and we've culled the trash and truly useless items out already. It's difficult for me to part with a lot of it because I'm afraid useful stuff would merely be discarded, and I haven't gotten my head together enough to sell on eBay. The local thrift stores are a bit fussy, and I watched them throw away lots our old perfectly good toys--making me reluctant to take stuff there again. Perhaps some people here have dealt with similar situations where heart-related problems made it so that their entire house has become a 'disaster area' in my wife's words. I'd like to get a handle on this problem, but right now I can't. No relatives live nearby except my father who is too sick to help, and we have virtually no friends. Any suggestions? I have managed to tackle a few single rooms at a time, leaving them clean and tidy, but the stuff just goes into another room--hence the problem continues... What worked for anyone here who faced 'mountains' of stuff to do with limited resources and energy?
Thanks, Chris