Approaching a hoarding situation (or at least I feel like it)

[Anonymous]

Good for you, OP, for looking for ways to make it more enjoyable to live in your home and to confront the problem, whether it's clutter or hoarding. I'm a hoarder's daughter (not saying you are a hoarder, just sharing my experience) and grew up in the enormous piles of stuff that prevented walking safely around the house, couldn't ever have friends over, and knew that if there were a fire, my dad would likely race around the house trying to save his "priceless" things rather than worrying about getting people out. He saves paper, too -- newspaper clippings, circulars, magazines -- whatever catches his fancy.

When the stuff starts to force the people in the home to accommodate it, work around it, or to modify normal, daily living activities, then regardless of the label you put on it, it's an issue. My dad's hoarding left lots of scars. I left home as quickly as I could (found my own living arrangement with a friend's family at age 16) but even decades later, I flinch when someone knocks on the door, despite the fact that my house is clean and I am not a hoarder.

If you are looking for motivation to deal with your situation a bag a day, think about what a positive thing you are modeling for your daughter. Think about what a gift it is to show her that people are more important than stuff and that even after a long time of doing things a certain way, you can grow and change. Keep a vision in your mind of what you will get when the de-cluttering is done (perhaps you ill eat together more or have friends over), rather than constantly focusing on what you have to give up.

Best wishes, OP, in fighting a good fight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you see the Apartment Therapy Cure? Here's one example:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/apartment-therapys-january-cure-2014-197811

Not the OP, but thanks!! This looks awesome.

[Anonymous]

Do you need catalogs coming into your home, or can you shop online? Use Catalog Choice (https://www.catalogchoice.org/) to stop them from sending you new catalogs each week. Other catalogs - have a recycling bin right by the door, and make sure that day's mail goes into it if it's really not needed.

We don't get many magazines, but the ones we do get are recycled as soon as we are done reading. We get books only from the library, or on the ipad/kindle, so less book clutter. The kids do have books, which we try to keep on shelves in their room.

We moved recently, and actually still have many boxes in storage, much of which we don't need and are going to ditch. Fancy fruit bowl from wedding we never unpacked? Le Creuset tea kettle? Random kitchen stuff we haven't missed? Gone! It's a lot of mental energy having boxes there, really looking forward to it being done!

[Anonymous]

It took years to get like that, it will take years to improve it. It takes physical and emotional energy...but you'll feel so much better when you start making a dent. Start with what can immediately be recycled or trashed. You don't need all those magazines and egg cartons. Use freecycle so people will come pick up the stuff themselves, or a donation service that will come pick up the stuff. Selling on ebay takes time for not much return so that is probably a waste of time. Focus on your clothes and shoes, then the kitchen because those are areas that you use every day. Also, think about all the disgusting dust, mold, and bugs that are lurking in your piles, possibly making you sick. That is a good motivator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also -- check out 40 bags in 40 days online. It's a group of people who aim to clean out one area of their home each day during Lent (hence the 40 days), but it isn't at all religious.

I can sometimes find their facebook page to be too overwhelming -- some people tackle a whole room at a time. I do a drawer a day!

+1 I like the facebook page. It's fun to see people's makeovers and junk. I did it last year and am doing it this year and am finally starting to see some progress.

[Anonymous]

I struggle with getting rid of things myself. Here is what you need to do... be BRUTAL!

Start in a corner. every time you touch an item, you have to either find a place for it or throw it out. period.

Be brutal, any magazine/catalog that is not current needs to get thrown out. If it is sentimental, then create a sentimental box, keep only what fits in that box.

I am the queen of half started projects, you have to let those go. your mindset needs to be that you are in desperate need for space. If you pick up a bag of things you want to take to school, then it goes in the car immediately.

Unless you have a spare room, or a garage you can't keep all that junk.