Hoarding & Get Started Cleaning Your Place
If you fill your home with objects you don't really need but hold on to because discarding them would create a profound sense of loss, and these objects seriously limit your living space, you may suffer from a condition called hoarding.
Clinically, hoarding is defined as a a mental condition and a possible symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however oftentimes people who hoard don't have other OCD-related symptoms (such as irrational germ phobias leading to the constant washing of hands).
Instructions
Help for Hoarding
1. Treatment for hoarding is often a painstaking task, as those who suffer from the condition often don't see it as a problem, at least not until significant damage is done. This can include damage to one's home, because a chronically cluttered space is impossible to clean and keep up. It can also cause safety issues as well, as a home filled with objects can have blocked exits and windows, creating fire hazards and other possible dangers. In some cases, hoarding can also lead to eviction.
2. If you're ready to face your hoarding and take back your home and your life, there are steps you can take to begin doing so. First you'll have to approach it from the emotional standpoint. According to Dr. David Tolin, Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital. "The question to ask yourself is not whether you can use the object, but whether you really will use the object. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven't used an object in over a year -- say, you didn't even know it was there until you found it on the bottom of a pile -- you probably can live without it."
3. Once you reach a point where you're able to begin parting with things, taking it all on at once can be extremely overwhelming. So start small. Begin with a small corner of the home, moving on to each area or room one by one. Use garbage bags and rubber gloves while cleaning, as some materials have been stored so long they could be hazardous. Once you've gotten rid of all the clutter, the cleaning process can begin.
Start with the objects that cause the least amount of emotional turmoil to get rid of. While it may be difficult for you to get rid of a tennis racket you never use because it belonged to your deceased grandmother, multiple items in the home such as three coffee makers or five different toaster ovens is a good place to start. You really only need one of each of these types of items.
4. If you stick with the purging process, you'll begin to see results; you'll have a cleaner home to which you can actually have guests over and you'll be able to face emotional issues that prompted you to hoard in the first place. Use plastic storage bins to keep the things you actually need. Once you've on a purging roll, keep yourself from slipping into old habits by cleaning things out as they come along, before they become overpowering again. Make organizing and tossing unnecessary items a daily part of your routine -- part of your lifestyle -- and it won't be something that can get out of hand. It doesn't have to be a massive project; it could be just an hour or even five minutes a day. But whatever amount of time, make sure you do it every day.
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