Hi there!
I'm sure glad to have found the "Squalor Survivors" website and this "Stepping out of Squalor" forum.
From what I have read so far, everyone seems to be so friendly, kind and helpful.
My nickname is Ican. (At least, I sure hope I can. ) :-)
Here is a little bit about me:
I'm a middle aged adult woman. I live alone with my small, older dog.
As far as measuring how bad the clutter is in my house, I tried to compare it to what I saw when I looked at "measuring squalor" link (on the left side of the page) at the Squalor Survivors website:
www.squalorsurvivors.comFirst I compared it to the "Clutter Image Scale" photos at:
www.squalorsurvivors.com/squalor/measuring.shtmlCompared to those photos:
My living room is a 3 or 4. (Many bags of clothes on couch, desk clutter, some stacks of boxes on floor about 2 or 3 feet tall along one wall)
My kitchen is about a 3. (Clutter on stove and counter. A few dirty dishes.)
One of my bedrooms is about a 2. (Clothes closets stuffed. Piles of laundry.)
The other bedroom is about a 5. (Many stacked boxes, some 4 feet tall.)
However, the differences between the photos and my place is:
... In my house I can see most of the floor. (Except in the one bedroom that has a lot of stacked boxes.)
... I don't have any trash or rotting food anywhere. (Except for the normal household garbage that is in the appropriate trash bin.)
... Most of the clutter I have is contained in boxes, there is not as much strewn about loose. (Except for what is on top of desk, table, and counters.)
Actually, I don't think 'squalor' is the correct term for my house.
It would be more accurate to say that my house is very cluttered, rather disorganized and somewhat messy.
... Because the problem is not so much with cleanliness.
... It is more with having TOO MANY items for the amount of space I have available. ... (I think I'll need to cull some items.) ***
... And not keeping those items organized; not having a 'home' for them.
***However, the reason I keep them is because I have this over-riding FEAR that - in case of emergency - I may need them someday, and that I may not be able to get them again. (Due to stores being closed, or lack of inventory, or lack of transportation, etc.)
On the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization clutter hoarding scale, my house is about level 2.
The url for that scale is at:
www.nsgcd.org/resources/clutterhoardingscale.phpI also looked at the "Degrees of Squalor" scale, that is on the Squalor Survivors website:
www.squalorsurvivors.com/squalor/measuring.shtmlOn that scale, my house is somewhere between second and third degree.
I can use the bed, chair, television, telephone, sinks, microwave, washer, dryer, and shower.
But my desk, kitchen table and kitchen stove are too cluttered to use.
And one of my couches is piled with bags of clothing (that won't fit in the closets), so I can't use it.
My normal movement around the house is somewhat impeded by piles of clothes (in the bedroom) and boxes of stuff (in the living room, hallway, and the bedrooms).
I also have a small, old dog, which sometimes makes messes in the utility room of my house. It is easy to pick up the solid waste, and I keep that picked up immediately. (I have only linoleum floors, there is no carpet in my house.)
... But I could do better as far as mopping the floor. I get very embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes there are puddles on the utility room floor, which I ignore.
I definitely discourage people from coming over. The thought of anyone (besides my sibling and mother) coming over to my house causes me great stress.
Here's some relevant background history about me:
I grew up in a family where third degree was the norm.
(House I grew up in was a 6 on the clutter image rating photos.)
My mother has a problem with clutter and hoarding.
So does my sibling (to some extent).
And I do, too.
Growing up, I hated living in a home in that condition.
It was dirty. Unpleasant. Smelly. Embarrassing. Felt shame.
It was hard to walk in the house, had to walk sideways through the narrow paths of the stacks of piles.
Couldn't have any friends or relatives over. Very isolated.
I couldn't understand how my mother could let the house get like that. ...
... Now I understand.
... Because now I have a problem with hoarding and clutter, too.
My house didn't used to be so bad. It was always cluttered, but it has gotten worse over the years.
Part of the reason is because, about 4 years ago, I saw a documentary film about oil prices. I got afraid that might affect the economy and that prices for things would go up. ... (As far as prices going up for some items, this has actually occurred to some extent.)
And I worried that perhaps some items might get scarce or hard to get.
... Since many items are at least partly made with petroleum ingredients, which might be very expensive in the future.
... Or that the price of oil (and gasoline, and diesel) would get so high that the trucks that transport products to the stores might stop running sometimes, at least temporarily. (Like truckers strikes, etc.)
Therefore, I started hoarding much more. Canned Food. Blankets. Tent. Sleeping bags. Fishing gear. Camping supplies. Cast iron skillets. Gardening tools. Gardening books. Canning supplies. Batteries. Flashlights. Survival type items.
And I must admit, I'm still afraid that things might get bad in the future, and therefore, I still want to hold onto much of my "survival clutter".
Actually, I'm not sure that I should call most of the survival stuff "clutter", since they are really good, useful items.
... And some (many?) of the items are new. ...
But I have just dumped all of them haphazardly in boxes and stacked the boxes, so they are in several 3 or 4 feet tall piles in my back room.
So, I'm not sure what to do about that. I'm still trying to get my mind around what is reasonable to keep, and what is excessive.
To me, the survival "items" or "clutter" (whichever label is appropriate) really represent security.
So, I am afraid to get rid of them. It would really stress me out if I discarded them, I'd feel I'd need to replace them.
However, it is true that I've got more stuff, of various kinds - especially clothes, books, papers, canned food and aforementioned "survival items" - than what I can comfortably store in my house.
My house is more like a storage facility than a home.
The clutter is interfering with the normal functions I want to use my house for - such as for being a comfortable, peaceful place to relax - and a place where I can have people over to socialize.
I want to get control over my hoarding and reduce the clutter in my house to a manageable level, so I can be happy in my home. ... And most of all, so I won't be embarrassed to have people here at my house.
I'm so glad that I found this discussion board. I really think that the support here will help me.
I look forward to getting to know all of you, and trying to be supportive of you, too.
Thank you so very much!