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Post by sunshineshouse on Jun 5, 2008 15:00:53 GMT -5
I need HELP. I am running out of time and not making much progress on my home. It's bad. Repairs need to be made and ... well things are just a mess. How many people have 2 boxsprings and a mattress upended in their living room for over a year? (Some living room!! I haven't sat in it in years!!!!!) Those items are supposed to go upstairs, but the path upstairs is a month's job in itself.
I made a few calls to get help for my squalored home. Started with help for myself. I called my health insurance company and got preapproval. I printed out a list of psychologists from the insurance website, those who deal with OCD issues (I'm a hoarder). I started making phone calls. They all have answering machines. Most of them, I did not like their voices, so I did not leave a message! I left a message for one of them, she called me back, but after speaking with her about making an appointment, I just didn't have a good feeling about her. Just a gut feeling. So no appointments made yet. I have not had much luck with therapists, so I don't know why I think it will be any different this time. I just know I need HELP.
I called a professional organizer I had worked with outside of my home (Organizer #1) and called another one further away (Organizer #2) that I found through the National Association of Professional Organizers website. Organizer #2 called me back and she made me nervous. Or maybe she just was stating the obvious, saying that I needed to change my thinking.
So, we'll see what happens with these attempts at help - at a steep ($$$) price of course. I have a somewhat self-imposed "clean and desqualored" deadline of July 1 for the main level, August 1 for the basement and attic. I COULD do it all myself, but I am going to have family moving in by the Fall, so I don't have another year or two.
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Post by neverstoplearning on Jun 5, 2008 16:17:16 GMT -5
Hi sunshineshouse, Another resource to try is the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. They may be able to refer you to professional organizers in your area who specialize in working with people with hoarding tendencies. They are a much smaller organization than NAPO, but their members are generally more knowledgeable about hoarding and related issues. Some even work collaboratively with therapists. Good luck to you. neverstoplearning |
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Post by onwardandupward on Jun 6, 2008 7:19:53 GMT -5
(((hugs)))
I can feel your stress through your words. I wish I was there to help you out!
As for therapy and trying it with no real help, my advice is, "Don't give up!" I tried several thereapists over the years who didn't seem to get it at all, and I either felt uncomfortable with them or could see they weren't helping.
But I tried one more time. And boy am I glad I did. She didn't seem at first like someone who could help. I mean, she didn't even ask me to start with childhood and work forward. She was more about asking me what was bugging me right now. At first what she said seemed very basic - like things I knew already. But after a couple of sessions, I started to feel better about the therapy and she had some techniques that really worked for me. I have been seeing her of and on for almost 5 years. I am so glad I stuck with her and so thankful to have found her. Yes, I am still here, living at level 1.5 in every room, but I have made many improvements and feel much better about the future. I never mentioned SS by name, but I did tell her I found an online support group. She totally encouraged me to use it. The combination has worked well for me, even though I haven't been to therapy in a long time. I think I will call her to make an appointment!
Hang in there. if therapy isn't right for you, maybe having someone come in and help will do the trick. The first fearful steps are always the hardest.
Onward
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Post by BDG on Jun 7, 2008 1:35:08 GMT -5
It's good that you are trying different things to find a solution. If you can afford help, go for it and then try and find ways to help yourself after the big clean up, to find a way to maintain it and also if you can afford it have someone come in every so often to clean up again every couple of days for a few hours or a few hours every week. There is nothing wrong with getting help.
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