Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

I'm able to sit on the verandah if it's not raining, thanks @Dimity . I really need to clean up the mess out there, but have been putting it off till the verandah gets fixed. If it is going to get fixed

If you feel better to keep plugging on, then that's best then I guess.

Depression is the worst 😥

I'm struggling a bit at the moment with depression. House is messy and bathroom needs a clean. But today will be a work day at the library.

I hope your new little cuttings thrive.

Sorry to hear you're struggling too @NatureLover I hope work went well today.

My support worker has cancelled her next visit. Just as I'm trying to get going.

I've started shifting boxes to the livingroom to work on - of course it's making the clutter much worse. And I can only bring myself to donate a fraction of the stuff. I'm trying to reassure myself that's OK, that I'll come back to it and do better next time. In the meantime in this weather I'm hot and bothered and quite sluggish.

You haven't mentioned next door's dogs for ages. I trust things have been better.

Hi @Dimity , yes, had a good day at work thanks.

Oh no re your support worker cancelling! Especially as she only comes fortnightly - meaning a month between visits 😣

Is shifting boxes to the living room creating space elsewhere? Hard to feel ruthless when you're sluggish and hot and bothered. (I call it "ruthless", that feeling I need when decluttering in order to get rid of stuff.)

Next door's dog is not always here. It's usually well behaved when it is. The other, aggressive dog also stays elsewhere most of the time, thankfully. When it is here, I don't come outside.

Today I'm planning to go to the library for 3 hours' work. This is purely to avoid dealing with the house! I will have to deal with the house when I come home.

Good luck today with your tasks.

I don't blame you for avoiding the aggressive dog @NatureLover . Sounds like a bit of avoidance with the house too, but maybe you're making yourself indispensable. I wonder if you've considered part time or casual work with your inheritance running out. I do appreciate it might not be an option given your complex mh.

No my efforts so far aren't making a dent in the spare room although I aim to clear access to the windows. Meanwhile stuff is piling up in the livingroom. I don't feel ruthless, maybe that's the trouble. It's been important to me to respect the stuff and respect the process. I should try harder

Hi @Dimity I saw this subject and thought I would take a look. Since moving into a caravan at the end of my mum's property, I am living with my sister who is a germophobe and my mum who is a hoarder. For years we have been trying to convince mum, that she doesn't need all the stuff that she has collected. But she is very stubborn and won't let us donation anything to charity. She get very upset if we try to off load things to charity, so my sister and I have decided to save mum the stress and just sort through it all once she passes. It is going to be a massive job, as we have the lounge room, my spare bedroom, her bedroom, a large rumpus room, a double garage and two small tool shed, that are full of boxes and bags that my mum has collected over the years. But I would rather that, than watch her get so upset over losing her belongings.

When my birth father left Australia, after my mum threw him out because he was abusive, he basically left her with nothing, which I think is where the hoarding comes from. She doesn't want to lose another thing. In a way I can see where she is coming from, as I too have lost everything in my previous house that I owned. And it hurts when you lose things that you have worked hard for.

My sister uses baby wipes to wash her hands after every single time she touches something. I would hate to add up how much she has spent on baby wipes. But each to their own. This is what makes her feel safe, so who am I to judge. I just go with the flow and don't bring it up.

How are you going Dimity? What sort of things do you like to do? Do you have any pets?

Hi @Dimity , yes, am definitely avoiding the housework! But am at home today so hopefully will feel strong enough to deal with it later today.

I'm definitely not up to paid work with all the stress and responsibility that brings.

"Respecting the stuff and respecting the process"...I never thought of it like that. But yes, that matters.

There seems to be a lot of rain in the upcoming forecast...a nice break for us from watering the garden.

I've been awake since 4.45am and am about to go out at first light. It would be nice to go back to sleep but that would discombobulate me.

Good luck today with whatever you decide to tackle. Good luck to us both.

Hello @Mustang67 living with both a hoarder and a germophobe must present some challenges. It's good you're open and understanding. I'm sorry to hear of your mother's experiences

I'm a recovering hoarder but not a germophobe. I have a family member who's faced severe hoarding issues. @NatureLover who started this thread has spoken of lived experience of both hoarding and germophobia. My hoarding issues intersect with c-ptsd and family dysfunction. Anxiety and depression all too often leave me feeling gridlocked.

I try to keep up with the news and have a very old cat but live a very quiet life, with no real hobbies.

@NatureLover

@Dimity @NatureLover I could have very easily become a hoarder like my mother, as I too have lost all my belongings. When sorting through the shipping container that damaged most of my belongings, I really wanted to keep a lot of things, that I had spent hard earned money to purchase, but they all had mould and the smell went all the way through things. Plus, now that I am living in a caravan, I have absolutely nowhere to store any of my belongings. So I now have the mind set of living a simple life free of clutter. I always used to say when I was working that if my desk was cluttered, then that was the state of my mind, but if it was nice and organised, then mentally I was in a good place. And the same goes for where I live. After having to squeeze into my old bedroom years ago when I moved back in with my parents, I literally had a 90cm pathway from the door to the bed and the rest of the room was filled with cupboards, boxes and bags. And for someone that usually likes things to be in order, that was doing my head in.

But I do have an understanding of why people hoard, so there is no judgement here.

What is your cats name Dimity. Are you aware that we have a space called

The Sane Cattery: Because normal is overrated, where we download pictures of our beautiful fur babies and discuss all things cats. Here is the link if you are interested in having a look. The Sane Cattery Because normal is overrated

It must have been upsetting to first need to put all your stuff in storage in the container then lose it all @Mustang67 .

I once knew someone who became a minimalist after having to live in a caravan for several years. Even after he had a house with a partner he couldn't bear to keep a single book.

My cat is going downhill unfortunately. He's nearly 20. On the forums I call him Tiger.

I'll have a look at the SANE cattery.

I've cleared a lot over the years. Peak clutter was probably 15 years ago.

@NatureLover I missed out on rain again but it's been very sticky.

Did you have any success? I sorted a few books but feel I didn't get enough done.

I've been waking before dawn but going back to sleep after attending to Tiger. I'm still procrastinating about my fatigue.

I hope you have a good day tomorrow.