Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

@Dimity wow Tiger is nearly 20. I have never heard of a cat living that long. You must have looked after him very well. Sorry to hear that he is going down hill.

Cats are definitely our companions and part of the family and are greatly missed when they pass.

At the time I had to store my belongings, I was at the lowest point of my life. Because of an abusive partner at the time, I first lost my job because I took too much time off work to recover, then with my mental state at the time and not much money, my ex husband and I decided it was best if our daughter lived with him while I tried to sort my life out. So I lost my daughter, followed by having to declare myself bankrupt as I could not work in my current state of mind, and CentreLink didn't cover my rent, plus car payments etc, so I had no choice. So then my dream car (my first V8) was reprocessed and I cried as I watched it being taken away. And to top it all off, I was no longer 2 weeks in advance of my rent, so I was evicted. So you can pretty much say I lost everything and was struggling badly with SI and no longer wanting to be around any longer. So I am used to losing things that I have worked hard for. And there was a lot of crying as I tried to sort through my container. My partner has ended up getting rid of most of it, as it is just too upsetting me being there. I am over it now. And simple clutter free sounds great to me. As soon as I finally get a rental, my daughter wants to move straight back in with me. And I would want her too as well.

So sorry for what you have been through and suffered, @Mustang67 😥

Thank you @NatureLover But because I hit rock bottom at this time, I knew something had to change. So with the help of my social workers, I was educated with the lessons I should have learned as a child, but didn't because of an abusive father. And I learned why I pick the men I do, and how not to keep repeating my mistakes.

I am so much stronger now, and I am no longer a people pleaser and I will stand up for myself and my personal boundaries.

It has indeed been sticky and humid, @Dimity . That's good you avoided the rain.

I ended up doing a bit of work that came through, and achieved nothing on the house - yes, more avoidance!

I understand procrastinating about your fatigue. I hope it doesn't get any worse.

A friend wants to work with me in the library today, so not much time for work on the house. But I'll try to do a little this morning on the kitchen.

I think you have exercise class on Tuesday and the home help on Thursday this week?

Well done, @Mustang67 . I admire that.

Gosh @Mustang67 it sounds as though the problems snowballed. People don't always realise how vulnerable we are with health and loss of income, and it's awful it started with an abusive partner. I'm glad you feel you've grown and developed with help from your social workers.

Finding a new rental for yourself and your daughter is a big ask in the current housing climate. The very best of luck.

Hope you were happy with the day @NatureLover .

I wish we'd get some decent rain.

I'm not getting anywhere. The psychologist reached out today to see if I'm OK. Nice of her but I don't know what to say. I guess I'm surviving - so that's OK.

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@Dimity wrote:

Gosh @Mustang67 it sounds as though the problems snowballed. People don't always realise how vulnerable we are with health and loss of income, and it's awful it started with an abusive partner. I'm glad you feel you've grown and developed with help from your social workers.

Finding a new rental for yourself and your daughter is a big ask in the current housing climate. The very best of luck.

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@Dimity I know. I have expanded our search parameters, and once we have the money together, I will be madly applying for whatever is suitable.

I am liking the idea of an apartment in the city, as some of them are already furnished, so that would solve my furniture problem. It is only 30 minutes away from my partners work, and there are so many things that are close by. There are two downsides that I can see. They only have one car park, and we have 2 cars, and I don't think my cat would be able to come with me. I have been researching tips to stand out from the rest in the rental platforms, so will put those tips to good use.

Something like this would be very nice. Apartment

Hi @Dimity , yes, was happy with the day thanks.

Were you joking about wishing for some decent rain? Or maybe your area hasn't been getting the recent heavy rain?

I'm so impressed your psychologist reached out to see how you are.

Yes, it's OK you're surviving. I read on your thread that you feel numb. I wonder if that's because everything feels too much and overwhelming?

Today is a busy work day at home which I'm looking forward to. Plus it means I don't feel guilty about not doing housework! 😄

I hope your exercise class and coffee afterwards go well today.

@NatureLover we've had several millimetres total through drizzle over the last week but as usual missed out on heavier rain. It's odd, I can watch the rain radar and see rain moving through but missing me.

It's good you enjoy your work, and it must be very helpful to the charity.

A neighbour greeted me today and gave me unused catfood. I rarely see her, I know she's not well.

Are things too much for me and overwhelming? Probably. I can't articulate it. Lost, numb, empty. And there's the fatigue. I don't expect to speak to anyone in real life until next Tuesday, a full week away.