but I have Obessive Compulsive Disorder OCD (just like my mom) and all I ever do is clean. How can I stop this behaviour and is it really OK to have a messy house sometimes? What if someone comes around unexpectantly and how can I do something eles knowing there is work to be done. HELP!
2006-12-28 10:13:18 · 10 answers · asked by madeline r 1 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
sure it's OK to have a messy house. But you have to remember we all have a different definition of what is messy. A few things on the floor, to having piles of dirty dishes all over the place; that becomes a health hazard.
If you feel you have OCD you should go see your doctor...There is medication/therapy that can help.
Good luck.
2006-12-28 10:25:46 · answer #1 · answered by M P 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pick your compusions. Truly.
There is a universe of things to worry over, having a clean house is just one. I am obsessive about clean floor first and then the house second.
I live in the mountains so...
There are animals that are starving, that cross the road and get squashed, some that are hurt or wounded and bleeding, some that live under my car that I worry will not wake up and leave when I do. Right now, today, there are two giant enormous flocks of ducks and geese that were prevented from leaving the Sierra Basin and flying south because of freak storms. Are the here for the winter? where do they sleep? what will they eat? They cross the roads at will, thousands of them, and they are always in the back of my mind.
Are my bulbs planted in time for the first frost? Will they bloom or will the squirrels eat them? Will the squirrels starve if I prevent them from getting to my bulbs?
My mother in law told me,last year, to stop cleaning my house. That if someone was going to judge me because my house is messy then they should go to a hotel. Since my mother in law is one of the major reasons I keep a spotless house, and she regrets spending so much of her life cleaning her own house, I will try to take her advice. Except for the floors. Dirty floors...ew.
Take the advice. Try lightening up on the housework. If you will, I will. Except for the floors. OK?
2006-12-28 10:27:43 · answer #2 · answered by Liligirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is the funniest thing ever because i on the other hand can't keep my room clean and just had my phone confiscated for that reason
i had a real problem with it too. i clean a few days after she tells me to and then she gets mad at that and says i am disrespecting her for not doing it when i am told.
then she says when i have kids i will understand.
i dont think that when i have kids i will mind it so much if they are busy when i tell them to clean as long as they do it soon.
but she makes a big deal and even after i cleaned it she said it wasnt clean enough when on the other hand she doesnt keep her roon so clean either.
so i have the same problem as you except its the opposite.
are you sure it is OCD or so you think it is?
anyway tell your mom it is better to be clean then messy because at least it looks good and you can find your things and all.
i am usually stepping over stuff and often forget the color of my carpet. the maximum time my room was ever clean is maybe a few days. and forget finding things. thats a whole different story.
2006-12-28 10:19:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A friend of mine had this problem...not OCD but pretty close.
I told her about a neighbour lady I once knew...she cleaned the house all the time and washed clothes everyday...(very obsessed with cleanliness)
Well, the lady got cancer, (I think stomach) on her deathbed when she was 'losing it' she repeatedly said, "Wash the whites, wash the whites!"
When she died you know what?... they didn't put on her tombstone, she kept the house tidy or her clothes were sparkling clean.
I also told my friend to imagine the time you spend cleaning all each day....what else could you do.... alot of other things!
My point is consider what you are missing out on in life... reading, learning, visiting, breathing, thinking, having fun, living...etc...
Messy is okay... it means the house is lived in.
If someone comes around so what they never have a mess?
You can do something else.... the work will always be there, don't worry it won't go anywhere, do it later.
It'll take time to work through your OCD.
When you pass on don't you want people to remember you for you and not how crazy clean you were?
BTW, my friend thought about my neighbour lady and the time.... she thanked me a few months later because she found all this quality time with her husband and neither one of them was as stressed as before... weird but nice to hear.
Hope this helps, good luck!
If you are unable to change your ways... please use environmentally friendly and kid friendly cleaning products... you don't want to get ill (or worse) from your compulsive behavior.
2006-12-28 16:15:24 · answer #4 · answered by Gigi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is OK to have a messy house. Its not OK to have a filthy house. And honestly people are more comfortable going into a house that they can breath in. If they are afraid to touch things or move for fear of causing more dirt or more cleaning for you they may not want to come over in the first place. But if they know they can spill a drop of soda or move a throw pillow and look at the books in the book shelf they will be more comfortable. You do want to have a home not a museum.
2006-12-28 10:23:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's OK to have a messy house. The world will not end if you take a break. If you leave a mess, which will probably be still cleaner than most houses, I promise it will still be there when you get back. Most people will not notice this and if they do they will not care. If it is stopping you from living your life go see a therapist, he/she can help you break out of your compulsion.
2006-12-28 10:28:34 · answer #6 · answered by higg1966 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
can't answer ur question because i have same problem too. can't take a rest without cleaning the house first and making sure things are in order. i get really upset and bad-tempered when the whole house is in disorder, noisy and messy. my brain is in a panic when things were not done properly or can't get into things that i think should be done urgently. im a worrier. and very depressive.
2006-12-28 10:44:36 · answer #7 · answered by heavenscent9870 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is help for a person with OCD's but you need to want to control them. Go to your nearest mental health clinic and find someone to help you. I'd rather go in a "lived in" house than a showcase where I was afraid I'd touch something. But OCD's won't resolve themselves on their own. And there is more to life than cleaning! So please get help!
2006-12-28 10:28:05 · answer #8 · answered by missingora 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Come over to my place you can clean all you want to.
2006-12-28 10:19:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
why aren't you cleaning now?
2006-12-28 10:25:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋