What causes hoarding and going from organized to disorganized?

Question

How to change? Is it natural with aging,cancer, job losses, deaths in family leading to feeling life spin out of control? I used to be fairly organized. It started with collecting up books, then other things, then tried to recycle and that adds to the disorganization of it all, because I am not organized at it and it is far away so I can't go very often. Now I was out of work without unemployment (discriminated bc of cancer survivor and age) and have even been hoarding food as if I am afraid it will run out.Eating constantly to soothe my nerves. I constantly put things in front of the front door (even if I move them and clean it up, I do it again with other things), until it is hard to get in or out of the outside door. I don't know why I seem to be spinning out of control in life... I feel like I am on a boat in the ocean that is constantly tossed about like in a storm.

I tried religion and there is a lot of phoniness there...preachers who ask people to send their last dollar so that supposedly God will make the congregant rich...meanwhile the person sending in the money is poor and the evangelist has jets, limos and mansions, etc. They preach against this or that, then you find out they have done those very things behind everyone's back. They are just people, not the God's they think they are....Sorry that was a rant.

I do agree with the insight about filling an empty feeling. And with the other poster about depression. My brother died about the same time I got cancer and through a freak accident my cat was killed by a plumber's snake coming up through the toilet from a next door neighbor's condo all at Thanksgiving (how ironic). It would be a sick comedy if it didn't happen to me.Everyone has there own tragedy's and some are (I know worse than mine). They don't fire you for cancer or age, for other things so they don't have to pay unemployment, but they even say "Why didn't you tell us you had cancer when we hired you?" ..crass and heartless b******s....I had other insurance that covered my cancer treatment and surgery...only when I wanted fulltime with benefits that my job was at risk (it apparently raised their premiums).They fired another girl for breast cancer and someone who had double knee replacements..a CHURCH based assisted living facility...

Answer 1

The most common reason for hoarding and disorganization is actually quite simple - not having a specific place to put things. Since you don't have a place for a thing, you can't go there to see if you have enough...so you hoard. Since you don't have a place, you can't put it where it belongs. You could just put it anywhere, but then you wouldn't be able to find it when you need it, so you leave it out where you can see it. The result is...well, s**t everywhere.

I know about this, because I've been there. But trust me, the key to organization is having a logical place set for everything in your house. You may have to throw away a lot of junk along the way, and the process of creating places and sorting things into their places may take a monumental effort. But YOU CAN DO IT. I know, because I did it!

Good luck!

Answer 2

Cancer is something that one in every couple dozen people might have to deal with at one point in their lives. If you are a cancer survivor, then that's a plus.

Deaths within ones family unfortunately, is inevitable. The loss of a loved one can cause grief that for some, can take years to overcome. When I have lost loved ones, I have prefered to make personal assurances that I am prepared spiritually to be re-united with them later.

As far as hoarding and overeating goes, this is the result of having a barren spirit. One will seek to hoard material possessions, or overeat in an attempt to fill the empty void. It's your spirit that needs to be filled, not your possessions vault, or your belly. I would suggest involving yourself with a fundemental spirit filled Christian fellowship.

As for the disorganization, if you were once an organized person, then at one point, you had to have taken the time to "teach yourself" to become disorganized. Well, you are going to have to spend just as much time teaching yourself to be organized again. People often lose their will, and become disorganized when they are depressed. I would wager that you have probably also become socially reclusive.

So, find friends. If you're depressed, share your feelings with a confidante. Preferably on a one-on-one, in-person basis. Not chatting with someone on the computer. You can chat with someone for an hour online, then when you bid each other "gn & sd's" or whatever, you realize, "Geezzz, I just spent an hour talking with a computer."

Sharing your feelings and releasing them with a personal confidante is the best way to start overcoming depression. If you take medications, they only altar your feelings, and mask the problem. You need to get them out.

If you recycle because you want or need the money, you'll have to find a way to get to the recycle center more often so things don't pile up. If you don't recycle for the money, then just put the items in separate trash bags, and set them on the curb for the collectors to pick up. I'm sure a can collector would be very happy to find a bag full of aluminum cans on your curb every few days.

Compulsive collectors will often see something, and think, "Oh, I need this!" and buy it, or take it home whether they actually need it or not. So instead, when you see something, ask yourself, "DO I need this?" You will find that you will often answer yourself, "No, I do not need it." and pass it by.

As for the things you have collected, what has worth that you want to keep, store it away. If you don't really want it, then sell it or give it away. If it's garbage, throw it away. But you will have to "re-teach" yourself to be organized again. Good thing is, it's allot easier the second time around.

Answer 3

well, you have indeed been tossed around, by cancer, job loss (isnt it discrimination to fire someone due to illness?), and loss of family members. the good news is that you arent just in the ocean during a storm, you were smart enuf to take a boat with you!
some of the clutter can be solved with organized boxes, bookcases, etc, and donations to the needy. but putting physical obstacles infront of the doorso you cant get out, thats something else again. its also a fire hazard. you can take comfort in knowing that response, under the circumstances, is probably 'normal' in the sense that after all thats happened, if you were fine, you'd be in real trouble, y'know?
try to stay connected with remaining family members, & look into attending a berievement session at a nearby hospital or hospice, especially if a family member had been there. try to keep up with friends.
i say this too much,, but given everything you've related, i suggest you seek out a therapist to help you assess the extent of yr depression (surely u know there's depression inside you?). the state of our homes, they say, reflects how we feel about ourselves or our lives. you need to be kind to yourself. you are grieving over many major life changes and losses. remember, the boat is sturdy and right near land, and water is only a couple feet deep. kick that junk out of the way and get out your door and get some help! i know you can deal with all this with someone to help you. go, girl, go.

Answer 4

Dreadfully unorganized! i'm going finished tilt boogie at the two companies, with telephone numbers scattered on the lower back of envelopes, notes for the subsequent wedding ceremony in a document i'm no longer able to discover, bits and products of sound device wiring tousled in vast Gordian knots, CDs strewn approximately, approaches on the computer table, alongside with 6, 7, 8 9 pair of sunlight colorings and NONE interior the vehicle! A on no account ending conflict to maintain song of all of it. i'm satisfied i will variety this answer, by way of 627 pens interior attain, no longer one will write so i will see what's on the answering gadget!