| wrkinprogrss | Posted: 21 June 2015 - 06:57 PM |
Hi. I'm just starting to read these message boards and am planning to try out this evening's chat session. I'm a woman of 56, partially disabled with major depression. The house I rent is increasingly poorly maintained and getting less and less safe. I'm getting treatment for the depression, but it hasn't helped much, so far. I tend to have only a couple of hours a day in which I have enough energy and motivation to do much of anything. Keeping food in the house, keeping some clean laundry on hand, and getting to my health appointments tends to take most of that time and energy. When I run out of energy and motivation, I most often spend many hours reading things on the internet. I consider myself to have been an internet addict for about 10 years. As part of my depression, I have trouble making decisions and I procrastinate a lot. I've gotten some help from Procrastinators Anonymous, but the size of the problem has so far outstripped the size of the help. It's particularly hard for me to feel motivated and to sustain effort on house clean-up tasks. It's hard to feel encouraged enough by tiny amounts of progress to keep going. I tried working with a hoarding recovery CBT therapist, a couple years ago, and made some modest progress on my during that time, but experienced a major boundary violation and triggering in my work with her, and was unable to get what I needed from her in order to even be willing to be in the same room with her, afterwards, let alone resuming our work together. I have not found another available CBT therapist with hoarding recovery training within reasonable traveling distance. I have not found any therapist within reasonable traveling distance who has much experience with treating internet addiction. I hope to get some benefit from this site. Not sure exactly what kind. Something! Thank you for being here. | |
Replies (5)
| Charley | Posted: 07 December 2017 - 02:47 PM |
I can SO relate. I'm in my late 50's and have major depression too. I get fatigued just thinking about cleaning up. So I give myself very small tasks to accomplish every day. I find I'm making serious progress that way. Give yourself ten minutes to clean one corner. Or limit yourself to one item, such as bottles. Spend ten minutes throwing away or recycling bottles and glass. Do not count everyday chores toward these little 10-minute chunks of time. You know you're going to do those anyway. Wash the dishes, take out the trash, whatever you do on a regular basis, don't count it. Do something you haven't done before. I have a de-cluttering calendar. The last three days were "clean off the desk" and "clean behind desk" days. Having those in black & white on my calendar inspired me to do them!!! And I haven't cleaned my desk or behind it for YEARS. I feel good, although my house is still dirty and messy. It's emotionally draining to de-clutter. Like carrying a boulder uphill. Don't tell yourself it should be easy. Don't shame yourself. Be good to yourself. | |
| Aubrey | Posted: 23 June 2015 - 11:41 AM |
I completely relate. I find that if I get up early and spend a few hours on the house it helps. We have to put it first. But also have to stop bringing in more. We are servants to our stuff. It is hard enough to maintain a normal house. It's impossible to maintain a hoarded house. I can never keep up with it. Sunlight also helps with energy and the light from a computer screen can throw off a person's sense of time. A half hour routine in the evenings without bright screens helps. This is time to throw in a load of laundry and run the dishes. Go to bed knowing that work is being done while you sleep! First thing in the morning, switch the laundry, put a load away and unload the dishes. If you are like me, you might try getting rid of something every time you do a load of dishes or laundry. I have mismatched dishes and clothes that fit weird N or aren't my favorite. I started keeping a bag or box by my washer and toss items in to donate. I also have a garbage can for torn or stained clothes and lint. Baby steps, but it's helping. | |
| CriticalMass | Posted: 22 June 2015 - 05:31 PM |
Hi, wrkinprogress (hope I spelled it right) and welcome. I'm a relative newbie to these boards myself. It's nice to see people come and hopefully we can all help one another some way or another. I didn't know there was a such thing as Procrastinators Anonymous - I think I'll check it out, I'm curious! I have ADD, OCD, agoraphobia, some PTSD, and depression that fluctuates. Summer is a hard time for me to have a whole lot of energy, plus I just went through moving (yuck). I take an antidepressant and Xanax, but both are smallish doses so I don't worry too much about it. Also take thyroid for my hypothyroidism. Have you had your thyroid checked, by any chance? If it's low, a person can really feel depleted and sluggish. I also feel super blah in hot weather. Anyway, the point I'm getting at is, we do just keep working with what energy and resources we have - hoping maybe more will come but still doing what we can, and at the end of the day we know we've tried our best. That's what I have to tell myself on days when I get less done than I'd wish. | |
| wrkinprogrss | Posted: 21 June 2015 - 10:03 PM |
Thanks for your good wishes and suggestions, Joan. It was nice meeting you, too! | |
| Joan | Posted: 21 June 2015 - 09:49 PM |
Hi Wrkinprogrss, it was nice meeting you tonight. Briefly, I would strongly advise you to stay away from any conventional medications for emotional issues, like depression, unless the situation is very serious. Psych meds will shorten your life. I have found that I need to be proactive in seeking alternatives to conventional medical care. Homeopathy can be of help, if you can find a good homeopath. Good luck! | |