any slobs out there? | ADHD Information

Hi there, I haven't been clinically diagnosed but suspect I have ADD. I'm wondering if it's just that I'm a slob or that other people have problems knowing where to begin cleaning the house. I have two kids under three here, it's always a disaster area, and I just can't figure out a "rhythm" on cleaning. I can look at the countertop and literally not know where to begin, or I start putting something away in one room and end up in another room. Nothing is ever completed. I've always been that way, but it's been exacerbated by two little people who constantly drag out new stuff to play with. Is it just that I'm a slob?

If you aren't just a slob, you may have ADHD or just be the overworked, overtired parent of toddlers.

Did you have ADD symptoms even before the kids were born? The symptoms must be present before age 7 for it to be officially dx'd as ADHD.

There is a thread here entitled "You know you have ADHD when". You need to read it! We all post all the stupid, hilarious things we do which we blame on having ADHD. Actually, ADHD does cause us to do those things much more often than the average person would.

Welcome!

barb38623.4754976852

SLOB! We are just organizationaly deficited....

Hi, Welcome to the forum.

Eadain,

You described me! I'm ADHD and terribly disorganized

[QUOTE=rmh6250]Slob is my second middle name. My first middle name is procrastination.[/QUOTE]

here, too. I really really want to write books, but I can't even clean my stupid house. I'm lucky the kids are taken care of.. I just don't know how I'm ever going to think cohesive thoughts again.. <sigh>

Yes us 4 here also. Wife has symptoms but parents told no add or adhd when young. Her sister believes she has it though. I dislike housework.Slob is my second middle name. My first middle name is procrastination.

i'm not a slob. neither are you.

tidy? no.

neat? no.

organised? NO!

stacks of papers and books everywhere.

kitchen looks like IED placed on a countertop after a potluck dinner.

car looks like someone emptied their trash bin in there after a coffee club met .

the bed of my pickup looks like someone bulldozed a plumbing supply house over a cliif while i was parked below.

but- i am not a slob!

I'm the exact same way, and I only have one kid (20 months). I am just overwhelmed with housework, have no idea where to even begin. I can't even figure out a 'pattern' to sweep a floor! I was given hell while I was in the Navy cos while sweeping a large floor I kept moving from one place to another sweeping, just sh*t flying through my mind that i needed to sweep here, no here, no here, well hell how do i sweep a big floor like this? A girl I work with asked if I ever swept my floor at home. Well being as my kitchen is the only non-carpeted floor and is the size of a shoebox, yes. Anyway, I start somewhere cleaning and end up somewhere else, bring myself back to where i started, end up somewhere else, constantly getting mad at myself for not staying in one place and finishing. It's like I just "find" myself somewhere else doing something else! ACK!!!

Hi How are you?

I dont think you are a slob, I just got recently diagnosed with adult adhd. What you should do is ask your doctor about this and he will send you to another physician in which you will have some testing done. You are no slob, when I clean up my bathroom I can not figure out where do I start. Just hang in there and I wish you the best. Goodnight

~Cyndi~

It's interesting because when I didn't know I had ADD I just thought I hated housework. Now I understand that I just don't know where to begin or that it would take me soooooo flippin long to clean the kitchen, bedroom, or whatever that I just don't even want to start.

When I took medication - the world changed!!!

I spent a couple of minutes or maybe longer cleaning and boy was it easy. It was like I finally understoood what I needed to do!! crazy!!!

People around me used to think that I just didn't care. That is not the case. IT is just harder and takes a massive effort to stay organized, and so you avoid it.

I asked my kids what they noticed the most about me when I took medication. They said that I cleaned a lot.

Well, if life is about cleaning, then thank you medication!!!

If life is about other things like sunsets, painting, playing with kids, hanging out, and laughing together, then welcome ADD!!!!

I am no shining example of good housewifery, but here's what helps:
many plastic containers. Go to Target and buy a bunch of them in various
sizes including some big ones. You don't have to know what they're for.
Then, when you're cleaning, put similar objects in each one -- e.g., one
container for photos, one container for things used for gift wrapping
(cards, gift wrap, tape, whatever), one container for things you don't like
anymore and want to sell at a garage sale, etc. -- the categories will be
different for everybody. If you can't think of a category for something
you are trying to put away, make a big container for things without
categories. This actually works, at least for the "where does this go"
problem.

Eadain -

I'll give you an example of how absolutely bad I can get (haven't seen since meds but I think it's too late for me now):

Almost any time I've moved (many times to bail from rent in my youth - but that's another story LOL) I've done so after months, or sometimes years of collecting junk. room after room of things I don't need and don't use - if they even work!

Most times I've moved I haven't had access to much more than my old rust bucket car - far too small to rid myself of so much junk in time for moving day.

Eventually, I give up and phone - my mommy! I would use teary talk, sad stories and eventually money to get her (and my sisters on occasion) to come over once I've moved what I can and take what they want and garbage the rest. this has happened often and on thinking about it I probably could have afforded a couple of moving trucks had I not paid momsy. She would often tell me that after I moved they found much treasure in the trash. Once I moved so rapidly that she told me she found the following: over 100 dollars in change, at least 20 in bills, uncashed scratch-and-win tickets totalling 100 dollars, pop bottles that were exchanged for at least 50 dollars, working TVs and radios, computer equipment, unopened food and clothing (never got to it I guess), watches, rings, etc. Lots - too much to list here LOL.

Now I'm getting smarter. I am living in a small one bed apartment with no room to collect! Now if I do clean I can do it in an hour if I rush. I don't buy what my car won't hold. It's peaceful this way - much better for my mind. Besides, my mom lives far from me now and even if not she's far too old to be doing this anymore.

Bad huh? But with meds I'm much.. better... now!! LOL

- Glen

Slob? No.

Blob, maybe.

Many of us are slobs - me included!

I find it's comforting for me to be amongst all my toys and such. I tend to buy things - useful and the kitchy - and just have them everywhere.

I've always liked to think of it like "nesting". I like to be almost wrapped in my stuff - it's comforting. I dislike having people over - not just because of the social anxiety I have but also because they always feel the need to move my stuff around! Nothing ticks me off more - I know where all the really important stuff is - and the other stuff is where I can find it if I like.

I do clean sometimes - I'm in an apartment that's up for sale and the landlord calls me up and gets me to clean a couple days ahead so it's showable. It's inconvenient but I can usually get my nest redone in a week tops!

I used to feel bad about my slobbiness - but now I wear it proudly and don't worry about other people. It's my place and I live alone - so live with it!!

- Glen

[

If life is about other things like sunsets, painting, playing with kids, hanging out, and laughing together, then welcome ADD!!!!

[/QUOTE]

I thought this was a wonderful philosophy. If only I could get over the guilt of never getting stuff done, maybe i could enjoy my life!

[QUOTE=GlenW]

Many of us are slobs - me included!

I find it's comforting for me to be amongst all my toys and such. I tend to buy things - useful and the kitchy - and just have them everywhere.

I used to feel bad about my slobbiness - but now I wear it proudly and don't worry about other people. It's my place and I live alone - so live with it!!

- Glen

[/QUOTE]

Glen, I hear ya. I'm the same way. I'm a collector, of sorts. I suspect I could potentially be one of those people that needs their house professionally cleaned out. I have to have more than one of something, like in different colors.

As for moving, that is my personal vision of Hell. We had to move two months ago and keeping the house clean was agonizing. I'm a scrapbooker so I tend to have my layouts all over the place, working on more than one at the same time. It was horrible.