Why am I so messy? | ADHD Information

People with houses like this always apologize to me when I come over, and I'm trying to figure out what they're apologizing for because my room doesn't have a floor any more

For me, the results of 485 unfinished projects contribute to the comforting yet unacceptable pit that I call home. Cleaning up would be unfinished project #486.

I can find 6 year old performance evaluations in my car too. (That actually came in handy.)

YES! I knew being a pack-rat was a good thing!

I say our houses are HOMELY, which is better than walking into a house that looks like a show home. Im too scared to move for fear of breaking something or spilling something ect You wouldnt really notice in my place, we live in our house

All 4 here are like this. Not all have adhd either. I have decided to much stuff and not all put up. I say the less stuff the better. The people I know like you are saying move about cleaning/picking up all day long. I have watched people like what you say. To me obessed with neatness.

I go into other peoples home and they are spotless, no dust, no dirt. Go into my house, and well, yikes stuff everywhere out of order.

If you go to my desk its cluttered, If I go to my truck its cluttered. Hmmmm. I know I am not a dirty type person, its just cleaning is overpowering. Sometimes I think its because by the time I get home, my mind just wants rest, not more work. I find I clean better on the weekends because I am in better shape mentally when I first wake up.

Why are ADD people sloppy?

It makes me feel lazy...I am embarrased to have people over.

I LOVE YOU GUYS

Just had a quick look around and all of you can come to my house anytime, it'll feel just like home for you

Yes, you have hit on something, psychgirl. I magically became a less messy person when I moved to a new place with more square footage and more closets.

Seriously, though, I have found a technique that helps with cleaning (and other similarly paralyzing activities). Here's what you do: pick your favorite mess. Set a timer for ten minutes. For those ten minutes, do some work -- with no stopping. It doesn't matter whether you start in the "right" place. You don't have to finish the task, you don't have to make it sparkle, you don't have to fix it -- just work for ten minutes. Then, take a ten minute break -- set your timer for this too, and do something you like, have a snack, wander around aimlessly, whatever! Repeat the cycle 3 times. This technique cuts through the self-recrimination ("I can't clean up because after all I'm such a slob"), defeatism ("I can't possibly do all of this because I never do"), and freaking out at how big the problem is ("OH MY GOD!). If ten minutes is too scary, set the timer for five, or even three. Then pour yourself a drink and enjoy your accomplishment.

Yep I'm a God Awful MESS --I try be neat, or at least in my mind I try yet it just doesn't translate into action! The post about paralysis of will is pretty right on- I will my house/car/world to be clean and organized yet I am paralyzed to take action. For those who read my Christmas tree post... It's STILL up! Most of my house is ok enough that I won't get turned into social services or anything, but my bedroom is a complete disaster, boxes, bags, clothes, crap (NOT LITTERALLY) everywhere! I have one path to the bed! Everyday I look at it all and think “tomorrow I will clean it up". Reminds me of the Nip/Tuck episode with the lady who was stuck to the couch!! I like the point made about the Maids however, alot of people whose homes I envy do have maids, do you think that ADD is a class thing? Like poor people have ADD but rich people are eccentric? Hmmm....

i 2nd that emotion dave!

damn, it sucks to be so unorganized.

part of what i wrestle with is the idea of how pointless it is to spend so much attention on things like that.

i envy those clean houses. i need a maid. 'a man needs a maid' to quote the canadian neil.

the clutter is an albatross 'round my neck, yet i can't seem to free the albatross.

a neat and orderly environment is very helpful to my scattered brain. creating and maintaining a neat and ordered environment is harder than moving a sandhill using a mesh bag.

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I go into other peoples home and they are spotless, no dust, no dirt. Go into my house, and well, yikes stuff everywhere out of order.

You know, I used to be that way, too.. then I found out that there was one big difference. THEY Actually have a MAID!! Well no wonder why everything is so blasted nice! I stopped feeling bad when I found that out.. sheesh!

This is EXACTLY how I am. I clean and do laundry on Saturdays. I am spent by the end of the day. I wont lift a finger to do much of anything in the evenings. AS for the car.. well, umm I have a SUV and just chuck the stuff in the back. LOL out of sight out of mind!! Once in a while i get sick of it and take 2 trashbags out with me and clean it out.. one for trash, the other for stuff that needs to go into the house.. of course the bag sits for the next saturday ...

Why are ADD people sloppy?

I don't know if we are sloppy as much as we are just absent minded. I know I lay things down in my home without thinking about it. Thus the mess adds up. Usually its piles of mail or papers that I need to get back to.

Then when I see the mess I get so overwhelmed I just don't know where to start.

It makes me feel lazy...I am embarrased to have people over.

Yep, I don't know how many times I have met people at the door and talked to them outside 'cause I didnt want them to see my house!!

I have gotten better, however, I get everything clean, dusted on saturdays. ( well, I never seem to get to the bathrooms ewwwwwww). then it gets slowly messy again throughout the week until I start over again on Sat.. sigh..

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