Fess up. Ever wondered how much worse it could get? Ever thought that you were messy and everyone else wasn't? Meet the Squalor Survivors website, a painful site with a hopeful message, hosted by Pigpen:
I'm Pigpen and I used to live in squalor.
I spent a lot of time and energy trying to hide the true state of my house - clutter and mess - from people. Finally, I realized I had a real problem. I worked to change how I thought about, and kept, my house. My house isn't messy any more.
This is a support group for people who have excessive mess, but much of it would ring true for those who battle against clutter:
...The mess costs. You pay extra in late fees because you lost the bill in a pile. You pay twice, or are denied a refund because you can't find a receipt.....
Consisting of before and after photographs, forums, stories and resources, this is strong medicine. We don't recommend this site for those with a weak stomache. (Thanks, Nora!) MGR
My daughter lives in squalor; began that sort of behavior in middle school. Before I knew the extent of her problem, my sister-in-law suggested I just "shut her door and forget about it or it will make you crazy. Pick your battles." At the time it made sense, in retrospect, I should have realized that this sort of living was not normal, even for a young teenager. Now my daughter is 19, has one foot in childhood, the other in adulthood and seems unable to make the cross-over. Her filthy living habits have extended from her bedroom to the bathroom to an unoccupied bedroom in the house she grew up in and now shares with a couple of her siblings. Her father and I live in another state, but we visit each other often. In the last year and a half, my daughter dropped out of beauty school (yes, like the song) then quit community college three weeks shy of a semester. She lives in a seasonal resort community where winters are rough, jobs are few and she is currently unemployed. If not for the moral and financial support of her family, I don't know where she would be. No health insurance, so encouraging her to get couselling will be difficult. I am seriously worried about her, as her living conditions deteriorate and I'm afraid she has done irreversible damage to the house (rugs, walls and woodwork are in bad shape - bathroom fixtures are broken, drains clogged,etc.). I have cleaned up her mess time and time again, but I almost feel like it's time for an intervention of some sort! I am worried about her health, living like she does. I have read many of your postings and you all seem like very nice people, as is my daughter. I hate for anyone to have to live like this! Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks for sharing your stories, as it is good to know we're not alone in this world!