Going Insane

[Maxel]

I have nothing to do. My mom's house is a wreck- she wants me to clean it. I could spend all day cleaning things, but then they will be messy in a few days. Why bother?

There's things outside I could be doing, like building a brick path. But it's been raining the past few days.

I can't read; too depressed for a book to hold my attention for long. Right now I'm puttering around the house, listening to General Conference addresses on my iPod, playing solitaire (on my iPod), doing some dishes and checking this forum every 30 minutes or so.

Does anyone know a remedy for this kind of tediousness? (I'm not depressed because of some traumatic event; I have clinical depression and am on medication. I'm fine, I still go through periods where things are harder than normal. This is one of those times).

I feel like a good use of my time would be to .

[Guest TheLutheran]

. . . My mom's house is a wreck- she wants me to clean it. I could spend all day cleaning things, but then they will be messy in a few days. Why bother? . . .

Get the house in order, buddy!! My daughters and I are cleaning house today too -- deep cleaning. They are going through all kinds of plunder they have collected over the years as they will be off to college in a few days.

Put some great music on your IPod -- nothing that will be distracting or too thought-provoking cuz you need to get into production mode!!

Just think . . . in a couple of hours you will have made a huge, visible difference . . . and your mom will be pleased as well.

Ok . . . my cyber-break is over. Back to cleaning!

Edited September 4, 2009 by TheLutheran

[Traveler]

I have nothing to do. My mom's house is a wreck- she wants me to clean it. I could spend all day cleaning things, but then they will be messy in a few days. Why bother?

There's things outside I could be doing, like building a brick path. But it's been raining the past few days.

I can't read; too depressed for a book to hold my attention for long. Right now I'm puttering around the house, listening to General Conference addresses on my iPod, playing solitaire (on my iPod), doing some dishes and checking this forum every 30 minutes or so.

Does anyone know a remedy for this kind of tediousness? (I'm not depressed because of some traumatic event; I have clinical depression and am on medication. I'm fine, I still go through periods where things are harder than normal. This is one of those times).

I feel like a good use of my time would be to .

Try the Boy Scout method - do a good turn daily.

The Traveler

[Bini]

I get the BLAHS from BP and it makes it really hard to find motivation!

BUT having a clean and tidy environment can help boost your mood a bit :] I try not to let my house get too out of control by keeping up on daily chores etc etc even when I don't feel like it. I find that I get more depressed when the house is a mess and the workload to clean it continues to pile up.. It gets overwhelming and makes my mood plummet even more. Like what another poster said, put on some music that has a good beat and get to it! :]

[Gwen]

Artist: Miller Roger

Song: You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage

Ya can't take a shower in a parakeet cage

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it

Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't go a-swimmin' in a baseball pool

Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool

Ya can't go swimmin' in a baseball pool

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back

Ya can't change film with a kid on your back

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car

Ya can't drive around with a tiger in your car

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

All ya gotta do is put your mind to it

Knuckle down, buckle down do it, do it, do it

Well, ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch

Ya can't go fishin' in a watermelon patch

But you can be happy if you've a mind to

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

SPOKEN: "Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd"

FADE

Ya can't roller skate in a buffalo herd

ok so i know that's not helpful but sadly it's what i sometimes sing to myself when i have to do a lot of cleaning i just really don't want to do. lol it's on my playlist on my profile. sad i know. lol

[Maxel]

It's not that the house won't stay clean as much as my mom has too much stuff to fit into her itty bitty house. She's a pack rat and accumulated stuff over 20 years of an abusive marriage; 'stuff' made her feel better emotionally.

There is literally not enough room for everything, and I can't clean it without her because she knows where everything goes. She's too tired to clean anything herself and working with her is impossible because she gets upset (and I get upset a lot too) and stressed out.

I can't clean the house because there's not enough shelf space for all the stuff in said house. It's physically impossible to make it work. That's why cleaning is a fruitless effort- it's impossible to stay clean because there's always piles of 'stuff' everywhere. It drives me insane.

[Honor]

Start working on a Life List! :) Hang in there, change is coming!

[Guest Godless]

Freecell > Solitaire

Just sayin'.

[Maxel]

I could NEVER get the hang of freecell. I tried and failed- epically. Besides, I don't have freecell on my iPod (and I shudder to think of having to play Freecell with only a mouse wheel... ).

[talisyn]

It's not that the house won't stay clean as much as my mom has too much stuff to fit into her itty bitty house. She's a pack rat and accumulated stuff over 20 years of an abusive marriage; 'stuff' made her feel better emotionally.

There is literally not enough room for everything, and I can't clean it without her because she knows where everything goes. She's too tired to clean anything herself and working with her is impossible because she gets upset (and I get upset a lot too) and stressed out.

I can't clean the house because there's not enough shelf space for all the stuff in said house. It's physically impossible to make it work. That's why cleaning is a fruitless effort- it's impossible to stay clean because there's always piles of 'stuff' everywhere. It drives me insane.

Oh that's rough, Maxel. I know how hard it is to deal with clutter, I have a livingroom filled with cool things and no where to put them, because trailers are obnoxious that way

Also, clutter can make you so tired just looking at it. Your spirit wants to be free yet it cannot right now. You might try to get your mom to do what I did, I went out and bought a bunch of storage totes for my stuff. They may be all over the place, but by gum it's organized! How would your mom feel about a few sessions with someone trained in dealing with past issues?

And if you don't feel like cleaning your mom's house right now wanna help with mine? I'll give you a cookie

[brmecham]

I have nothing to do. My mom's house is a wreck- she wants me to clean it. I could spend all day cleaning things, but then they will be messy in a few days. Why bother?

I know what those kind of houses are like, and the only solution is to start throwing things away! If your mom really wants it clean, really, she'll have to go through it and get rid of lots of stuff, or let you get rid of stuff for her.

Often, in situations like this, you'll find there are plenty of things that haven't been touched for ever or that you really don't "need". Get rid of those things.

[slhecker]

I have nothing to do. My mom's house is a wreck- she wants me to clean it. I could spend all day cleaning things, but then they will be messy in a few days. Why bother?

There's things outside I could be doing, like building a brick path. But it's been raining the past few days.

I can't read; too depressed for a book to hold my attention for long. Right now I'm puttering around the house, listening to General Conference addresses on my iPod, playing solitaire (on my iPod), doing some dishes and checking this forum every 30 minutes or so.

Does anyone know a remedy for this kind of tediousness? (I'm not depressed because of some traumatic event; I have clinical depression and am on medication. I'm fine, I still go through periods where things are harder than normal. This is one of those times).

I feel like a good use of my time would be to .

play Primary songs" It works for me and I to have chronic depression. After cleaning up go swimming or dance to the Primary songs.

[Dove]

Hey, Maxel~

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time right now. Thank you for your honesty about the depression you struggle with. You mentioned that your mother was in an abusive marriage. I'm wondering where you were in all that (still young and growing?)

I have a different take on what I would suggest to you than most of the threads here. First, perhaps you need an adjustment on your meds. Secondly, are you in therapy? Perhaps there are some hidden issues popping up that are causing you to feel down (besides a change in your meds/chemeostasis). Third, perhaps now is not the time to focus on chores and what you "should" be doing.....I find that when I'm depressed, work is more draining than helpful; rather, it causes me to hurt more than feel better.......is there something you find comforting and fulfilling that you could do? Maybe walking, writing in your journal, talking to a friend, concert, etc.? What would make you feel better?

What I'm suggesting is to go easy on yourself, and get in touch with what is bringing you down...

Prayer really helps me. When I ask for understanding as to what is going on with myself, the Spirit shows me in an honest, real, loving and beautful way what I need to deal with.

I hope this helps.....feel free to take it for what it's worth. Please let us know how you're doing.

[Maya]

Maxell any possibility for you with or without your mother to get out in to the nature... by a lake... listen to the forest and walk in the beauty God has created for us. Wonder about the smallest things, how great they are, how great they are! God made for us such a beautiful world... I enclose a couple of pictures from the place that always heals me. These pictures make me happy and return me the will of life. There is sooo much in this world I have not seen yet...

[bcguy]

maxel,

Here the answer and your mom is going to hate you. If there is something that has been sitting on the ground for the last week or more, she will not miss it if it disapears. Put it in a box, then put it in the attic. The more crap you have in your house, the more likley it will get messy.

Hire a house cleaning coach/phycoligist to striaten things out.

Ohh and yea, i inherited my moms depression :/ never knew it when younger but would explain my outburst and lack of many friends. Right now,

I need to go on something to "FEEL normal". I had something, told my wife it was perhaps the first effects of it made me feel I was in fifth grade for a day. Was unusally high spirited, gleefull and not a worry in the world. In essance, not a hint of depression in me. WOW, that made me feel great. That wore off after a day. Now need to find something to have that same feeling again :)

Edited October 27, 2009 by bcguy

[Moksha]

I can't clean the house because there's not enough shelf space for all the stuff in said house. It's physically impossible to make it work. That's why cleaning is a fruitless effort- it's impossible to stay clean because there's always piles of 'stuff' everywhere. It drives me insane.

I've been friends with a family whose mom has a hoarding disorder. It took an entire crew of us a day to make significant dent in removing the boxes that made the house into a tunnel. I wasn't there for the hardest part of the effort, of persuading the mom, to allow cleaning. Maxel, I can understand how this would make any depression more depressive.

Hoarders need the continual support of friends, neighbors, church and a competent therapist to make the continual problem manageable. Prozac has been described as being helpful in some obsessive behaviors like hoarding.

Anyway, this might be a combined project for the Elders and RS. Huge dumpsters help as well.

Sympathy and wishes.

.

[Soul_Searcher]

I agree with bcguy-My Mums a hoarder and I have just waited until she was out and binned stuff. I binned stuff 6 years ago and nothing has ever been said about it since. I think the problem is if she sees it, she will want to keep it. Dont ask her, just do it.

I do a similar thing with my husband. He had a load of crap lying around in the spare room. When I asked if I could give it or chuck it he snatched it out of my hand and clutched it to his chest like he was a child and I was the Mother taking his toy away. Still unconvionced he would EVER use it, I bagged up a load of his stuff and shoved it in the loft. 2 years later he hasn't realised they were even gone. So you know where they are all going to end up when we move.....

I think de-cluttering the house would be therapeutic for u. It is for me, and I think it would help to order your mind too.

[talisyn]

Maxel, my advice to you is simple, yet astoundingly perfect.

Ebay

[bytor2112]

Join a gym and workout your frustration....works for me.

Edited October 27, 2009 by bytor2112