Cleaning and Mental Health

[bag_of_struggles]

I can't for whatever reason manage to clean my apartment or do laundry. I can barely manage to get motivated to take a shower and that only happens when I really have to because I got an appointment or something. Trying to do any of these things reminds me what a failure I feel I am and it's easier to procrastinate and ignore than do anything about it. I can't expect anyone to really understand the feeling of stress it causes in me.

Sorry you feel that way. But surprise surprise, I feel that way all the time too. It makes me wanna pull my hair out. All I wanna do is be able to clean and “be normal” but physically I can’t. Or even when I’m trying I can only accomplish 1/10th of what a mentally healthy person can. It can be frustrating but I hope if anyone here has ways of dealing they r willing to share.

I know Advanced Procrastination has already been described in this thread!

 

[bag_of_struggles]

I can't for whatever reason manage to clean my apartment or do laundry. I can barely manage to get motivated to take a shower and that only happens when I really have to because I got an appointment or something. Trying to do any of these things reminds me what a failure I feel I am and it's easier to procrastinate and ignore than do anything about it. I can't expect anyone to really understand the feeling of stress it causes in me.

I agree. Every step forward for me feels like five steps back. And why step forehead when I already know u will amount to more failure. I struggle with this concept all the time.

Some people have said some helpful things in this chat, but if anyone has any other helpful ideas please spread them. Us depresses are struggling to clean and frankly do normal people do da?

 

[MichaelKay]

I agree. Every step forward for me feels like five steps back. And why step forehead when I already know u will amount to more failure. I struggle with this concept all the time.

Some people have said some helpful things in this chat, but if anyone has any other helpful ideas please spread them. Us depresses are struggling to clean and frankly do normal people do da?

I have been offered a social worker to come by once a week and help motivate me and help me clean and do laundry but accepting help feels more depressing than the fact I can't seem to do it on my own. Once, about two years ago, my psychiatric social worker didn't pull any punches and simply hired a company to come clean my entire apartment. And I have never felt so bad about myself or useless as I did during those 6 hours they were in my apartment while I roamed the streets because I just couldn't watch it.

Somehow I think it relates a lot to my extreme binary thinking. If it can't be great it has to be bad and depressing. I can't find comfort in anything in between.

 

[Lane]

How do you guys clean? And why am I so bad at it? I literally start crying every time I start cleaning cause it feels so futile.

It sucks right? I set a timer sometimes, a lot of times. For 15 minutes and start in the kitchen. Then I take a 15 minute break on timer, I'm not kidding. Then back to work, break, work. Sometimes I'll keep going but you get the picture

 

[bag_of_struggles]

I have been offered a social worker to come by once a week and help motivate me and help me clean and do laundry but accepting help feels more depressing than the fact I can't seem to do it on my own. Once, about two years ago, my psychiatric social worker didn't pull any punches and simply hired a company to come clean my entire apartment. And I have never felt so bad about myself or useless as I did during those 6 hours they were in my apartment while I roamed the streets because I just couldn't watch it.

Somehow I think it relates a lot to my extreme binary thinking. If it can't be great it has to be bad and depressing. I can't find comfort in anything in between.

That’s incredibly relatable. I live with my parents atm and that is what my mom did to me. Charged my 200 for her troubles. It was shaming.