So, what are the characteristics, you ask? Quite simply, if
you have
- Been disorganized most of your adult life,
- Tried, repeatedly, yet unsuccessfully, to get yourself organized
- Don’t respond to conventional organizing methods, or
- Need the intervention of someone else to help get you organized,
you may be experiencing chronic disorganization. Most importantly, no matter what you do,
Your disorganization is persistent!!!
The causes of CD are many and varied. Poor modeling in one’s
formative years, i.e. Mom and Dad never taught me how to do this, can lead to
disorganization in one’s adult life. Major life events, such as marriage,
divorce, death of a loved one or a move can create the onset of overwhelming
pressures that translate into disorganization. In some cases, one’s
disorganization can stem from neurologically-based conditions such as ADHD, or
traumatic brain injury, or from mental health issues like depression or
anxiety. These are just a few examples from a fairly exhaustive list of what can
result in the overwhelm that leads to disorganization.
And there is always a caveat. You may be a very organized
person who has undergone a major life event and experiences disorganization for
a period of time; maybe six months to a year, or longer. No matter how long you
experience disorganization or for what reason, the outcome is the same: you
feel like you’ve lost control and just can’t regain control of your life, as
you once knew it.
The good news? Help is available . . . Just because you are
disorganized now and maybe have been for a long time, doesn’t mean you will, or
have to be, disorganized forever. The key to overcoming disorganization is to
change, 1. the way you think about your things; and 2. your habits surrounding
how you use your things. But like any other change you may want to make in your
life, you have to be ready to commit to that change.
No one asks that you embark on this journey alone. Change
can be difficult and slow; it’s only natural that you will experience
frustration and setbacks along the way.
Support is necessary to stay the course. Some of the options available to you include
one-on-one time with a professional organizer, therapist, (or both), joining a
support group, or accessing an online support group. Whichever option you choose, make sure that
you are learning something about yourself and how to do things
differently. That knowledge will be the
key to making better decisions for yourself day-to-day.
With so much to offer on this topic, I just might have to
turn it into a multi-part series. In the meantime, if you would like more
information, please feel free to contact me at chris@homepuzzle.ca or visit www.challengingdisorganization.org.
