Stages, you're wonderful! All the posters made me laugh in that they expressed what I've seen in myself, and if we don't laugh, we'll cry, right?

We finally hired someone to do cleaning every other week, became friends with her and her girlfriend, but now I've had a blowout with them (another part of the ADD but also their fault as well), so I'm back to no cleaner. I am trying to tackle it myself but I don't have much hope of staying ahead. Even when she came to clean, it would be a miracle if the place stayed at all tidy for more than a few days. Doesn't help that my husband is also a clutterbug in his own right. We still have boxes in our bedroom from a move two years ago! That move was to be cathartic for me, to ditch a bunch of un-needed stuff, but then he vetoed a lot of it, saying that it was worth money and he wouldn't want to have to re-buy the stuff! I'm talking stuff that is out in the garage that we NEVER USE! Argh!

Like many, I was a messy kid and was never pushed to keep my room clean or do chores. I was the baby in the family, 6 years younger than my sister who was the work-horse chore doer and who is rather neurotic about cleaning, ironically! I find the clutter very stressful, and tidying up even more stressful due to the decision-making on what to toss, what to keep, and how to organize what I keep. I'm horrid at keeping the dishes done and kitchen clean. Everything gets put off until later.

I'm especially tormented because I'm not working, and my husband is the one keeping us afloat, yet I can't seem to keep my end of the bargain which would be to take care of things here. I can go on the roof and repair our swamp cooler, but I can't do your basic cleaning.

Worst of all is that I hate cooking, so he even has to do that. I hate figuring out what to cook, making those decisions, and the clutter that comes with cooking. When I do prepare meals, it's always something ready made from the store that only requires heating up. It's all I can handle.

I especially get freaked out when we are going to have company stay with us because now I've got a behemoth job of cleaning and preparing, and don't want the meals to be on my husband. My mom keeps making reference to the fact that I should have a meal prepared for my husband when he comes home from work. Thankfully, my husband is very understanding. I don't know what I would do without him, but perhaps he's an enabler of sorts. Problem is, I don't choose to be this way and beat myself up about it all the time.

I just discovered that I am probably ADD (or even ADHD, though I spend a lot of time lying around avoiding...), so it is a relief in a way to realize there's an actually neurological reason why I am like this.

It really helps to read all of your posts and know that I am not alone.

And to the OP, I am so proud of you for tackling a goal you set for yourself. All of you have inspired me and given me good ideas.