[Navygrrl]

I put the trigger symbol in just in case.

And no, I will not come to your house, I just got this bug to clean everything. Hubby came home to find me on my hands and knees scrubbing the wood floor downstairs. He was pretty upset, and forced me to stop until he bought me a scrubber I could use standing up. Well, while he wasn't looking I went back to scrubbing on my hands and knees again because it wasn't getting clean enough. Today I've been scrubbing spots on the carpet, and you know how that goes - once you clean one spot, all the spots next to it look bad, so the spot gets bigger and bigger until you're scrubbing ALL of the carpet.

I'm normally a sloppy person. My friends know they will have to move books to sit on the couch or step over my never-ending pile of laundry. If they came over today, they'd probably think they were in the wrong house. I just all of a sudden couldn't stand the clutter, which turned into the cleaning-a-thon. The only reason I stopped is because I think I'm allergic to something I was using to clean, because now my hands red and itchy. Ugh.

On the plus side, at least my house is clean. I'm getting the urge to alphabetize my books, and since I have 6 bookcases worth of books, this may take a while. And once I start something, I will go without sleep to finish it.

[onlyme2]

I go through those phases too, insteading of cleaning I obsess with lines and corners, everthing has to line up, paper on my desk, the blanket on my bed, shoes, even the food in the cupboards...

[Gioia]

I go through phases like this too, my house is generally fairly untidy most of the time, but if I start cleaning, I have to do it all properly. I've never related this to BP though, but it makes sense, the all or nothing thing once again.

This forum is so helpful as I don't know any other sufferers to share with. I've seen so many posts that I can relate to, it's comforting that there are other people who do understand.

[polarsmom]

I have the urge to scrub like crazy when I have a difficult time with my anxiety. It helps me to relax. I guess cuz I scrub so much I'm just plain exhausted! LOL......

Wow, Navygrrl, can I ever relate to this!!! These cleaning whirlwinds are a regular feature of my life. Hehe, there was one time I remember standing on the counters, cleaning the kitchen cabinets, while blasting the radio and exclaiming, "They're playing my record collection!!!" It was probably 1 am. I didn't know I had bipolar at the time, it was merely one of many things I recalled upon looking back. There was another time a neighbor walked in on me cleaning louvre doors with Q-Tips. Yeah, he'll never let me live that one down... The worst is when thoughts get racing and I try to do it _all at once_. Scrub, scrub, take 3 steps, "oh, and the laundry", 3 steps, "Ack! Is that a piece of lint?!" Turn, "gotta fill the birdfeeder!" Yikes.

Originally Posted by Gioia

I've never related this to BP though, but it makes sense, the all or nothing thing once again.

Exactly! I think of it as all or nothing too. Things can just be let go on and on, then suddenly, it's like I've got to clear the decks. Or accumulate "stuff" and then suddenly want to just toss it all out on the street and have people take it away (yeah, really! It can't get out of my sight fast enough...) One time cleaning out the garage, the thought occured.... huh, this is like a trip down hypomania lane....

[polarsmom]

LOL...... That is exactly how I get with my cleaning. Very through. I can drive myself nuts with it at times. I will clean so much my hands ache (carpal tunnel). My husband tells me all the time that I rearrange stuff just so I can have something to do later..... meaning to go back a rearrange it again. I can't stop myself from doing it when I really get going. And I constantly throw stuff out. The one good thing about having this 'problem' is I clean houses for a living! I'm very good at my job.

[BNLsMOM]

I do this sometimes, but for me it becomes cleaning one room for 8 hours until is shines, and it never looks good enough. I'll take toothbrushes and scrub between the bricks of the fireplace, or get down on the bathroom floor and clean it inch by inch for hours.

Then I'll go months without cleaning anything at all.

[Chompers]

do not attempt to alphabetize your books, miss missy!

do you think it had anything to do with the kids? sounds timely.

[NuckingFutz]

You know you are in trouble when you start rearranging your spices in alphabetical order. I think my mom had this. Heard her say once that she couldn't stop cleaning. The house was always immaculate. My mom was always cleaning up AFTER THE MAID came. Growing up I always felt like I was living in a musium.

[lonegael]

Oh, stop! the spices in alpjabetical order! That sounds like my mom! I do the BNLsMOM thing and clean one room, along this the three steps here and three steps there. Then I am completely phased out and just die for another three months...
and I am pretty much the only one who cleans!!!!

[perpetuallysad]

Oh my, ya'll do the same things I do. And especially the books! So, if you were to alphabetize them, would you do it by only author name? Because I get to wanting to categorize them, like at a book store, then alphabetize them...oh and I have to keep paperbacks in a different place.
I have been resisting the urge to clean my bathroom all day. It is fine the way it is, but I have this scrubby thing I could use on the showers...

Man, I can definitely relate.

[Navygrrl]

Originally Posted by Chompers

do not attempt to alphabetize your books, miss missy!

do you think it had anything to do with the kids? sounds timely.

It actually started a few weeks ago - like right before my first visit to the pdoc. It just spread throughout the entire house, although I'm forcing the kids to clean their own room because I did not make that mess. I'm sure I'll go behind them and redo it.

Originally Posted by perpetuallysad

Oh my, ya'll do the same things I do. And especially the books! So, if you were to alphabetize them, would you do it by only author name? Because I get to wanting to categorize them, like at a book store, then alphabetize them...oh and I have to keep paperbacks in a different place.
I have been resisting the urge to clean my bathroom all day. It is fine the way it is, but I have this scrubby thing I could use on the showers...

Man, I can definitely relate.

I would totally go by author, and then by title. Although, now that I think about it, alphabetizing them will just expose past author obsessions...

I meant to quote more posts, but by the time I got to the reply options, I'd completely forgotten which posts to quote. Grrr.

All or nothing - I completely relate to that. Do all of you know how amazing each and everyone one of you are? I'm so grateful for all of you.