Keeping a clean place while bipolar?

But then I end up with a dozen laundry baskets stacked in the garage floor, with various bits of clutter inside each one.

Purple .. Just have one basket Seriously tho .. If you use just one box,tub, or basket just for this purpose and this purpose alone its possible it will work, setting that timer can often turn the quick clean trick into a game of sorts.

I used to be messy and didnt care about cleaning ever since I can remember, friends knew when coming over that my room would look like a laundry- tornado and stopped saying anything because; a) I didn't care what they thought and; b) saying something changed nothing.

Any efforts to clean was just me stuffing things where they couldn't be seen. And real cleaning took place once in whenever, and never stayed clean past the 3 day mark...

That is until 4 months ago. Now clutter drives me nuts and anythings thats not in its proper place makes me feel ill, really I will throw a *****fit if things are lying around in random places

Nobody knows what happened on the 5th January that made me do a sudden and seemingly complete 180... I'm just glad it happened though, I'm so over living in mess.

lol Trippin @ *****fit.. funny (I can relate)

That's awesome Trippin!!! I hope I can make a 180 like that, too!

Its actually hillarious because nobody, least of all me is quite used to this reaction yet Jordan is getting the hang of it, and hardly leaves her toy-tornados in my room anymore, and she even tidies up and mkes my bed some afternoons

Really glad you do relate though

It is quite awesome, I agree wholeheartedly
I hope you do manage to pull a 180, it really does make life alot easier, no more messiness to make my mind feel heavier and messier when I'm depressed

I would love to be clean and organized. I try and try. I care very much that my house is cluttered. I don't know why I can't get this. I think part of it is that my mom and her mom were both horders. (My grandma was worse than my mom, but a lot.) So, I have those tendancies. I fight against them. I have to talk myself out of things like holding on to useless things for sentimental value. Like I don't need every single birthday card my kids ever get, etc. (My grandma even used to fold up the wrapping paper and save them for sentimental reasons.)

On the other side of it, I will be folding shirts for example. I feel this weird something in my mind. As I fold the shirts. I start having trouble folding. It's like this buzzing sensation. I start to get confused. I get irritated and frustrated as the confusion comes over me. I know the shirt needs to go somewhere. If I'm lucky, I will put them in the drawer. If I'm sort of lucky I will stuff them in drawer, and they become unfloded. If I'm less than lucky I will lay them on top of the dresser. And if I'm really bad I won't even get that far and the clean clothes are in the basket and the dirty ones are on the floor because the basket it full.... (That's the current situation.)

And then I say "I promise next time I will put the clothes away," to myself. Because it's a pain. Especially in the morning to find my son's school shirts and my shirts, and pants and undies.... etc... etc...

My husband and I both let things go when I am depressed now we hAVE STILL NOT CAUGHT UP

Hi,
Since Oct I've been dealing with depression. It took me by storm and I had to fight back.
I use a iPhone reminder app (can't lose the list this way). I list things that need to be done. my goal is to at least complete one task per day. Sometimes I wash but don't fold all the clothes. I may fold one load per day. I dont have many dishes as its just me and my 6 yr old. I rinse off my dishes and stack them in the sink. I wash them once per week.

Make a list of everything needs done. Finish each one at a time. Make it into a structured routine that you do daily or each week.

I'm with Christina, I can't take mess. But it's because I grew up in abject filth. We had child services called on us because of the ridiculous level of filth. Curdled milk spilled on the carpet and stuff. So when I am depressed I always have to at least wash the dishes because otherwise I can't sleep. But my mom was horribly depressed a I guess I can understand what it's like to literally not be able to do anything.

I finally put my foot down and just started a cleaning service. My husband and I both work, and I decided that we don't need to spend our Saturdays arguing with kids to get clean up done. We still have way too many loads of clothes and lots of dishes to deal with, though.
Bluemountains

The 5TH of January - are you saying - you had an Epiphany? ?? Or something like that?? (Or is that just a northern hemisphere joke?)

LOL Hanky, I doubt it was an epiphany, I know how those "feel". Its like a switch just flipped

I have always had a cluttery disorganized living space starting in early childhood. My parents tried but I seemed to be uncomfortable unless I could do a 360 turn in my bedroom and see at once everything that I possessed around me in a single twirl. My dad used to tease when we had company; “please avoid Lucy’s room as we couldn’t afford the bulldozer payment this month”.

In adulthood I kept things neater depending on my current location. If I was living in a town where friends might drop in regularly ( my home town in earlier adulthood, college town, workplace local), I’d keep it neater because I felt shame when visitors dropped in and saw the chaos.

If I was living with a spouse then I tried to match his needs as I see this as part of the compromise that you make in relationships. My house was generally cleaner/neater.

Living alone, it’s like childhood again. I tend not to ever say drop in any time to people and I clean like a maniac when someone is coming. I become the human bulldozer and scoop up piles of laundry and mail depositing them in piles in an 11X11 bedroom that I use as a big walk in closet.

Closer friends who come over regularly think nothing of the mess. It is Lucy. If it’s clean and neat on the other hand, the close friends know that mania has arrived and they don’t hesitate to mention it.

Messiness truly has never bothered me other than when I think that someone else may be uncomfortable with it.

Wow... I thought I was the only one. And yes... Flylady rocks! (But when I am depressed, I still cannot do too much)

It really depends. I live with 9 other people and share a bedroom with my girlfriend. When I'm depressed the area around me (our bed and my computer) is littered with plates; empty bottles, half-eaten food. I don't clean well when I'm down. I usually wait for me to flip sides- or until my girlfriend forces me to clean up.

I use a timer, too. My place gets cluttered and needs cleaning - but then I will get tired of the mess and do a whirlwind cleanup. Boyfriend does cat litter daily and kitchen is usually clean. Garbage goes out, too, daily. Clutter is a problem.

Ever since my dx I have been struggling to keep my home in order esp my bedroom. My clothes are literally my floor, I have not seen my floor in months