What is the worst case scenario that you have seen as a result of disorder? A severely cluttered home is ironically a symptom of being a perfectionist. When asked the question "What is the worst case scenario...
When asked the question "What is the worst case scenario that you have seen as a result of disorder?", Lorie Marrero, who is the owner of "LivingOrder", a professional organization company that creates organizing solutions for homes and businesses, replies: "There is a segment of our industry that focuses on clients that are called chronically disorganized, or CDE clients. There is actually an organization that's a branch of our National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) called National Study Group for Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). That's a whole segment of special needs. The worst cases come from the 'chronically disorganized.' There are actually people who have a disorder called 'hoarding disorder', which means that they have, for example, saved every newspaper since about 1973. You may literally have to cut a path through their homes so that you can walk through because there are stacks of things everywhere. There maybe borderline health department problems where there is pet waste and things like that. There may be infestation. People have even gotten physically harmed by their piled things actually falling on them. That's a really extreme case, but that does happen in out industry."
If you feel that you may be one these people, that are not just overwhelmed by your circumstances but that your whole life is literally based around the disorder, you need more help then just a professional organizer can give you. A professional organizer's job is to implement ideas that help you put your 'things' in order. Though this may mean advice on lifestyle changes, they are not qualified to fix any underlying deep emotional or mental issues that cause chronic disorder. This does not mean you shouldn't consult someone like Lorie because they can refer you to those that do offer the guidance that you need. As she explains, "LivingOrder actually prefers not to serve those kinds of clients at all because there are other people in our industry that are specifically trained for those kinds of problems."
On the other hand, if you are a "someone who is very high functioning, who wants to work smarter and work better... just knows that there is a better way...(and) just want to be more efficient." Lorie or any other professional organizer is your best starting point to making 'disorder' a thing of the past.
There are also many books on the subject that you can find in your local library and/or bookstore. Even older information, published on the subject of "home organization" or "storage solutions" can be of value. The hints on color or décor style may be out of date but the suggestions of built-ins and unique shelving plans can add a 'quaint' touch in your decorating scheme.
You have to remember, that since the dawn of time, people have had the need and the strong desire to accumulate "stuff". The passing years have only given us more things to choose from. "Disorder" has forever been an affliction that has affected many people's lives. No matter how far you feel that you have let things go, there are plenty of options available to you in order to start over. Just make a pact with yourself that you will remember all of the hard work you are about to embark on, after it's done. It will be hard at first, to get rid of things you have felt the need to hang on to for one reason or another. It will also be hard when you find yourself trying to find a rationale in replacing some of those items afterwards. Bad habits are hard to break. Ever hear of the saying "You don't know what you're missing 'till it's gone"? After living in an organized home for even a short period of time, you will never want to go back to the way it was. You will never miss 'disorder'.
