Chronic Disorganization

The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) defines Chronic Disorganization (CD) as “…having a past history of disorganization in which self-help efforts to change have failed, an undermining of current quality of life due to disorganization and the expectation of future disorganization.”

Disorganization can be caused by many factors and may be situational or chronic. Situational Disorganization occurs as the result of an unusual or life event that temporarily causes clutter or chaos. Examples of these life events are moving or other changes to living arrangements, losing a job, getting a new job, having or adopting a new baby, retirement, divorce, or the serious illness or death of a loved one. Change is inevitable, can be difficult and usually requires an adjustment period. If things don’t settle down after a period of adjustment, Professional Organizers are often called upon to provide solutions, strategies, resources and relief from temporary disorganization.

Chronic Disorganization is very different tha
Situational Disorganization. According to the NSGCD, a chronically disorganized person will accumulate “large quantities of objects, documents, papers or possessions beyond apparent necessity or pleasure. Has difficulty parting with things and letting go. Has a wide range of interests and many uncompleted projects. Needs visual “clues” as reminders to take action. Tends to be easily distracted or lose concentration. Often has weak time management skills.”

At home, the chronically disorganized often have cluttered living areas, storage areas filled to capacity and additional rented storage space for excess possessions. They may be unable to locate things ranging from the mundane to important household or personal documents. They may be late leaving home for school or work due to misplaced items or distractions or have difficulty completing household tasks like laundry, housecleaning, etc.

At work, they often can’t locate items or files (paper or computer), are late or absent from meetings, miss deadlines, have difficulty making decisions, have none or too many filing systems in use, have a poor sense of time, lose their calendar or planner, frequently have lack of organization problems noted in performance evaluations or reviews.

Chronically disorganized people may suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), compulsive hoarding disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and any number of other serious issues that require special attention.

If you, or someone you know, is chronically disorganized, help is available. The following websites provide information, support and suggestions for reading materials. The NSGCD website has several fact sheets that provide information about CD, including a questionnaire to help you determine if you are Chronically Disorganized. If you find yourself answering, “yes” to several of the questions on the questionnaire, don’t despair. Solutions are available to help increase your level of organization. NSGCD even provides help locating specially trained Professional Organizers.

* National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization: www.nsgcd.org
* Children of Hoarders: www.childrenofhoarders.com
* Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: www.chadd.org
* Attention Deficient Disorder Association: www.add.org

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Though it may not be easy, it's important to remember to be patient with the chronically disorganized in your life, including yourself. Being CD did not happen ove
ight and learning new skills and strategies to cope with being CD will not happen ove
ight either. A trained Professional Organizer can save you countless time and effort in determining which solutions will work best for you; they can help you to succeed when you have not been able to do the job on your own.

In severe cases of chronic disorganization such as compulsive hoarding disorder, working in collaboration with a Professional Organizer who specializes in CD and a mental health professional knowledgeable about CD has been found to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome, depending on the overall motivation of the individual to change. A collaborative or team approach permits the individual, organizer and mental health professional to work together to facilitate and maintain change in the home and build lasting internal change in the individual. Depending on the severity of the situation, the team may include others such as an atto
ey, family members, friends, a landlord and social service advocates.

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Living or working with the chronically disorganized can be very challenging, especially if you’re someone who is not disorganized. NSGCD offers the following useful tips for communicating with the chronically disorganized:

“Among the strategies used to help the person, effective communication is at the top! Be aware of and acknowledge your own feelings and recognize that you will probably go through various stages of dealing with the other person’s disorganization.

* Stage 1 – Offering encouragement
* Stage 2 – Being disappointed by failures and backsliding
* Stage 3 – Irritation with the rate of progress
* Stage 4– Withdrawing to avoid expressing anger

If you get angry:

* Tell the individual directly.
* Let the person know that he is more important to you than his disorganization.
* Know what your own bottom line is and be clear about it.

Avoid what does not work

* Don’t say: Just do it!
* Avoid being a nagger
* Don’t act like a watchdog
* Resist criticizing
* Never ridicule
* Don’t exaggerate consequences
* Eliminate phrases such as: I told you so.

Practice what does work

* Listen from an accepting point of view
* Listen without judgment
* Give your full attention to the person when he is speaking
* Think highly of the person so that it will come through in your manner and tone of voice
* Focus your attention on her good qualities
* Draw out his best instead of finding fault with him
* Recognize and acknowledge incremental progress"