"I must be going crazy!" stated "Bob" a few days ago. His frustration was apparent and he stated he was desperate. Although he was extremely bright, he just could not get out of the bad habits that he had developed in his office. After talking with him for a while he told us that he thought he was helpless, but wanted advice from a professional. He is not "going crazy." We talked for a while and together determined that he met the initial definition of a Chronically Disorganized individual.
Chronic Disorganization (CD) has three distinct features according to the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization:
- the persistence of severe disorganization over a long period of time;
- a daily undermining of one's quality of life by disorganization; and
- a history of failed self-help efforts.
Wondering if you are chronically disorganized? Do you have a loved one that you, think is chronically disorganized? The NSGCD Clutter Hoarding Scale is a measurement -- assessment tool that you can use. A more complete technical publication is also available thru the NSGCD. You can also take this quick quiz.
Want more information? See the NSGCD fact sheet Common Characteristics of the Chronically Disorganized.
There are numerous medical conditions that can lead to chronic disorganization:
Anxiety Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
Autism & Asperger's Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Depression
Dyslexia
Fibromyalgia
Hearing Loss
Hyperlexia
Learning Differences
Manic-Depression / Bi-polar Disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
OCD, OCPD & Hoarding
Personality Disorders
Thyroid Dysfunction
Tramatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Vision Loss
If you have been struggling with CD, start by sharing your quiz results with your medical doctor, and then talk with a professional organizer that is trained in CD. If you like, your medical professional and your organizer can form a treatment team to help you get to the organized state that you want.
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