I've become compulsive.....am I alone?

[shesemsmom]

Since the election is over, I have had to much free time.I campaigned for 5 months ever day I had off and my house work went to hell. Now my house is spotless, my tree is up, the Christmas cards are out the presents are wrapped the decorations are done and I've made over a 1000 reindeer food for the kids.If something is dirty I clean it and my Hubby is to the place he's afraid to get out of bed at night, he;s afraid Ill make up his side of it. I talked to a friend today and she is having the same fixations. Are we the only ones or are other DUERS the same:crazy:

[LiberalEsto]

1. I was scrubbing my bathroom floor with a toothbrush

this morning.

I'm not usually a clean freak, but these days I desperately want to feel like I have a sense of control over SOMETHING.

This is because, With this insane election and the prospect of another four years of that warmongering madman, I feel like the world's out of control and there is little or nothing I can do about it.

[shesemsmom]

2. maybe that is what it is

I can at least have some control here. But I think my family thinks I've lost it

[LiberalEsto]

4. You haven't lost it!

You're having a healthy normal reaction to a bad situation. Would they prefer you drank yourself into a stupor or went crazy with credit cards or plunged into a huge depression?

Laugh about it, and maybe they'll laugh with you. Line your family up and decorate them for the holidays!


I went out and bought wide blue ribbon today to make bows for the evergreen wreaths. None of those red bows for me this year.

[shesemsmom]

5. I purposely didn't use red myself

I did put the two US flags at the top of the tree, to remember our kids fighting. I used white bulbs and left the red white and blue ones off. My tree has always been patriotic. Not this year.

[Coyote_Bandit]

3. Come to my house? Please?

Compulsions to clean are not a problem here.

[shesemsmom]

6. Where are you.

you could be next on my list and not know it....lol

[Coyote_Bandit]

10. Crazy Red F*cking JOklahoma

I need a perfect - and perfectly clean - house so that hopefully I can sell it when I am finally lucky enough to find a job and relocate elsewhere.

All the wallpaper has been stripped and the rooms are freshly painted. Closets still need paint though. But most of the stuff has been taken out of the closets. Weeding through stuff and looking to become more readily mobile here. Actually it is a very depressing and sometimes overwhelming task.

I could benefit from your compulsion.

[shesemsmom]

11. Crazy Red Indiana here....

sicko state of confusion.... sorry to far for me to drive. I'm afraid I'll lose my steam lol

[Coyote_Bandit]

15. Then Again

Maybe I do share your compulsion. Except I've undertaken several large projects and made a really big mess with the intention of eventually having the perfect salable house. I made things much worse with the intention of eventually making them much better.

Guess I'm the one who should be worried about running out of steam.

[barb162]

7. I want her over at my house first; she'll be sorry she

ever wrote (teehee)

[shesemsmom]

8. I'm in Indiana

we may be close....whats your address, leave your key under the mat.

[barb162]

16. Im in a Chicago suburb, what's your hourly rate (quiet, don't

tell the others).

(Just kidding)

[shesemsmom]

17. name a price..

right now I could be easy

[barb162]

23. Hilarious, let me ask you something, are you good at

throwing things out when you don't use or wear them any more? I have a lot of stuff; luckily I have a large place. Everything looks perfectly orderly and beautiful, except when you go in some of the drawers, basement, etc. What happens is nothing gets tossed. Like light fixtures I hated go to the basement and new ones get put up. Because they are working fixtures, they get saved. Did you ever see that HGTV show where they have those organizer people come on to help a person throw out old clothes, etc. And the organizer says, when did you last wear that and the unorganized one says "oh 15 years ago" and you can see the person is getting really nervous because she may need it sometime in the next ten years? That's kinda like me. I have old Beatles magazines, LPs....

[shesemsmom]

27. No... I'm a pack rat....

but occasionally can get going ans start to part with things. I did clean out my closet last year and got rid of a bunch of clothes, now after all that walking during the campaign, and little self control, I've lost 35 lbs, and could probably wear them DRAT!! don't it just figure. I'm trying to get back into the dress I wore to the Ball in DC when Clinton Was inaugurated in 96 and I'm almost there. The plan was to wear it to Ball when we went to Kerry's inauguration, well, I guess it will hang 4 more years. You were right to hang onto that Beatles stuff, you may need to sell it in your golden years. My brother is a Beatles collector. He has EVERYTHING!!

[barb162]

9. Actually I am noticing I am doing somewhat the same ,

but I am cleaning out a lot of papers, magazines, etc.

[shesemsmom]

12. oh thats exactly

how I started. Cleaned out the magazines, cleaned out the living room dusted washed walls, cleaned the carpets.... look out you are on your way.

[barb162]

18. It'll stop very soon as Xmas decorations will most likely be

going up very soon, like tomorrow and the next few days. I will have to force myself to do it as I have zilch XMas spirit re 11/2/04. I think I will put up only a mimimum amount this year. But I know what you mean about controlling SOMETHING and the physical activity is good for you. I probably wouldn't even put up my tree except my 16 year old cat loves sitting under it and playing king of the jungle.

[shesemsmom]

21. I told my Hubby I wouldn't have put up a tree this year if it hadn't been

for our daughter. But then again, once I got going I couldn't seem to quit.

[barb162]

28. Yeah isn't that funny? I have 4 cats and they all want to be on

that tree skirt under that tree. Instinctual to lay in wait, be safe, etc. My oldest though loves it the most and I basically don't see him for the weeks the tree is up except when he comes out to eat.

[shesemsmom]

29. Thats too funny.

Why don't you just leave it up all year for their entertainment

[nonconformist]

13. I think a lot of us are going through that

A desire to have control over something coupled with the need to distract yourself with mundane things. I'm doing the same, although admittedly I'm nowhere near as together as you are. But then again, the bar for me being productive and domestically useful is pretty low these days.

[shesemsmom]

19. I've never really been domestic

that's what is so puzzling about the whole thing. I always kept the place clean enough to keep the health department out of here but thats it. Now it's like wow.....that thing is dirty. Where is the brass cleaner, the soap the rags ......I'm talking things that were never clean. I hope I don't lose this to something else, at least until the primary in 2006... which by the way has not lost my interest. I'm already looking for and getting helpers for door to door campaign and working on list.I haven't forgotten that.

[nonconformist]

22. If you don't force yourself to slow down a bit, you'll burn yourself out

Been there, done that, bought the whole damn tshirt factory.

I'm compulsive by nature - I'm a perfectionist and find it hard to be able to maintain more than one hobby/task at a time. I'll obsess over something until I burn out, then move on to something else. This obviously means domestic disaster far too often. I'm surprisingly together these days in that department, but it's because I'm distracting myself with something I can control. I think it's what is keeping me sane.

[shesemsmom]

25. I know....

but if I quit. I'll get behind in this mess and well I'll never get caught up. I've seen what this place will look like 3 days post my death, by just being sick one day. These folks can make a mess and don't know how to clean up. They can't even shut a cabinet

[barb162]

30. My girlfriends and I always talk about how we are the only

ones in our households who know how to put toilet paper on the rollers. Others just use it to the last five or so sheets so they can't be blamed for using the absolute last sheet. We wonder if this is a genetic thing applicable only to male chromosomes.

[shesemsmom]

33. I'm fairly certain that it is

I have repeatedly shown my Hubby where the tp is and it hasn't worked. I just keep one near by extra. I'm also worried that this recessive gene has been handed down to our child, who also can not replace the tp, pick up clothing, put a dirty dish i the sink, or put her clothing away. but who bitches about it, not the one who does all these things, but the father with the recessive gene who passed it to the child. GO FIGURE!!!!!!!

[barb162]

35. LOL; that's part of the genetic thing, that even when they

know where the TP is kept (and are gingerly reminded where the new tp is), they are physically or emotionally incapable of putting that new tp roll on.

[shesemsmom]

37. thats right

I've just decided I have to pick my battles..........lol

[jdots]

14. since they stole 2000 i make wierd noises with my mouth

talk to myself ,i even counted 4s for for a few months.It is driving my wife crazy.It's the stress of watching a great country get destroyed by these sub pigs.We should sue the fuckers for the mental and physical pain they cause billions of people.

[shesemsmom]

20. do you think we can do that

I almost think my doctor would write a statement. He knows how hard I worked and he might just do it

[alittlelark]

24. I think it is attempting to gain control

over an out-of-your-control situation...the US and the world. You are gaining control in your realm in order to feel that you are not impotent.

Over-controlling the micro to compensate for impotence in the macro

[shesemsmom]

26. my micro........

is currently under control lol

[alittlelark]

31. And I am sure you feel good about it!!

We all need coping mechanisms (I wish I had yours!).

[shesemsmom]

34. If only I could share it... I'd be glad to

[barb162]

32. that's what I think it is too; I am still experiencing

despondency over this election and every time I turn on the news, read a newspaper, read LBN here, etc., it just reinforces the bad feelings. So it is probably good to clean some stuff up; at least my mind gets off what's happening "out there."

[shesemsmom]

36. I did notice that I was tired

last night and Then I saw *hrub on TV and he was doing his usual SMIRK, like he thinks he's the be all and end all and all at once I was doing a load of wash and unloading the dish washer. It could be related. My Hubby made a comment about how badly I hated the idiot, I said , whats not to hate