1-2 The Chronic-ness of Chronic Disorganization Regina Lark, Ph.D
4/6/2015 The Chronic-ness of Chronic Disorganization: What you Don’t Know May Harm Them Shoot for the Stars! NAPO Annual Conference April 16-18, 2015 Los Angeles, CA regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Learning Objectives • Identify when disorganization becomes chronic disorganization • Identify differences between collecting/accumulating, cluttering/hoarding • Recognize the range of factors associated with chronic disorganization • Understand the critical role of the Executive Functions • Develop strategies for working in households with both CD and non-CD family members regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Do What You Love AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 1 4/6/2015 30,000 - 300,000 • • • • We all have stuff Some of us have a bunch of stuff Others of us have a lot of stuff Still others seem to have waaaay too much stuff. AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net Collections, Accumulations, Hoards AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net Collections & Accumulations AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 2 4/6/2015 HOARDING regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P What Does Chronic Look Like? Outward Clutter Hidden Clutter Hoarding or CD? regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Situational Disorganization • Temporary • Transitional • Life cycle changes AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 3 4/6/2015 Challenging Disorganization • • • • • Slow to decide Get help or not get help “I’ll get to this later” Unsure where to start “I should be able to do this” regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Your 5 Most Difficult Clients regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Chronic Disorganization • A lá Judith Kolberg… – Persistence of severe disorganization over a long period of time – A daily undermining of one’s quality of life by disorganization – A history of failed self help efforts AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 4 4/6/2015 Chronic Disorganization Continuum Left Brained Chronically Organized Right Brained Level 1-2 Level 5 C.H. Scale Hoarding Level 3-4 ADHD/ADD C.H. Scale regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P An Integrated View Chronic Disorganization Challenging Disorganization Hoarding Disorder Situational Disorganization AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net Chronically Disorganized people are NOT: • • • • • • Lazy Stupid Ignorant Unenlightened Mindless Naïve or oblivious AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 5 4/6/2015 What We May Hear • • • • • • • It’s always been this way. I can’t remember a time when… I’ve always been ashamed of this. I never have anyone over. My mother was just like this. I keep meaning to get to it. I just don’t have time! regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Are You Chronically Disorganized? A questionnaire to determine if you are Chronically Disorganized Answer the following questions yes or no. AC P Source: ICD Fact Sheet 001 www.challengingdisorganization.org regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net Factors Associated with Disorganization AC P Source: ICD Fact Sheet #004, www.challengingdisorganization.org regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 6 4/6/2015 Factors Associated with Disorganization…continued regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P The Function of Executive Function regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Executive Function at Work • • • • • • • Make plans On time Make goals, meet goals “To Do” To Done! Linear thinking Organized Analyze task/multi-task AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 7 4/6/2015 Executive Dysfunction • • • • • • “Look! Squirrel!” Hyper-focus (to the detriment of all else) Easily overwhelmed Unorganized Weak working memory Difficulty managing frustration, emotions regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Warning Signs: When EF isn’t working well • Difficulty planning projects (A(b, c) D) • Time to completion not understood • Story telling (verbal/written) hard to organize/sequence • Memorizing/working memory difficult to retrieve • Challenged to initiate activities & tasks • Decision-making extremely difficult • Retaining information while doing (e.g. remembering number while dialing) regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Chronic and Pervasive • • • • • • • Difficulty bouncing back No coping skills Each life transition a challenge Low financial acumen Tendency to collect crises Procrastinator and/or perfectionist Focus on process vs. person AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 8 4/6/2015 Person-centered: At work with our CD clients • Be openly curious (Ask a lot of questions!) • What makes them tick? • Have they tried to organize on their own? • What do they know DOES NOT work? • How/when do they work best? • What does progress look like? regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Processing Modalities • • • • • • • • • AC P Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile Taste/Smell Verbal Emotional Cognitive Intuitive Source: The Processing Modalities Guide, Denslow Brown, MCC, CPO, CPO-CD regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net It Takes A Village Chronic does not mean permanent • Life Coach • Professional Organizer with eye on maintenance • House cleaner • Therapist • Productivity Specialist • Body double/ personal assistant AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 9 4/6/2015 Transfer of Knowledge and Skills • • • • • • Make your own rules Better relationship to time Keep it simple Your curiosity will help here Candid discussions re: maintenance What do they need to know? AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net What’s in your toolkit? AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net Backsliding? Expect it. • Called Chronic for a reason • The relationship between what’s in their head and under their bed. • Be openly curious: what didn’t work? • Talk about the work as a process. • How’s the Village coming along? AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 10 4/6/2015 Maintenance: Our bread and butter The clutter is gone, now what? • Design Maintenance programs/packages: – Monthly? Quarterly? – Project based? – Make less chronic regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Next Steps… • • • • Decide about working with CD clients What are your personal limits? Do you need further education? If not you, who? regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Resources • Institute for Challenging Disorganization: www.ChallengingDisorganization.org • Jeffrey Freed, M.A.T. and Laurie Parsons, Right-Brained Children: Unlocking the Potential of your ADD Child. Simon and Shuster, 1997. • Randy Frost, et. al., Development and Validation of the Clutter Image Rating Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 30(3), 193203. 2008. • Judith Kolberg, Getting Organized in the Era of Endless, Squall Press, 2013. • Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D. ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life. Brunner/Routledge, 2002. • Judith Kolberg. Conquering Chronic Disorganization, Squall Press, Inc., 1999. • Regina F. Lark, Ph.D., CPO,® CPO-CD®. Psychic Debris, Crowded Closets: The Relationship Between the Stuff in Your Head and What's Under your Bed. 2d ed. Purple Books Publishing, 2014. AC P regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 11 4/6/2015 Resources • Lanna Nakone, M.A. Organizing for your Brain Type. St. Martin's Press, 2005. • Lee Silber, Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain: A Creative Approach to Getting Organized. St. Martin's Griffin, 2004. • Sari Solden. Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace your Difference and Transform your Life. Underwood Books, 2005. • David Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding Treatments That Work. Oxford University Press, 2007. • Michael Tompkins and Tamara Hartl. Digging Out: Helping Your Loved Ones Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring. New Harbinger Publications, 2009. • Kate Varness, CPO-CD,® ed., The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization. Institute for Challenging Disorganization, 2012. regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P Special thanks to… Judith Kolberg and Sue West for our valuable conversations. regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net AC P regina@AClearPath.net www.aClearPath.net /AClearPath @AClearPath /ReginaLark AC P Regina F. Lark, Ph.D. CPO©, CPO-CD© regina@aclearpath.net www.aClearPath.net 12
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