https://www.amazon.com/Careful-Where-You-This-Down/dp/0995078009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480637856&sr=8-1&keywords=%22Careful+where+you+set+this+down%22

So... it's done! Ready for purchase in the states. I'd love for you all to check it out and leave a review. I don't have an online version yet because the format hasn't been working nicely though the print version is best because there is a journal/workbook inside of the printed version as well. Though I do intend to have a cheaper online version available soon.

If you don't want to buy, at minimum please read the preview and let me know what you think.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you! I'd love to see your blog once you get it going. I'm just waiting on my book cover and will have the book up on Amazon and Kindle. I'll share it here once that's done if that is allowed. I'll have both an online version and a hard copy. I still like my physical books much better than online and I always will. Even with the space they take up.

Hi, glad you liked the book list, Angel! I do a lot of writing and I've been thinking of doing a blog about my decluttering for awhile. I went ahead and got one started a couple of days ago, just the barebones and claiming the title I wanted before someone else did. Posts will come ASAP.

It helps SO much to have a sense of humor, especially since there are a lot of ignorant, insensitive, and just plain mean people out there who want to put us down and shame us.

I hope my blogging will reflect a positive attitude and be accessible to those of different levels with the hoarding issue. In other words, if someone is very deeply into hoarding but not sure s/he wants to do anything differently, still s/he could find something non-shaming and maybe a little spark to consider the possibility of change. If another is more half-and-half, knowing they'd like things to be different but having difficulty or blind spots still, maybe they'd find inspiration to take it to the next level. And if they're where I'm at, really gung-ho (but seeing a lot of work ahead to reach the goal) they would find practical tips, strength to keep striving, etc.

And as you point out with your vision for your book, healing - because so often this hoarding dilemma has its roots in trauma or piled-on stresses, and other causes that we need to deal with alongside the cleanup efforts. Good luck with your writing and your own journey! :)

Yes! I agree about laughing at ourselves being a good thing! Ive noticed with myself, that when i can find humor in my problems, i hate myself less & am much better able to enact action in fixing my problems, otherwise i just get more stuck & depressed.
Good luck to you with your book! :D

Ugh. There's no edit button. Then* not than*.

Thank you Anonymoniker. It really helped me. You could try it for yourself or get my book in live vicariously through me ;). Or both. Sounds like I've got my title decided than. I think I came up with the title before I began the book actually...lol. Named because it's exactly what I'd have to do if I ever wanted to complete it or find it again. :) thought it was funny. Gotta be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes, though taking ourselves seriously also has its place.

This is fascinating! I had recently thought of journalizing my own progress, or lack-there-of!!! I love that title, too!!! Way to go!!! :D

Hello CriticalMass,

Thank you so much for both of your posts. When I began writing it almost 6.5 years ago, I had searched for a book on hoarding that would help me to understand myself and to heal. Preferably written by someone who had been where I was and got out. I couldn't find anything, so I began writing what I was looking for, and it became one of the instrumental tools to help me recover.

I'll just share what I had on a different forum I found:

"It was what helped me to heal. I had hit that moment of realization and determination that I wasn't going to give up anymore & would get out no matter what. I looked for a book that would help me specifically on hoarding, ideally written by someone who had been there before me because it seemed no one else understood. I don't know if I understood myself back then. There was no such book, so I decided to document every step and thought with advice given to me, by me, that I needed to hear.

Sounds strange perhaps though it's like a scientist documenting what works in an experiment and what doesn't though my writing is not technical. It also kept me accountable.

I initially thought that the book could help those who are working with helping hoarders and those who love us to understand us better by giving them my eyes.it turned out to be more something for us to understand ourselves better perhaps, and to begin the healing process. Of the people I gave it to to test out, some who deal with hoarding and some who don't, it turns out the book helped both hoarders and non-hoarders alike, which was interesting. The compassion rose especially by seeing we all have things in common."

Hello CriticalMass,

Thank you so much for both of your posts. When I began writing it almost 6.5 years ago, I had searched for a book on hoarding that would help me to understand myself and to heal. Preferably written by someone who had been where I was and got out. I couldn't find anything, so I began writing what I was looking for, and it became one of the instrumental tools to help me recover.

I'll just share what I had on a different forum I found:

"It was what helped me to heal. I had hit that moment of realization and determination that I wasn't going to give up anymore & would get out no matter what. I looked for a book that would help me specifically on hoarding, ideally written by someone who had been there before me because it seemed no one else understood. I don't know if I understood myself back then. There was no such book, so I decided to document every step and thought with advice given to me, by me, that I needed to hear.

Sounds strange perhaps though it's like a scientist documenting what works in an experiment and what doesn't though my writing is not technical. It also kept me accountable.

I initially thought that the book could help those who are working with helping hoarders and those who love us to understand us better by giving them my eyes.it turned out to be more something for us to understand ourselves better perhaps, and to begin the healing process. Of the people I gave it to to test out, some who deal with hoarding and some who don't, it turns out the book helped both hoarders and non-hoarders alike, which was interesting. The compassion rose especially by seeing we all have things in common."

Angel, and anyone else reading this - I am really a dummy today - I was thinking you were asking which book to buy. You were asking which title to choose for your own book, and it should've been obvious, especially since I do a lot of writing myself. My only "excuse" is that I'm kind of tired, and I guess I skimmed your post too fast. My sincere apologies for that!

Okay, now as to which title - I vote for Careful Where You Set This Down. It's quite witty and catchy, and I wish I'd thought of it myself! :D

Another option you may have considered is to keep the Hoarder to Healed in some form as a subtitle, i.e.

Careful Where You Set This Down: A Hoarder's Story of Healing or something along those lines.

I hope this is helpful, and again, I'm sorry I got it wrong the first time!

I haven't read either of those two yet, but I've read quite a few others! :)

Here's a list of my favorites, with links. There are getting to be so many books on decluttering these days that if you go on Amazon to look up one, you get many suggestions for a slew of others! I suggest going to your library or a brick-and-mortar bookstore if you have one nearby - because just like anything else, it's tempting to buy too many decluttering books, LOL! I know because I own most of these.

Classics that have been around for a long time but are still good - anything by Don Aslett. My favorite is Clutter's Last Stand. https://www.amazon.com/Clutters-Last-Stand-Time-junk/dp/1593373295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479144287&sr=8-1&keywords=don+aslett+clutter%27s+last+stand

Julie Morgenstern has books on Time Management From the Inside Out and Organizing From the Inside Out, and more. Here's the organizing one: https://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Inside-Out-Second-Foolproof/dp/0805075895/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479144061&sr=8-1&keywords=morgenstern+organizing+from+the+inside+out

Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff by Lori Baird: https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Clutter-Stow-Stuff-Household/dp/1579544932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479144417&sr=8-1&keywords=cut+the+clutter+and+stow+the+stuff

Making Peace with the Things In Your Life by Cindy Glovinsky: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312284888/sr=1-1-catcorr/qid=1479144930/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1479144930&sr=1-1-catcorr

The Secret Lives of Hoarders by Matt Paxton (kind of painful to read but ultimately helpful): https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lives-Hoarders-Stories-Tackling/dp/0399536655/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479144505&sr=8-1&keywords=the+secret+lives+of+hoarders

Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding (multiple authors):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157224349X/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2F6BC4DNVS8A6HG9K6YP

Buried In Treasures (multiple authors): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199329257/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JVN7JCNEWRWMJRB240QX

Brooks Palmer's Clutter Busting: https://www.amazon.com/Clutter-Busting-Letting-Whats-Holding/dp/1577316592/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479145818&sr=1-1&keywords=clutter+busting

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo's book on the Japanese way - I haven't read this one myself yet, but I have a friend who really likes it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308/ref=pd_sim_14_18?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8MFXGMANK9EQEJ1D0GR7


Ultimately, I'd just say pick the one(s) that suit(s) your style the best to get started.

1) Careful Where You Set This Down -
subtitle: A Strategic Guide to Heal the Hoarder in You

OR

2) Hoarder to Healed


Hello. I just found this group. I used to be a hoarder. I'm not anymore. I wrote a book during the process of healing and I want it to reach many people to help them as well. I've been testing it out and it's been helping a wider audience than I thought it would because the issues that were there for me are issues that can come up for anyone. It doesn't always show up as hoarding.

THANK YOU!!