Barb you are so welcome, its always a joy to have a new person reading and posting. If I am here and you want to chat just let me know and we can go into the chat where here, it is always open.

Happy Birthday!!!

It means everything to be understood, supported, and accepted and you will definately find it all here... we are all in the same boat with our commonalities and differences.

I find your attirude inspiring especially as I will be having a 60-year birthday in February and I have been really fretting about it, thank you. I will be concentrating on hope today.

Thank you both for your support. It is so nice to be in contact with people who are not horrified by my mess. Although you have not personally seen my house, you all know and accept it the way it is.
Today is my 60th birthday. I expected to be a little depressed about growing older. But I am in relatively good health and have many blessings to be thankful for at this time in my life. I am full of hope today about beginning a new chapter in my life.

Hello Barb and welcome aboard!

What she said... and I am so sorry for your loss. You will find some caring people here for support and encouragement, do stay and read and post.

I just want to say how grateful I am for the new friends I have met and talk to on the message board.
I began spiraling into depression and began holding on to things when my husband died from cancer. He had an aggressive form that was resistant to treatment and he only lived three months after his diagnosis. He was in perfect health, ate healthy foods, exercised regularly and had no signs of illness prior to this. I felt as if I had been run over by a train.
After getting a recommendation from a mental health counselor I was referred to an organization that could supposedly help me. I worked up my courage to call an evaluator. It was not a good experience. She was very pleasant to work with and very honest about what needed to be done. However, she told me to call them again after I had gotten rid of the clutter and they would help me organize what was left. Her solution was to get a shovel and throw everything out and start over. It was obvious that I had called the wrong organization.
I am so glad to find an organization that understands hoarders and how to approach and conquer the problem. I look at the before and after pictures and read the posts on the message boards and it gives me hope and encouragement. i won't have this under control today. Or tomorrow. But, little by little I WILL make progress. I can celebrate the progress I have made already. And I can use the board to listen to and encourage others.
Thank you again, my new friends. Together we are moving forward.