I lived with a Hoarder (my mom) until I was about 19 and moved in with my now ex b/f. I delt with it most of my life because I attempted to organize whatever was going on... It helps if you have boxes, bins and categorize many items at a time, like, clothes, books, shoes, papers, etc.. So then you can organize many more things at once, rather than trying to sit and decide every little item. You might get a lot of boxes of clothes and just say "you know what I've got a lot of clothes. I can donate a few of these boxes" And then go about sorting through them according to what fits in the closet and do you "need" it. Go through one box or bin at a time so you can sort by category. another way to do this is sort by room type, like living room, bathroom, bedroom, office and then go back and decide which items you really need. Another way to sort and I do this all the time when my computer desk gets cluttered or stuff gets on the entertainment center is I take all that stuff and put it in a box so that I can clean the computer desk and what needs to be on it, and then I go through the box and put those things back where they belong.

Deborah - You have to stop looking at the "Whole" mess as it is too overwhelming. You need to look at it with Tunnel Vision, zero in on just one spot, which sounds like the floor area, for safety reasons. Get an 18 gallon Rubbermaid, or, get someone to get it for you. Have that and a large trash bag, sit on a chair or a low chair and ONLY look at the floor, NOWHERE ELSE :)
Then get the stuff you KNOW is trash into that Trash bag (see you've already made a dent) then the stuff you KNOW you want to keep into the Rubbermaid, none of the MAYBE's only the items you KNOW you want to keep.
Then (ONLY LOOKING AT THE FLOOR) you should be left with the MAYBE'S, their the ones that can be the end of many :)
NOW, ask these questions to yourself : Do you REALLY need it ? Do you know someone else who WOULD use it ? Can you recycle it ? Can you Donate it ?
Ok, you may need a few other bags for those, but, the items will be in bags and off the floor.
Then you'll be left with the items that can give you a headache. Put them in another bag and mark HEADACHE items :)
Then after all that (may not happen in a day) but, you should be left with bags of items and that one bag marked HEADACHE items and a CLEAN floor. Then each day, take ONLY 5 items from the Headache bag and maybe you can decide on their new home :)
Hope this helps.

Me too! Its overwhelming and it seems like no one else can do it with the care of sorting that would give me comfort. Ive helped people after deaths and am great at not throwing stuff out that is important and dont mind leaving stuff for them to sort but seems I havent found others that want to help me in that same loving way.
Yet, due to disability I am not as energetic anymore to go through my stuff. It really seems overwhelming and hopeless.

Me too! Its overwhelming and it seems like no one else can do it with the care of sorting that would give me comfort. Ive helped people after deaths and am great at not throwing stuff out that is important and dont mind leaving stuff for them to sort but seems I havent found others that want to help me in that same loving way.
Yet, due to disability I am not as energetic anymore to go through my stuff. It really seems overwhelming and hopeless.

I know I am a 'hoarder', 'clutter keeper', insert any term you like. I feel like I pick things up, just to move them to another place. I have the need to organize everything, however, I am overwhelmed with 'the big picture'. I will sit for hours organizing pens/pencils, make-up, jewelry, socks, but I can't get a handle on the whole mess. If you open my kitchen cupboards, everything is organized in Tupperware, by food group, etc. My kitchen counters are not visible because of the piles of miscellaneous junk that keeps piling up. Every surface has a pile, and walking is getting difficult. My husband, mother and my children have tried to help me clean. Their help is to start throwing everything away. I always end up having a panic attack, crying and sometimes screaming at them to stop. Yes, I DO WANT TO CLEAN up. I WILL THROW AWAY garbage, and stuff I DO NOT NEED. But I NEED to look at what they are tossing. BECAUSE yesterday there was a sack of garbage in the hallway. I looked at what someone was throwing out, and there was a $20.00 DOLLAR BILL mixed in with the papers. I have valuable jewelry in the most illogical places. I want to have a place for everything.