One Wee Spark

Some of you have asked about my mom from time to time, and since our story is very public, I like to share occasionally. Stopped by Mom's apartment in the assisted living facility she lives at these days to drop off a few necessities for her. Her apartment continues to remain spacious and sparsely decorated. She spends most of her time in her room, watching TV and tatting or reading. She's given up many other crafts and social activities. I think dementia,  caused by her bipolar disorder, makes social activities hard for her. She can't maintain her focus on so many different people in large groups. She's aware that her memory is going. But dementia means that she forgets things. Like her only child's birthday. Or, it means that she remembers calling me two years ago on my birthday, and well, that is the same as calling me on my birthday this year in her mind. So my birthday came and went unnoticed by Mom. Or so I thought. Tonight, she handed me a neatly wrap...

Forgive me. You've been so kind to follow and read my posts in the past. I've been busy. Not too busy for my readers; I deeply appreciate you. Just busy. But back in the Fall, I was super busy speaking at conferences in Washington State and California, primarily on the effects to the child who grows up in hoarding. It was tough to speak on such a personal topic. I know you understand. I speak all the time. To social workers; to municipal employees and agencies; to mental health providers; to the community-at-large; to magazine, news channel and newspaper reporters. But this Fall, I took on a new stage, literally, at TedxSpokane--'Knowing It Again.' I did it for you. For your friends who don't get it. For your HPs who don't know they need help or understanding. For our children whose generation can do better. Please feel free to share this. As far as I can tell, this is the first TedTalk done specifically on hoarding. This message needs to get o...

It is with great joy and humility that I announce that we are offering another facilitated self-help group in Spokane, Washington for those who struggle with an excessive accumulation of things, clutter, and/or hoarding! Lightening the Load, a ministry of Sheltering Tree Church announces the 2nd Buried In Treasures Workshop! Beginning on Wednesday, 12/12/12 at...you guessed it! 12 Noon! The workshop consists of 15 two-hour sessions, and ends in early May.

It's been a while since I've posted on here...but I felt like today, I should share this thing I'm in the middle of. It's not a bad thing, per se...but it involves perhaps one of the toughest elements of change--embracing a new perspective about oneself. In other words, I am embracing "the real Ceci G", and becoming comfortable with who she is, further defining what I am not, and looking more realistically at what I can become. It's as if, in some ways, I'm looking at the whole world in a new perspective simply by looking more honestly at me.

When you were a kid, did you ever go into a fun house with all those crazy mirrors? One transformed you from   a petite child of 4'2" into a child the height of an NBA star, yet another made you resemble the figure of the Pillsbury dough boy, and another appeared to give you a perfect hourglass figure. It was fun, but temporary. When you left the immediate area, you were still the same person as you had been before you entered the fun house and glanced into those mirrors. No matter how silly you felt before the mirrors, you could walk away and return to "normal". Or perhaps, if you were like me, with issues about your body, you enjoyed the few moments of "correction" and were sad to see it end and return to the same old, not-quite-what-you'd-hoped-for "me".

I challenge each and every one of you to do this! Just follow the steps below...we can have a voice...for free! 1.  Go to:   http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/ Enter your zipcode. 2 . Click on a  provider's name . In my example, I used zipcode 99205, and chose Michael Chessar Counseling Services. This took me to his listing page, where I clicked on the link: "Email us" under contact info. This will open a new page. 3.  Enter your name (If you are concerned about being identified...you can use the standard format from recovery groups--for me, Ceci G). Use of email address and phone number are encouraged, but at your discretion. 4.  I've written this simple script with bit.ly links to the research article and the online table of questions. You can change it if you want: I'm adult child who was raised in a hoarded home. I live in your area, and yet, I feel invisible. Did you know that a research study has been conducted...

This isn't really supposed to be about shameless, self promotion, but I want to make sure that my readers here know about Adult Children of Hoarders Spokane's webpage . It's nothing fancy, but I'm working to add links for local professionals (organizers, counselors, social workers). At this point the group is just me and some empty chairs, but it has afforded me the opportunity to speak to professional groups who might have clients who would benefit from the group. LOGO, Adult Children of Hoarders Spokane Please stop by, check it out, and bookmark it. We continue to meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month, and will continue to do so until we have no room or I pass on...whichever comes first. Thanks for your support, my fine readers!

To Whom It May Concern: It has come to my attention that many of you have been contacted or seen a patient whose parent is a hoarder. Many of you are treating hoarders although you have not been through the training recommended by the OCD Foundation and the researchers who are treating this. I believe that you are well-meaning. I'm a glass half full kind of gal. Until proven otherwise, I will believe that your intention is to help people. But inadvertently, you are hurting a block of society. When the adult child of a hoarder comes to you and describes the filth and hell that they grew up in, no matter how surprised you are, please do NOT say, "Oh my goodness!" with a look of shock and horror plastered across your face. It is a very difficult thing to show up in someone's office and talk about this family secret. This is exactly what we fear the most--shock and horror.