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Discussion » Questions » Human Behavior » Do you or someone you know seem to get the 'cleaning/tidying bug' sometimes that may be triggered by emotions?If so what emotions/situations
Purplegem

Do you or someone you know seem to get the 'cleaning/tidying bug' sometimes that may be triggered by emotions?If so what emotions/situations

I know someone who sometimes just starts cleaning/tidying up and there's just no stopping her. She doesn't clean/tidy her own stuff/rooms much, in fact they are messy+she seems to keep getting a lot of stuff she doesn't need. She's often doing other people's gardening without asking them first and tidies/cleans/move stuff round in my room without permission - in fact I've asked her to please stop but she takes no notice. I am disabled and an adult so I do need help but it's overstepping the boundaries. 

I'm just wondering what is it that makes you/other people do this? Stress? If so, is it the same sort of thing people say to you that causes this, or a certain thing that causes the stress or just in general? Upset? Anger? Frustration? Anxiety? A whole load of mixed emotions? Some way of having control over things? For example? 

Posted - September 12, 2017
Tags : emotions Cleaning

Responses


  • 7939
    All the things you mentioned. When I have nervous energy, I clean to release it. I used to have a boyfriend who'd tick me off intentionally when he wanted something cleaned. :/
      September 12, 2017 1:31 PM MDT
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  • 80
    Really (about the bf!) Sounds a bit like emotional blackmail? 
    So not any particular thing that was said to you? Just general nervous stress? (I understand what you mean about nervous stress. I get it sometimes) 
      September 12, 2017 1:44 PM MDT
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  • 7939
    Yeah, that was not a healthy relationship. He thought it was hilarious. I cleaned a lot. 

    It's never any one thing.  I may clean because of general life stress, like kids, work, or relationship stuff. I clean when I'm worried about someone or something. I just need to get it out and keep my mind on something else, so I dive into a project. 
      September 12, 2017 1:48 PM MDT
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  • 13071
    Each time one of my family members die, i go though a major cleaning overhaul. My great grandmother died, i painted the hall stairwell wall and interior apartment ceilings and all the rooms. When my grandmother died, i cleared out two entire attics, a basement, re-carpeted a house and painted the kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. When my husband died i gutted out the house of all its paintings, furniture, decorations and nick knacks, leaving most of the house looking bare and unrecognizable. Maybe the emotion that triggered this extreme house cleaning was sadness or grief.  
      September 12, 2017 1:38 PM MDT
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  • 80
    That is interesting and provided insight. Thank you. 
    Interestingly it happened today and there was someone's funeral today... Not that someone has died every time this person cleans/tidies etc but could involve the same emotion/feeling. 
    My initial thought was the need to start afresh... But at the same time maybe you wouldn't be ready for that just after someone's died? Perhaps a way of dealing with sadness and grief like you said, just having to do something completely apart from talking about it or being involved with people who know about it and distracting yourself by using the nervous energy triggered by the grief and sadness? I wonder what you think? 
      September 12, 2017 1:50 PM MDT
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  • I think my mom used to clean a lot because my dad used to be an alcoholic and it was her way of trying to keep control of our home when his drinking was out of control.
    She became very obsessed with cleaning.
    If there was a sock on the floor in my room she would say "Your room is a f__king mess, get it cleaned up."
    Once I spilled my juice at the table and I remember she slapped me across the face.

    She is a great mom, but she was under a lot of stress at that time and she worked and she had 3 kids so I don't hold it against her.
    She treats me great now and has always been there for me. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at September 12, 2017 8:34 PM MDT
      September 12, 2017 2:56 PM MDT
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  • 7789
    Yea! Me!
      September 12, 2017 2:57 PM MDT
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  • 2327
    It could be OCD. Then again, it may be something else. Tell her to stop touching your property or you'll call the police. 
      September 12, 2017 8:26 PM MDT
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  • 34133
    I clean when I am mad.
      September 12, 2017 8:32 PM MDT
    1