Neat freak or messy? - General Autism Discussion

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Neat freak or messy?

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Nymeria8
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Jun 14, 2012
Age: 37
Posts: 916
Location: New York

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject:

I am a complete neat freak, an organizational nut, or whatever else you feel like calling it. I think its because I am so detail oriented that I notice whenever anything is out of place. I think part of the way I cope with my executive funtioning issues is by giving everything a place and keeping it there. That my current working theory at least. _________________ Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. - The Dalai Lama

FLBear
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: Jan 10, 2009
Age: 55
Posts: 43
Location: NW Florida USA

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 6:28 pm Post subject:

I'm a "Messy Neat Freak" That is, all my stuff looks absolutely thrown asunder, total chaos. But, I know where everything is, or where it is supposed be. It is my mess, my puzzle, my organization, only I can see the key to it I guess. "Organized Chaos" is what I call it if someone asks, or complains. _________________ Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds - Albert Einstein Never Try To Teach A Pig To Sing, It Wastes Your Time and Annoys The Pig - unknown Aspie Score: 170 of 200 NT Score 42 of 200 Very Likely an Aspie

daydreamer84
butterfly
Phoenix

Joined: Jul 09, 2009
Age: 28
Posts: 3285
Location: My own little world

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 9:10 pm Post subject:

messy............unfortunately

abstract
Snowy Owl

Joined: May 29, 2012
Posts: 160

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:12 pm Post subject:

I go through phases where I will be a neat freak and then others where I won't be. It's very difficult for me to sit down and organize myself.

ooo
Velociraptor

Joined: Apr 09, 2012
Posts: 494

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:10 am Post subject:

Aspies want to be neat. It's easier on the eyes to have a well-organized, very tidy environment. But, once it gets to a certain level of mess, a lower executive processing makes it more difficult to start cleaning again.

WorriedWife
Butterfly

Joined: Jun 06, 2012
Age: 41
Posts: 13

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:13 am Post subject:

Thank you everyone for your replies. WW

little_black_sheep
Raven
Raven

Joined: Aug 12, 2011
Posts: 124
Location: Up in Space

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:16 am Post subject:

Dirtdigger wrote:

little_black_sheep wrote:

Messy - definitely. My apartment looks really, really bad right now and I am terribly afraid that someone might want to come in. Maybe I'll just give up and invest some money in paying a professional to clean for me... Embarassed

I rather have a messy house then someone coming in here cleaning it. I wouldn't like it very much if they touched or even looking at certain things. But, if people do come to my house I usually set up a time so I can at least make my place halfway presentable.

I wouldn't be happy if I had to live in a clean house.

Is the same for me. I made the decision to give up and let somebody else take over the cleaning several times, because I obviously cannot do it. However, I never managed to actually let someone into my apartment. Even my mother was not allowed to clean my room when I was little. I rather did it myself.

My theory is that the chaos in my apartment reflects the chaos in my head. If my room is neat for once, I cannot find anything anymore, but I know where everything is located in my messy chaos.
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Skilpadde
Honorary Chelonian
Phoenix

Joined: Dec 08, 2008
Posts: 1649
Location: In my mind

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 3:59 am Post subject:

Dirtdigger wrote:

I wouldn't be happy if I had to live in a clean house.

It's the same for me. Whenever the house has been actually neat, and there are no piles around me, I don't even feel well. I feel visible and exposed. I feel so much more relaxed and at ease with mess.
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abstract
Snowy Owl

Joined: May 29, 2012
Posts: 160

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 4:00 pm Post subject:

ooo wrote:

Aspies want to be neat. It's easier on the eyes to have a well-organized, very tidy environment.

But, once it gets to a certain level of mess, a lower executive processing makes it more difficult to start cleaning again.

That is exactly how I feel.

League_Girl
Proud mamma
Phoenix

Joined: Feb 05, 2010
Posts: 13489
Location: My house

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:29 pm Post subject:

I'm in between now. I used to be a neat freak but now I tend t leave things put like blanket on the floor, shoes out in the entry way, folded clothes still on the chair and coffee table. Towel hanging over the chair. Some dirty dishes in the sink. Two back packs laying out on the floor in front of the chair. But yet I don't like other peoples messes except my own. I will clean it up if I see it out. I told my husband he can make messes in our bedroom and it stays in there. _________________ Titanic is a good diaper movie, lots of flooding

one-A-N
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Mar 03, 2010
Posts: 702
Location: Sydney

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 12:43 am Post subject:

again_with_this wrote:

one-A-N wrote:

Messy. That and my executive function problems are two of the ways I resemble someone with ADHD-Inattentive. I just cannot decide what to do with things, so they pile up. I never really finish most things - so papers of lots of half-finished, long-forgotten projects litter my desk.

How do you separate AS from ADHD-Inattentive, or can you have both?

According to the rule book (DSM-IV) you are not supposed to diagnose someone with ADHD if they fit the criteria for an ASD or various other conditions at the same time. Many people with ASD do, in fact, meet the criteria for ADHD, and sometimes people get both diagnoses even though DSM-IV seems to rule it out. The new DSM5 will allow concurrent diagnoses of ASD and ADHD, as far as I remember.

ADHD is a common misdiagnosis for females with ASD. But Aspies have social and communication problems that ADHD don't have, and the repetitive behaviours, restricted interests, rigid routines are not required in ADHD either. Executive dysfunction is at the core of ADHD, but it is only part of ASD, and is not explicitly mentioned in the diagnostic criteria.

heatherbk
Velociraptor

Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 433
Location: New York

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 2:44 am Post subject:

Depends on the situation. I'm more lenient with my stuff But if I'm at work or at a friend's house I try not to make a mess

ToughDiamond
Phoenix
Phoenix

Joined: Sep 16, 2008
Age: 60
Posts: 4751

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:39 am Post subject:

I'm both messy and neat. I'd be neat all the time if it weren't for the difficult decisions I'd have to make about all the stuff I've accumulated......throw it away or keep it? What disposal route, or where should I store it? Those decisions would take me years to make. It's not just real stuff.......I'm exactly the same with computer files.