Survey for anyone who has been affected by hoarding

A letter from Dr. David F. Tolin (you may have seen him on Oprah) I recently learned that there may be as many as 3 million hoarders in the U.S. and decided to share this letter with you. Please feel free to pass it along to anyone who might benefit. -

Donna Smallin September 15, 2009
Hello, Donna. I am writing to you because you have contacted me in the past regarding compulsive hoarding. Hopefully you found the information we sent you to be helpful, and that you received a copy of the Hoarding Newsletter from the New England Hoarding Consortium. My colleagues and I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in an exciting new research study on compulsive hoarding. We hope this internet-based study will help improve our understanding and treatment of compulsive hoarding. Who can participate?We would like to invite everyone whose life has been affected by hoarding. If you are a person who suffers from compulsive hoarding, or if you have a family member or friend with a hoarding problem, we would like you to participate. If you are a mental health worker or service worker who regularly comes into contact with people who hoard, we'd also like to invite you to participate. How long will it take?The questionnaire will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. Of course, individual times may vary due to differences in speed of reading and writing. Because this is on the internet, you can take a break at any time and come back to it. Just be sure not to close the webpage. Will my answers be anonymous?Yes. We won't ask you for your name or any other personally identifying information. Our program won't install cookies or other software on your computer. We won't give out any information about your participation to other parties. Therefore, you can rest assured that your responses will be completely private. How will my participation help? Right now, scientists and therapists know relatively little about compulsive hoarding. Your participation will go a long way toward helping us understand the scope and impact of this problem. That, in turn, will help us design better research studies and treatments for hoarding. What will I get in return for my participation?At the end of the survey, we will invite you to enter a raffle to receive one of 10 autographed copies of the new book Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding (Oxford University Press, 2007). You can also feel good about the fact that you are helping us learn more about hoarding, which in turn will help us develop more effective research and treatment. How do I participate?Participating is simple. Just go to <http://www.surveymonkey.com/hoarding> www.surveymonkey.com/hoardingAnd answer the questions on the page. Can I invite my family or friends to participate too?Absolutely. Please feel free to forward this letter to anyone who you think might be interested in helping us learn more abouthoarding. In addition, if anyone is reading this letter and has not received a copy of our email Hoarding Newsletter, please send an email to adcresearch@ < <mailto:adcresearch%40harthosp.org>mailto:adcresearch%40harthosp.org> harthosp.org so that we can add you to our mailing list.

Thank you in advance for your help and we look forward to learning more about your experiences. Sincerely, David F. Tolin, Ph.D.Director, Anxiety Disorders CenterThe Institute of Living

Are You Planning A Move?

As soon as you find out you are moving, start gearing up for moving day because the earlier you start, the more time you have to make decisions about what to move and what to leave behind.

Moving (or even just pretending that you're moving) is a great way to unclutter your home. Here are a few tips to get you started:

* Purge first, then pack. Grab a box of trash bags. Go through your home one room at a time with the goal of collecting those things that have been collecting dust for years. Throw away anything that's unfixable, ugly or shabby. Bring the rest to your nearest thrift store or favorite charity.

* Take only your favorites. As you go through your things, ask yourself: Do I use this? Do I love it? If the answer is no, let it go. Packing is a lot easier when you've got less stuff to pack.

* Think ahead. As you pack, consider whether or not you will need a particular item where you are going. Will you be able to ride that mountain bike? Will all your furniture fit in your new home? Keep in mind that the fewer things you move, the less it costs to move them and the quicker it is to pack and unpack.

* Label boxes. Always label each box with the room you want the box to go to in your new home. Also add a note about the contents. Example: Kitchen - Pots and pans or Master Bedroom - His dresser.

Someone I recently spoke with said that she's been living in her new home for three months and there are still boxes and things that need to be put away. She asked, "After a big move to another house how do you just sit down and unpack everything and find a spot for it?"

This was my response: You probably unpacked all the things you really needed. Could it be possible that you really don't need what you have yet to unpack? I advised her to spend 15 minutes each day unpacking one box at a time and making decisions about what to keep and what to toss.

Always ask yourself: What's the worst possible thing that could happen if I got rid of this? Then give yourself permission to let it go and enjoy the freedom that comes as a result!

Happy Moving Day!

New Fan Page for Organize It With Sheree

Hi Everyone, I have created a fan page for my business, Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bremerton-WA/Organize-It-With-Sheree/189001171353?v=info&ref=ts#/pages/Bremerton-WA/Organize-It-With-Sheree/189001171353?v=wall&ref=ts

FREE Joy It UP! Coaching Call!

Ladies if your a mom, You should be on this call Jen Lovelady is a professional Speaker and she does accountability coaching for moms and moms in business.

In one hour you will learn how to: Create Momentum in your life, Manage those chaotic times of day, get the most important tasks done, create JOY in you and your family.


This is a free call and I hope you can make it Monday Oct 26Th 6-7pm PST Dial in 712-432-0075 Access Code: 768391. Please fell free to share this info with all of your friends. Sheree'

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Fundraiser. Thursday Oct. 8th 5:00-9:00pm. Kitsap County Fairgrounds "President's Hall" FREE Admission. and 96 Vendors will be haning out FREE items to the first 100 people. I will have a booth at this event please join us for a good cause and a fun time. I hope to see you there.

Peneinsula Home & Remodel Expo

I will be in the WINGS Booth #064 at the Peneinsula Home & Remodel Expo. I hope you will stop by to say Hi. The show runs Oct 2-4 at the Fairgrounds. Have Fun!