I just found this post today. HOLY ****. I fist have to give credit where it is due. To all the members of GJ that are trying to help. Typing up nearly 700 posts is no joke. Some post are massive in themselves. Bill, please take into consideration how many people, not only give a ****, but are truly trying to help you. This forum has reached another level of awesomeness in my eyes.
Bill,
You and your wife cannot let us down. Take your wife, and get her to read this entire thread. There is a lot here that she needs to see for herself.
Stay serious about this. You are a grown man that let a small addiction turn into a massive Emotional, physical, and financial problem.
Think of it like this. How old are you guys now? Ok, how many years have you been collecting stuff, and not even use it? **** how about being able to even find it?
You need to do something drastic. Taking out a garbage bin out twice a week is not going to cut it. You really need to close your eyes, grab a box, and put it in the dumpster. That's it. Don't open that box, you probably forgot what was in there anyway. If you don't know what you put there, then you might as well not have it at all.
Putting stuff up on CL is a good idea, and a way to get some money, but not at this stage. You are too addicted to buying stuff, or just moving it from one place to the other. CL is also an outlet for you to buy stuff. You need to stay away from that, and concentrate on one task. Get your space back before you trip over some random **** in your way.
You are also losing motivation, as all your work does not seem to net you much progress. I know the feeling. It makes you want to give up. Stop your random efforts. You are doing nothing but moving the dust around. Set a task list. Do not move on to something else unless that task is done.
Here is my suggestion for you. You fill in the blanks, you seem like you have a solid head, and sort of see your situation.
1. You need a "staging area". Somewhere where you can bring stuff to before you dump it. Yes I know I suggested you just start throwing **** out, but I know you will want to go through a lot of it. Hopefully to take pictures and post it on CL. Your garage seems like a good place for "staging/selling". So your fist task it get your garage cleaned out. Keep only the necessary tools. Most of the **** is useless, and in your situation it would be easier to buy the tool/part instead of trying to find it.
2. Get some help. Those on GJ that are offering to come out and help you, let them. Stop being a baby. Face the facts. No one wants to hurt you. Everyone here wants you to succeed. People here want to accomplish the task of putting you on the right track. You are resisting. Notice that people aren't asking you for your belongings, money or anything else. They just want to help, and see progress pics.
I personally want you to make a task list, add something to it every day, but do not move on to some new task until your finish the one you already started. If you try to do everything, you end up doing nothing.
Other than that. I am really proud of the progress you made. You seem to have lost some steam. I hope that is only what it seems like. It will be a sad day if you do not succeed after all this effort. Please keep us posted on your progress. Again, we only want you to get a grip on the situation you are in.