Mari & Bizi & Waves--It's all about baby steps! I cannot agree more. Mine have been made, and I just kept walking once I got started. I've broken into a sprint a few times, but never get to really running, and don't really want to. Walking at a goodly pace is fine for me, even though I do stop to smell the roses sometimes and even stop to curl up and sleep under them from time to time. I do get back up when ready and continue walking. Sorry I got longwinded. I do that sometimes. Read back through it and got exhausted myself! Maybe later I'll break it up into different posts or something.

CSword--Yes, it could be. The pang of getting rid of stuff is distressing, and distress can lead to a downswing. I've seen it in my dad, I've seen it in me. HOWEVER...living in a hoarded mess like the path your husband is heading in is not a good place for either of you to be in. Head him off while it's manageable, be it meds, counseling, or whatever. And if he's slipping into a downslide, work to head that off, too. He may need to go back onto his meds. People like me who deal with the one side may do fine after a while to go without, but we eventually slipslide for whatever reason and need to return to meds to keep from sliding too far. For both your sakes, get him to get back on track. Hoarding of that caliber is a hard nut to crack, but it's about changing a mindset that's important. Baby-step to walking.

And a friend of mine succeeded in decluttering her house by following something called FlyLady. It's an online help source that provides a framework and support for decluttering. I've looked through it, and took a few pointers, but only what felt like would work for me, and I use it where I want to apply it, 'cause I've never been one to blindly do what someone else tells me--I'm too independent for that. I just take the advice and apply it how it fits me best. Hmm...it does have some good tips, though.

--RW