If you call someone a slob, you mean that they are very lazy and untidy.
A slob is someone who's messy or lazy. Tuck your shirt in and wash the dishes, you slob! You may think of your sister as a slob if she never cleans up after herself, leaving crumbs all over the house and clothes all over her room. It's a derogatory term, though, so think twice before you call her a slob out loud.
Psychology says that messiness can indeed be a sign that a person is having trouble. Just like someone who is suffering from OCD and has to control everything, being a messy person might show that they are dealing with depression or some other mental illness.
While extreme messiness can be the result of depression or behavioral issues, extreme organization can be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Teens with OCD experience intense anxiety if anything in their room or their surroundings is out of place.
It might mean you are busy and have little time to clean and organize. It might be a sign that you have too much stuff. Or it might be the result of having young kids in the house who are usually not motivated to clean up after themselves.
Most often, a house that is so messy that it is unsafe or unlivable is a sign of an underlying mental health issue. While you might judge others for “laziness” when their homes are messy, they often do not want to live this way. They likely have no support to treat their mental illness or any family members to help.
Clutter in the living room might suggest blockages in your social life, as well as your relationship with yourself, while a cluttered bedroom might relate to issues surrounding your sexual self, fears of intimacy or gender roles.
People with depression can often find themselves living in messy spaces. This is because feelings of hopelessness, low energy, and lack of motivation can make it hard to keep on top of everyday tasks, such as tidying.
Being messy is not necessarily a symptom of depression. However, it can result from symptoms of depression such as hopelessness, lack of motivation, or social isolation.
Character Traits of Messy People
Messiness is a widespread personality characteristic, as shown in real life and academic research.
These folks suffer from low self-esteem, passivity and inertia. They are overwhelmed by life and feel helpless about having any control over things. Basically, they have given up on themselves and their messiness is just one sign of the problem.
According to home organizers and experts in habit formation, anyone can learn to be neat, even if they've spent a lifetime doing the opposite.
Dr Brendan Zietsch of the University of Queensland studies the genetic underpinnings of human behaviour and says people can inherit a genetic tendency for messiness from one or both parents. “Both genes and environment play a role in influencing traits in general.
Acknowledge when the messy person makes an effort to be clean. Notice if the messy person tries to be tidier or cleaner. Let them know you appreciate when they make the effort to be more clean, even if it is against their nature. In the long run, this will help you build goodwill and respect with the person.
The messy house syndrome (Diogenes syndrome) is present when, owing to a disordering of the personality structure, a person is unable to keep order, for example, in the household or his finances. Such persons are also referred to as "messies".
Diogenes syndrome (DS) is a behavioural disorder characterized by domestic filth, or squalor, extreme self-neglect, hoarding, and lack of shame regarding one's living condition [1]. The approximate annual incidence of Diogenes is 0.05% in people over the age of 60 [2].
1. Hopeless outlook. Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression.
You may be more vulnerable to depression if you have certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly self-critical. This may be because of the genes you've inherited from your parents, your early life experiences, or both.
There is a specific reason why people with trauma have the habit of cluttering more than ordinary people. According to research, there is a link between PTSD and hoarding. When one is exposed to trauma, people build guards around themselves and everything around them.
Excessive clutter and disorganization are often symptoms of a bigger health problem. People who have suffered an emotional trauma or a brain injury often find housecleaning an insurmountable task.
Clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, and ability to focus. It can also make us less productive, triggering coping and avoidance strategies that make us more likely to snack on junk and watch TV shows (including ones about other people decluttering their lives).