6A
FEATURES
Her husband’s a hoarder
Dear Annie: My husband piles. He spends countless hours
loves to read your advice, but in the basement, but nothing ever
when it comes to my giving him looks any different.
He has a very controlling per-
advice, it’s a different story. We
were married in our early 20s and sonality and temper, so if you get
have stayed married for over 35 rid of anything (for example, a
years. We don’t have very good huge garbage bag full of napkins
or empty boxes), he
communication skills.
DEAR
starts slamming doors,
We have a very cute
yelling and throwing
house on a popular street.
ANNIE
things.
A lot of people comment
This is causing me
on how nicely it’s deco-
to be depressed, angry
rated from the outside. Lit-
and desperate. He
tle do they know that my
would never get help
husband is a hoarder.
for this, so what do I
I have controlled the
do? — Bogged Down
main rooms in our house,
Lane
Dear
Bogged
but he has slowly taken Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Down: Living with
over our basement and
clutter can be very
garage. The stress of all this
stuff is starting to make me feel unhealthy, both mentally and
ill. When I bring it up, he just puts physically. But understanding
me down any way he can think of the psychology of hoarders might
to stop the conversation about his help you find some patience with
hoarding. I definitely have accu- your husband and sanity for your-
mulated “stuff,” but I don’t have a self. Hoarding is a symptom of
obsessive-compulsive disorder,
problem getting rid of things.
He is a motivated person with a condition your husband could
other things but has self-medi- no more control than any phys-
cated every day of our marriage. ical disorder. Accept that it’s not
He has a normal job but is always only beyond your control but also
so stressed out. He has zero moti- beyond his and you’ll feel lighter.
Next, reach out to a mental
vation to get rid of all the junk
because now it’s out of control, health professional. If your hus-
and he continues to add to the band refuses to go at first, then
go on your own, as this disorder
is impacting your life, too. For
more resources, visit the Interna-
tional OCD Foundation’s page
on hoarding disorder at https://
hoarding.iocdf.org.
You mentioned that your hus-
band “self-medicates” every day.
Assuming that means drinking,
I strongly advise you to attend
Al-Anon. Find a group in your
area at http://www.al-anon.org.
Dear Annie: There is a group
of senior citizens who meet most
days for coffee and a couple
of hours of conversation at the
local McDonald’s. Most do not
buy anything except for coffee.
There are times when they bring
in cookies, cake and other baked
goods to share. Because McDon-
ald’s sells food, some of us don’t
feel this is appropriate. Most of
them see nothing wrong with
this. What are your thoughts? —
Another Senior Citizen
Dear Another Senior: I think
that it’s rude to bring in outside
food to a dining establishment.
But perhaps these folks have an
agreement worked out with the
restaurant. As long as they’re not
being raucous and you’re not the
McDonald’s general manager,
why worry so much about it?
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). A search is on
to fill a slot in your life. You’re not interested in
finding the perfect person for the job, especially
since you’ve a better probability of finding Big
Foot. What you want is a good fit.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The interaction
has ups and downs, but overall you enjoy
what’s going on between you and a certain
unpredictable someone. You’ve quite a few
inside jokes, and you’ll get some more out of
today’s zaniness.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). As the right-hand
man to your own spirit, you’ll need to call out
some orders. Break your chains; revolt against
your own bullying thoughts; flee the captor that
is a limited idea of what you’re capable of.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Physical hygiene
isn’t the only kind that makes an impression
in the physical realm. Mental and emotional
hygiene are just as (if not more) important.
People will sense those first, anyway.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re curious about
how you can become more powerful in your
own life by having more means at your dispos-
al. This is, of course, not the only or even the
main route to influence. In regards to power,
love really does conquer all.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ve a potent
charm, and there will be those afraid to get
mixed up with it. They are right to be wary, of
course. That which has the potential to affect
people greatly should be wielded with the
utmost care.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re spiritually
ambitious. Reinvention is the heartbeat of your
day. There’s great effort that goes into constant
renewal, but it’s like anything. The more you do
it, the better you get at it and the more auto-
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
matic it becomes.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). A huge part of
parenting in the modern world is taking your
children where they need to be when they
need to be there, and self-parenting is no
difference. Show self-love by getting yourself
there on time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You
inoculate yourself against the virus of egoism
by being in service to those around you. To
keep your ego in constant check is to remain
connected to the energy of the world.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There’s some-
thing so expedient and attractive about your
usual decisiveness, though today will call for a
different approach. Before you take a position,
live in the question a while longer.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Attaining your
heart’s desire will require a different method of
payment than money. You’ll have the chance to
pull together the best gifts you have to offer the
others for what you want in return.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If you try to use
them as your main navigation, logic and ego
will steer you wrong; let intuition guide you
instead toward what your soul needs (which
will be different from what your family wants
from you).
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (June 27). Con-
sciousness is among the greatest mysteries of
the material world. You’ll wrestle philosophies
and science, coming up with your own way of
viewing your existence — a way that leaves
open windows of possibility. Love will lead
to business, and business will lead to love.
August, November and May are financial highs.
Capricorn and Pisces adore you. Your lucky
numbers are: 4, 29, 2, 18 and 5.