Parent suddenly cleaning- should i be worried?
Edit: I have adhd and OCD. So while I understand many people read this as "hey that sounds like a fun quirky ADHD thing" that was not the intention for this post.
I'm going to be replying based on my actual post in the hoarding thread asking about sudden shifts in ELDERLY parents with addictions while their bodies are actively declining due to substance abuse. The reason I posted it to this sub was because it pertains to HOARDING behaviour, not simply ADHD- as noted, there is no ADHD diagnosis.
So I do understand My parent is also an alcoholic, has always been nasty and mean as a way to keep people at a distance so people can't see his perceived flaws- one of which is hoarding/sucking at housekeeping
Now, do I think it's a classic case of hoarding for the sake of hoarding? Not entirely. I think it's a mixture of overwhelm, thinking hes too old (or too good) for a ADHD diagnosis, and anticipatory guilt that he may need something the minute he tosses it. So okay yea maybe a bit textbook 😉 when i was a kid, my mom actually came over to be his maid and earn some extra $ and keep an eye on his custody time with me when she noticed things got particularly worse for him. He loved a good party even if his kid had school in the morning.
Well, he's been in a decent mood lately so we (kid and husband and myself) went over to visit/bbq and sit outside in his yard, and i looked in the house and noticed HE HAD CLEANED. Spotless floors, most of his work tools were put away, and it wasn't even just a zone- most of the main part of the house. I commented that it looked great bc i know he does care, but as I do with my kid, i tried not to make it a big deal so he didn't feel embarrassed.
He is aging, in his late 70s... Alcoholism isn't going away anytime soon... Do i worry? Is this common? Do we think maybe he hit a hyperfixation on cleaning and it was a positive coincidence? Or is he about to sell the house and vanish into thin air?
I have no PoA, only kid, and hes intentionally kept me out of the loop financially due to paranoia (because he knows he's irresponsible and walking a thin line), so honestly I'm just waiting for an "in" or a red flag so i can reluctantly start parenting a forever 18 year old