Have you seen the various cable TV reality shows about hoarders? Hoarding is such a fascinating topic that it’s even making its way into mainstream dramas, talk shows and sitcoms!
As stated at the beginning of every A&E Hoarders episode, “Compulsive Hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous or unsanitary.”
Some of the shows focus on the traumatic cleanup process triggered by a legal or health crisis. Others focus more on the psychology behind hoarding and what it’s like to live as a hoarder. Generally speaking, it takes both an organizer and a mental health professional to create a change in a hoarder’s behavior.
As a Professional Organizer, these shows are practically required viewing for me. At the same time, however, I find them almost unbearably sad to watch. One unusually insightful hoarder, surveying her cluttered home with the help of a mental health care professional, articulates what I am feeling: “You are looking at my unresolved pain.”
The first thing you should know about me, since you are reading this post, is that I do not, and am not qualified to, work with hoarders. The more severe the case, the more specialized the training and help that is required. Television loves to portray extremes, and my clients are way too normal to be of interest. Even the ones who fear they are hoarders usually turn out not to be.
That said, here’s what else I’d like you to know about hoarding:
1. Are you wondering if you are, or someone else is, a hoarder? The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) offers a number of free fact sheets that will help you answer that question.
2. Please DO refer friends and family to me, or to another Professional Organizer, even if you suspect they are hoarders. We can help you figure it out. Keep in mind that most hoarders do not want help, and there’s not much we can do if that’s the case. I have colleagues who specialize in working with hoarders, and I gladly refer clients to them that are beyond my capabilities.
3. Here are some additional helpful resources:
TLC (The Learning Channel TV) Quiz — Hoarder or Messy? (NOTE: The title of this quiz is misleading. It makes it sound as if you could diagnose yourself by taking the quiz. It really should be “How Much Do You Know About Hoarding?”)
A&E (Arts and Entertainment TV Channel) Resource List
TLC (The Learning Channel TV) Resource List
NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) – search for help by zip code and specialty
ICD (Institute for Challenging Disorganization)
And for my New Mexico friends: Professional Organizers of New Mexico (PONM)
POSTSCRIPT: I first wrote this post in early 2010. In late 2011 I found myself volunteering to lead a team of organizers during a local shoot of an episode of A&E Hoarders. Although it was quite an experience, you should know that as volunteers we were not interacting directly with the client or the client’s family. I made a lot of boxes, did a lot of sorting, took a lot of photos, helped stage the kitchen after purging and cleaning, and did my best to stay warm. There was no heat inside or out, and as Expert Organizer Geralin Thomas found out, Albuquerque is in the high desert (cold), not the low desert (warmer)! Click here to view our behind-the-scenes volunteer photo album.
Copyright 2010, 2012 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
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Tags: hoarders
February 15, 2012 at 7:55 pm |
I have seen the show on occasion and do I consider myself a hoarder. I know when I am under stress I am more likely to collect stuff. It is a real pain in the butt to deal with, especially when you are a person who really likes things to be readily available, neat, and organized. I also agree that is is a mental diorder and can also be a co-symptom of other disorders. diane
February 16, 2012 at 7:51 am |
Thank you for your comment, Diane. Are you a perfectionist? I’ve learned that many hoarders are (as in this article: http://bit.ly/xyxngs). And do you have access to local help if you want it? Although NAPO is listed in at least one of the resource lists, I forgot to mention (and have just added) that one can search http://napo.net by zip code and specialty (i.e. hoarding) for an organizer near you.
February 21, 2012 at 10:26 am |
Most interesting Hazel. No, even though I like to collect, I am not a hoarder, but I do need to begin to eliminate some of my stuff. the older I get the more I do not want my children to have to “clean up” for me. I took the test regarding hoarding and got 7 correct. a passing score. Keep up the good work.
February 21, 2012 at 10:49 am |
Thanks, Peg! You’re certainly not alone. It’s almost inevitable that the older we get, the more stuff we accumulate. Even the most organized person needs to release things once in awhile so as to not get overrun by them. Your children will thank you!