Do You Know a Hoarder???
The Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as “…the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarders often create such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Some people also collect animals, keeping dozens or hundreds of pets in unsanitary conditions.
Hoarding, also called compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome, can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But many people who hoard don't have other OCD-related symptoms, and researchers are working to better understand hoarding as a distinct mental health problem.”
For people who have issues related to hoarding, cleaning out all of the clutter is often not possible. So what’s to be done?
People who hoard are much more attached to their items that those of us who just have too much stuff lying around. The items very often represent a high wall that protects the hoarder from whatever trauma may have influenced the behavior in the first place. Cleaning up the items means breaking down the wall, leaving the person vulnerable and frightened.
Most success with helping folks who hoard to begin to clear a path for growth in their lives has been found in using a harm reduction model. Harm reduction, or harm minimization, refers to a range of pragmatic and compassionate policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with hoarding and other activities that interfere with a person’s wellness.
There is a very good article written by Catherine MacDonald called 65 Ways to Start the Conversation About Hoarding.
The article uses a harm reduction model to gently move people with hoarding behaviors in the right direction.There are some things that everyone should be aware of if they know a person who hoards:
1) Don’t touch the person’s possessions without permission.People are very attached to their “stuff” and not asking permission could shut the conversation and the offer of help down completely.
2) Don’t try to “fix” a person. Hoarding is usually a life-long struggle. Harm reduction works to improve the person’s quality of life. It doesn’t, necessarily, mean that everything will be clutter free, clean and dandy… and that’s OK. Who defines “clean and dandy” anyway?
3) Highlight strengths. All people have strengths, positive aspects of themselves, their behavior, or even their homes. A friend’s ability to notice these strengths can help pave the way for reducing the hoarding problem (e.g., I see that you can easily access your backdoor. Or, I can see how much you care about your dog.)
4) If you are trying to help, you may not be successful on your own. You can offer assistance to seek professionals who have experience working with people who hoard, and then help the hoarder get to appointments regularly and on time.
Remember, hoarding is symptomatic of some greater illness, hurt or need. Getting angry about it does not help. Ignoring it does not help. Threatening the hoarder does not help.
The solutions lie in patience, understanding, respect and the ability to try different techniques in working with the person who hoards. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a hoarder’s life won’t be “cleaned up” in a day either. Be empathetic and celebrate the small (sometimes tiny) successes. Small successes add up!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 12:11PM
Reader Comments (2)
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