The New York Times ran an article on hoarding. One of the main points in this article was that hoarding has recently been defined as a specific mental disorder. The article states:

Hoarding was once considered a type of obsessive compulsive disorder, but studies have shown that only 20 percent of people who hoard also have O.C.D. Some 50 percent of hoarders, however, suffer from major depression. In the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, hoarding is now defined as a distinct disorder.

In a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, brain scans of patients who hoarded were compared to those of O.C.D. patients and healthy control subjects. When asked to throw out junk mail and newspapers, the hoarders registered abnormal activity in decision-making areas of the brain, while brain activity in the other groups appeared normal.

At Can the Clutter, our experienced team of Professional Organizers has worked with many people at varying levels of hoarding and has seen how difficult this way of life is for the individual. Outsiders often feel that people who hoard items must be lazy and that is why they live the way they do.  The truth, however, is they are commonly struggling with much deeper issues that affect their behavior. Slowly but surely, the behavior of hoarding is becoming better understood, defined as a disorder and recommended for mental health treatment.

What is Hoarding?

Hoarding is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by the excessive acquisition of and inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that would seemingly qualify as useless or without value.   The act of hoarding is not a new behavior and presents many challenges for those who try and work with individuals who lead this way of life.

If you have a friend or loved one that demonstrates behavior of hoarding, take caution with what words and actions you chose to use with them.  Hoarding is a very emotionally charged  lifestyle, and you can quickly ostracize yourself from the individual.

Tips for Successfully Communicating

1. Never refer to their belongings as trash. Though many of their belongings may appear that way to you, at some level they see value in them. Be careful not to offend them about their belongings. Many times they will stop listening because they believe you are too extreme the other way.

2. Never throw anything away behind their backs. They may never know, but if they do find out they will have lost trust in you, and subsequently you may find yourself locked out of their life for good.

One important aspect to remember when trying to understand the motivation for hoarding, is that the individuals are not choosing their belongings over your relationship, even though it may feel like it at times. In actuality, people who hoard just view things very differently than others, and it can be quite frustrating to understand.

All in all, the best thing you can do when trying to communicate with someone, who possesses behaviors of hoarding, is to bring in a professional to help. You could start with a Professional Organizer to help assess the situation, determine how severe the behavior is, and to see where change is possible.  At Can the Clutter, if a situation is outside the scope of practice for the organizer,  we may recommend consulting with a therapist.  Our goal is to help people achieve self-sufficiency in an organized lifestyle.  For people engaged in hoarding behaviors, professional mental health services are often needed.

Now that hoarding has been officially defined as a disorder, I’m hopeful that more people will feel less shame in themselves or loved ones with hoarding behaviors.  With the right support system, anyone can live a life free of the chaos and stress of clutter.  When we let go of the guilt, shame and fear attached to clutter, we can make space for the more important things that bring joy and happiness to our lives.