How To Help A Horder

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Treatment for compulsive Hoarding at 
The Mental Institute On Compulsive Hoarding and Cluttering.
San Francisco Bay Area Internet Guide for Extreme Hoarding Behavior

If you or someone close to you may be suffering from some form of hoarding, the first thing you should know is that you are not alone. Hoarding is a mental disorder that affects roughly 5% of the population. The process of getting help and making it through can be tough for everyone affected, not just the hoarders themselves. See how to help a hoarder from doing your part to extreme hoarding cleanup options. This will not be easy, but together, we can make the road a little smoother. ​

Help For Hoarders

For some people, the first reaction to help their loved one's hoarding problem is to run and start clearing things out. This should never be done, no matter how well-intentioned the act may be. Those suffering from hoarding grow attached to their items and the sudden and unexpected removal of these items, especially in large quantities, can cause serious stress and aggravation from the hoarder. As hoarding is a mental issue, simply worrying about clutter cleanup is not enough. Those close to someone suffering from hoarding have to look at themselves first and see what they are doing to help enable the hoarding acts. Family members and close friends may be doing things to help the situation or keep the peace while inadvertently making the hoarding issues worse. 

There are several things that those close to the hoarder may be doing: 

- Paying for a storage unit or extra space 
- Collecting or saving items for the hoarder 
- Holding onto items for the loved one 

After this, opening the lines of communication more effectively can be a great start down the road to recovery. Make sure all talks are done in an open manner and with a tone of acceptance, not pity or frustration. Always pay respect to the items that a hoarder collects, as a slight against them can feel like a slight against their owners. 

Professional Hoarding Help

Once the pathways of communication have been opened and the hoarder is more comfortable talking about the issue, it may be time to start looking at some sort of professional help. Not all cases of hoarding will require professional help, but in many cases, it can be a safe and effective way to help ensure the underlying issues that cause the hoarding behavior don't return. 

Seeking help can be a daunting task as many hoarders don't feel they have a problem. The open lines of communication are key to finding a way to help persuade your loved one or close friend to seek a little extra help. There are a number of organizations and professionals that can help you find someone in your area to speak with.  In some cases, it may even be possible to find online or virtual support. This may be a good choice for those that are reluctant to leave home or those that are just too scared to speak with someone face to face. In either case, the bottom line is that solutions are found for the underlying issues that have been causing the hoarding behaviors. 

Hoarding Cleanup

There will come a point when you will have to start worrying about clutter cleanup and other hoarding cleanup issues. As mentioned earlier, you do not want to just rush in and start tossing items out. These are more than just mere things or a bunch of stuff. For many hoarders, these items have some sort of meaning and the senseless tossing of these items can cause harm or make the hoarder lash out at those around them. Once things progress to the point where cleaning up is a priority, you will most likely want to call in a specialist or professional company to handle the job. As a hoarder acquires more and more items and tries to find space for them, it can lead to unsafe conditions, structural damage in buildings, and a number of other possible health hazards. A cleanup company that specializes in hoarding help and extreme hoarding cleanup will know how best to handle the situation at hand. It can require extra care, patience, or just increased attention to certain details to ensure the safety and sanity of all. ​

Approach With Compassion

Above all else, you should always approach the situation with compassion and understanding. This is not as simple as cleaning up or getting things organized. Hoarding is a mental issue that is generally caused by other underlying issues that need to be addressed. This can be an ongoing stress or maybe a major life change that has negatively affected them.  The only to truly help someone suffering from hoarding disorder is to try and understand what causes them to be this way. Speak calmly and try to understand what they are feeling. Let them know how their hoarding affects you and makes you feel, but never judge them or talk about the sheer aesthetics of the situation.  There are a few common misconceptions about hoarding and the people that suffer from it. Nipping these rumors in the bud is essential to helping hoarders: 

- It is thought that hoarders tend to be older, but the truth is that it can affect people of any age. 

- Hoarding is not a problem for only the poor or lower income of society. Hoarding doesn't care about your education, financial, or social status. 

- Some people think it is more common for women to hoard then men, but both men and women can fall victim to hoarding just the same. 

If you think you or someone you care about may be suffering from a hoarding disorder, don't tackle the problem all alone. Seek the help and advice of professionals that can help guide you along the right path. When it comes time for cleanup service, feel free to reach out to us via the handy contact form. One of our specially trained team members will gladly help you figure out the best course of action to handle the hoard.