A compulsive hoarder not only effects their own environment but they also effect their families and friends. Sadly, many get so they won't let anyone into their homes! Not as you may imagine out of embarrassment of the conditions they live in but rather they are afraid someone might take their things away from them.
Hoarding - A serious problem?
People who are compulsive hoarders are ones who obtain a large quantity of items that they fail to use or discard in a timely fashion. These items usually have little or no value and eventually take over the living quarters. People with this disorder go beyond just having a messy room or home. The collection of things becomes so bad that it begins to obstruct the common use of the room or rooms as they are intended to be used.
What do people hoard?
There are some different classifications of things that people hoard:
- Clutter which can involve a variety of useless items.
- Books (a hoarder of books is suffering from bibliomania)
- Animals (which can cause health issues for both animals and humans)
- Digital files (photos, music, and useless files)
- Food in refrigerators and pantries
- Any combination of the above.
Diagnosis of a compulsive hoarder
Diagnosis should be left to the professionals, but typically, the compulsive hoarder will display these traits:
- Amassing a large number of items which have little or no value. Hoarders may believe that these items are valuable when they are in fact not.
- Living areas are cluttered
- Signs of significant impairment from functioning 'normally' due to the hoarding.
- A reluctance to return items they've been lent.
Help with the clearance
Easy Clear's ability to separate those items of house clearance that are of importance and/or of value from those that aren't and their approach is key to helping with the process of clearing an amassed collection of items.
If the compulsive hoarder has reached a stage where they are actively accepting treatment, and want to start clearing, make a point of praising them for their efforts. Let the hoarder know that you see the progress they are making. Using a professional clearance provider makes the process of clearing the amassed collection fast, efficient and accurate and by involving Easy Clear the hoarder aided in their recovery by dealing with our professional, sympathetic and experienced operatives.
