Asking for Help with Hoarding and Cluttering

Hoarding is a complex disorder that requires much more than a good house cleaning. It is highly recommended that one asks for help. Emotional support, as well as physical and professional help will go a long way in ensuring success and progress in dealing with the symptoms and the physical and mental work required to move forward with recovery.

What doesn't work
One thing that holds true is that unless the individual hoarder is facing eviction or city action, a forced cleanout will not “fix” the issue of hoarding. Besides, if you do clean a hoarder’s house without addressing the issue, they will just fill it up again. To truly stop someone from hoarding, they will need therapy/counselling, often times they may need medication, a cleanup of their residence, and good follow up care.

What kinds of help are available and should be considered?
Note that all of these types of help need to be with someone who is non-judgemental, trusted and with whom one is comfortable, for best results!
 * Moral Support - Someone who is trusted - to be with you when you declutter and encourage you and maybe help you make decisions
 * Physical Help - Someone who is trusted - to help move heavy items and to do some tasks that you are comfortable with them doing
 * Professional Organizers - Someone who is trusted - who work with clients to enhance their lives by developing custom organizing systems and teaching organizational skills; Preferably one who is familar with Hoarding Disorder and its psychology, if applicable
 * Cleanup Services - Provides help to resolve Hoarded home issues, including:
 * Remove clutter and clean up debris
 * Coordinate recycling and shredding
 * Help distribute donations
 * Can include cleaning and other services
 * Support Groups - These can be in person or online
 * Counselors/Therapists/Psychologists/Psychiatrists - Someone who is trusted - to work with one on Hoarding Disorder and/or co-existing Disorders including (but not limited to) Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD, Panic Disorder, Social Phobia, Bi-Polar, Alcohol and Drug Dependence

For help locating professional helps, information is available here: http://jolleys.altervista.org/HCSG/Resources.html

Are medications helpful for Hoarding Disorder?
Source: https://iocdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Hoarding-Fact-Sheet.pdf
 * Medicine alone does not appear to reduce hoarding behavior.
 * Medicine may help reduce the symptoms.
 * Medicine can be used to treat conditions that may make hoarding worse, like depression and anxiety.

Links

 * Hoarding Fact Sheet
 * Resources Help List

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