June-FINAL

The Signs and Dangers
So, here’s what you need to do instead:
The Dangers Of Hoarding
Educate Yourself On Hoarders
Hoarders are not only a danger to themselves but to their
surroundings. They cause anger, resentment and depression
among family members.
Just like you are doing now, getting a deeper understanding
of hoarding will give you the ability to tolerate the behavior
and learn how to wittily approach the issue in your home.
When going through online forums, I came across a
woman who stated that she had a hard time throwing
things away, be it old newspapers, flyers, magazines and old
clothes among others. So serious was her problem that it led
to discord within her family, husband and children, who felt
embarrassed and upset.
What exactly was wrong with her?
Just like many other people, she was a hoarder and this
behavior was almost breaking her family.
What Is A Hoarder?
A hoarder is someone who finds persistent difficulty discarding
or doing away with possessions, regardless of their value. Usually,
these people will hoard newspapers, magazines, paper bags and
photographs. To them, they might find use for these items in
the future.
What Is The Difference Between
A Hoarder And A Collector?
Hoarders usually find shame in items that they have stored while
collectors actually have pride in their collections. Generally, this
is because hoarders actually store clutter that makes them appear
disorganized while collectors organize their collections in an
admirable way, knowing the exact value of their items.
Symptoms Of A Hoarder
• Inability to throw away possessions
• If they try to throw away their possessions, they
suffer from severe anxiety.
• They have obsessive thoughts
• Suffer from distress due to the embarrassment that
hoarding brings
• They also suffer from functional impairments
such as marital discord, family issues and loss of
living space.
What Causes Hoarding
People suffering from disorders such as obsessivecompulsive
disorder (OCD), obsessive-compulsive
personality disorder (OCPD), depression and
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have
been shown to also exhibit hoarding behaviors. Their
obsessive thoughts and fear of lacking that particular
item in the future causes them to hoard.
In worse scenarios, children from such a home are most
likely to suffer from social alienation due to the unwelcoming
nature of their home. They even become victims of bullying
among their peers, eventually affecting their self-esteem.
There have also been cases of separated parents losing
custody of their children due to hoarding, caused by the
unlivable conditions they offer.
What To Do If You Live
With A Hoarder
Clearly, hoarders have deep psychological issues, which
means that we should be careful in how we engage them.
Understanding their psychology will help you tolerate and
help them out in a better way.
Generic advice such as, “just throw it away, it’s no big deal,
you have a disorganized mind, and you are a slob,” will only
be met with anger.
Use An Outsider To
Talk To Them
Dr. Robin Zasio, a contributor at GAIAM life advises that
while it is not right to involve a friend in a conflict between
you and your loved one, third party objectivity can help a
hoarder make better choices. The fact that third parties are
not sentimentally attached to the possessions could help
talk sense into a hoarder.
Understand That It Can
Be Frustrating
The fact that hoarders have attention and obsession
disorders means that it could sometimes be frustrating for
you to talk them out of their cluttering behavior. To avoid
this, remember that you need to be a loving supporter
and cheerleader.
Final Words
Living with a hoarder is exasperating and requires a
significant level of patience and tolerance. Bottom line is,
you need to understand that this is a psychological problem
and you need to be gentle in solving it. For hoarders, it is
utterly important that you understand your problem and
seek professional help, if need be.
Article by: Vivian Achieng
18
HOARDING: THE SIGNS & DANGERS
HOARDING: THE SIGNS & DANGERS
19