What is compulsive hoarding?
Here at Cullens, we provide house clearance services for a variety of clients. This can be due to a number of reasons, but one that really sticks in our minds has to be those clients that have a compulsive hoarding disorder.
What is compulsive hoarding?
Compulsive hoarding is a disorder where a person not only acquires too many possessions but then in turn, has issues getting rid of these items, even if they are no longer useful.
These behaviours can lead, over time, to a cluttered and disorganised home that can have a huge impact on more than just to a property.
What issues can compulsive hoarding lead to?
Aside from the clutter and mess, compulsive hoarding, especially over time, can threaten the health and safety of the person in the house. It can mean that the exits are blocked throughout the property and make moving through the home extremely difficult.
Hoarding will also minimise the space within the home and in its most extreme form can result in rooms no longer being able to be used.
What kinds of things are most commonly hoarded?
When it comes to hoarding there is no set items that people will keep hold of and many items will seem to have no real value to anyone else.
Some of the most commonly hoarded items includes:
- Newspapers
- Clothes
- Junk Mail
- Books
- Containers
Why do people hoard?
This can be a difficult question to answer, as just like many other disorders, the reasons behind hoarding can be different for each person. However, in the most cases, people choose to hoard because they do not want to waste things that they see as still having a use.
These people may have difficulty seeing which items are still useable or have a value and if they do discard of it will feel guilty afterwards.
Another reason to hoard is the fear of losing important information. This is most commonly seen in hoarders who collect newspapers, magazines and brochures. They do so with a view to reading through each and everyone when they have time.
A third reason that people hoard is because their items have an emotional attachment for them. This can be a sentimental feeling of a person, a place or perhaps an important time in their life. For these hoarders, discarding the items can feel like throwing away a part of them or a part of the person that it reminds them of.
This is just some of the information regarding compulsive hoarding. With treatment and therapy, these people can start to understand their disorder and take steps towards learning how to cope with their hoarding tendencies.
If you know someone who has a compulsive hoarding issue and need to have their house cleared out of clutter, then please get in touch with us here at Cullens Clearances. We have experience in dealing with these situations and will approach the clearance with respect, patience and care.
