StuffBusters Blog

Do you worry that you might be a compulsive hoarder? And do you wonder what you can do about your hoarding?

Its scary to see hoarding images on TV and realize that you could be the person labeled a compulsive hoarder in that TV show. And it’s overwhelming to look at your own piles of stuff, want to keep everything just the way it is, but know deep down that you can’t continue living your life this way.

If the description above rings true for you, what can you do to make a change? Whatever you call it - clutter overload, compulsive hoarding, or chronic disorganization – organizing your hoarded home and improving your hoarding lifestyle are big steps and when you’re really ready, you’ll need to ask for help.  When you reach out and surround yourself with a caring and compassionate support system, you’re headed toward the change you desire.

There may have been a significant event in your life that started you down the road to hoarding, or it could have been that you recognized early on that organizing was a challenge for you. It may have started with one messy room, and before you knew it, your home was completely full of stuff and out of control. A kind friend or even a hoarding TV show may have helped you realize the truth of how you’re living.  Now you want to quit hoarding.

Hi, I’m Patty Wolf. I’ve been studying compulsive hoarding for years. I’m a professional organizer and I help people get their lives back in order.

One of my clients recently said she couldn’t believe that we could go into a cluttered room and have it completely organized in a couple of hours, or get one floor of her small house organized in two days. Yet it was true. Because she knew it was time for a new start, she made the decisions needed to make huge strides each day. She went from a home where she couldn’t even see the floors, to one that is organized and comfortable.

If you can imagine a different future – from a hoarded home to a more livable, more organized home - then you can change your environment and your habits, and live a changed life! But just imagining a different future is only one step toward organization.

The next step is to enlist help. A certified professional organizer trained in chronic disorganization and hoarding (CPO-CD^®) can help you see what needs to be done and help you develop a reasonable organizing plan. Working beside you, a trained organizer can ease your anxiety and help you take action as you dig out from the clutter.

You may be surprised that just asking for hoarding help, even if its just from family and friends, begins an amazing process of change!

The short answer is yes, you can. But it takes time, patience, and understanding.

The objects that a hoarder collects, which may have little or no value to you and me, are important and valuable to a hoarder. They’ve collected these objects over years, and becoming ready to get rid of them won’t happen overnight. That broken toy could be fixed and used by a child someday. That old receipt may be needed. So might that empty box. And someone else might want that magazine, old newspaper or worn shoe (the other one is around somewhere, isn’t it?).
There are several stages a hoarder goes through before becoming ready to let their possessions go. They first must recognize that they are hoarding, and realize that something isn’t right. They start looking into their problem and talking to people. They begin to feel dissatisfied and want something different. Next, they reach out for help. When the hoarder is finally ready to take action, you can help.

Counselors and therapists with experience in hoarding treatment can help the hoarder work through issues surrounding their motivations and concerns. Trained Professional Organizers with experience in hoarding help can work with the hoarder to clear areas of the home and make the environment safe and functional again. Trained Professional Organizers can also collaborate with the counselor or therapist to make the process as smooth as possible.

Above all, understand that the hoarding person cannot just turn off this problem.