Hoarding

Individuals who hoard have difficulty resisting purchases and taking free things. Often their homes are filled with endless bags of purchases that were never used, or given as gifts, with the price tags still in place. The type of items in the hoard depends on the person doing the hoarding and their access to income. If someone has access to a credit card or checking/savings account, they may hoard new things from retail stores or television shopping channels. With a reduced income, they may purchase things from flea markets, garage sales or thrift stores. If they are laid off or unemployed they may hoard things that are free from curbs, dumpsters or sites like Freecycle. Many spend far beyond their income level.

 

Often they will purchase things with the intention to give it as a gift but never get to it or can’t remember where to find it at the appropriate time. Some also purchase with the idea that the item will go up in value and intend on selling it later. They will likely have multiples of things because they purchase another when they can’t find something. When they have an issue they often look for a way to solve it by purchasing something that promises to solve their problem. Once their purchases are brought into the home, usually a sense of guilt sets in and is associated with the purchase. Sometimes to relieve the guilt another purchase is made.

Often those who hoard are extremely creative and can come up with many ways an item can be used. For example, I may look at an old pair of panty hose with runs as something that should be thrown out. Someone who hoards can find many other possibilities, such as stuffing for a stuffed animal, a dog pull toy, ties for gardening, etc. It is more difficult to get rid of something when you see the item in light of all of the possibilities it represents.

 

Often individuals avoid discarding items because they are sentimentally attached to the item or because the item represents a time in their life they want to remember. They may fear if they get rid of the item, it will feel like they will be getting rid of that memory or the person who gave it to them.

 

Individuals who hoard also see things as important because of their uniqueness. When sorting they may make many categories for things instead of grouping things together, because they see each of the things as unique. For example if they are sorting spatulas, instead of placing all spatulas together they may decide that spatulas need to have different categories, plastic spatulas, metal spatulas, wood handled spatulas, antique spatulas, high heat spatulas, orange spatulas, blue spatulas, miniature spatulas, spatulas my mother gave me, spatulas I bought in Ireland, etc. These categories makes looking at a group of spatulas and selecting the important ones difficult because they all become important due to their uniqueness which makes them special and worthy of keeping.

 

Another important factor to consider is where an item will go when it is removed from the home. It is often critical for the individual to find a recipient for each treasured item that values the item as much as they do. Sometimes this can be a charity, sometimes it needs to be a person that they know and will be sure to use the item.

Often there are narrow paths to move through, or no paths at all. Sometimes clutter overtakes the sitting spaces in the living and dining areas or precludes the individual from sleeping in his/her bed. There can be little or no working space in the kitchen to prepare and cook meals and some do not have working appliances. Often the clutter spreads to the car, garage, lawn, storage units and the workplace. Some may not have a usable shower, toilet or sink. Often service workers are not called into the home to repair broken appliances or fix common household problems.

Many clients have difficulty at work because of space management and clutter brought into their workplace. Individuals who hoard have isolated lives because they fear someone coming into their home and learning of its condition. They may face constant threats of eviction or removal of loved family members or pets. Their relationships with their family members are often strained as a result of the hoarding.