The Horrors of Hoarding

A 68-year-old woman is living inside a dark and dank house filled with practically almost everything. Her home is full of thousands of papers, old cans, old furniture, old clothing, etc. Having all these items inside her house have led her to suffer from several health problems. One reason for this is the airborne bacteria that accompany her so-called things of “important value.” But, in reality, all that she has inside her home is garbage. This is because she is afflicted with a condition called “hoarding.” Hoarding is a mental health problem that is a combination of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and addiction.

Every Object Has Meaning for a Hoarder

For a hoarder, everything has value. This is why she cannot find it in her heart to throw single trash. In turn, she sees herself collecting one garbage to another. Thus, her home is not only filled with clutter. It also stinks. A hoarder is no ordinary garbage collector. She collects things to the extent of supplying her home that she will eventually find it hard to move around. This puts her health at risk since all the garbage that she collects is also tantamount to welcoming all sorts of dirt and bacteria in her home. Psychologists refer to hoarding as a condition that can have significant physical danger. This situation was said to affect five percent of the population. It can affect men and women of any age. This condition is also known to exacerbate when a person experiences traumatic events. Hoarders do not see extreme cleaning as a positive event. If you make attempts at removing all the trash that a hoarder has collected, it would be like forcing an alcoholic to stop drinking alcohol. Things will become even more intense if the removal of such garbage is done without the involvement of the hoarder himself.

Hoarders Find it Hard to Assess the Appropriate Value of Things

Psychologists say hoarders are the kinds of people who cannot assess the real value of their material belongings appropriately. A hoarder’s home will usually be filled with decaying objects. Dirt build-up can be observed even at the entrance door, porch and driveway. The windows are drawn, and the bed is also filled with collected materials. A hoarder will also find it hard to cook his food since his stove top is also covered with collected items. It is for this reason that hoarders are not comfortable about asking a plumber or any repairman to come inside his house in case of repair issues. As a consequence, the hoarder’s house will also more likely be malfunctioning. If hoarding is left untreated for years, his home may have broken sinks, dilapidated ceilings, etc.

The Life of a Hoarder

A hoarder may not be able to have showered in her own bathroom for years. And, for her nothing’s is wrong with it. Se also prefers to sleep on the floor, beside her cat because her bed is overloaded with items. Since she couldn’t cook because her kitchen is also crowded with trash, she will just keep on eating canned foods and any other foods that do not require any cooking anymore. This eating habit is also one reason for his dwindling health. Hoarders are much like drug addicts who knew how to let their condition remain a secret from everyone else.

Hoarders don’t just occur overnight. It could slowly creep into one’s system and then eventually worsen as the habit becomes addicting. Some people’s hoarding habits were further exacerbated after experiencing a traumatic event such as sudden death of their loved ones.

Luckily, hoarding is a treatable condition. Yes, it is indeed possible to be able to let go of those trash collections that one has accumulated for years. You just have to ask help from an expert and believe that there is a way out of the horrors of hoarding.