Clients often ask us how does compulsive hoarding begin. Did my aged relative fall into it after their partner died, they ask, or is it something that happens with aging? We found an interesting post at Very Well Family we decided to share. Because hoarding, believe or not can begin with childhood.
Perhaps this is where adult compulsive hoarding plants a seed, which sprouts after a traumatic event? Nobody really knows for sure, because even the best psychologists don’t fully understand compulsive hoarding.
Clues from Childhood Hoarding Behaviour
There certainly are a number of comparisons we can make between childhood, and adult / senior hoarding. Therefore, it seems likely they have similar dynamics and consequences. However, there are two questions we always need to ask:
- Is this something I can at least partly resolve with my relative?
- Or does the behaviour derive from a psychological condition?
Does the Hoarding Risk the Person’s Safety?
Did the childhood compulsive hoarding begin with a messy room? Certainly, an adult hoarder’s house can be difficult to navigate. However, we do need to factor in that some of us are almost obsessively tidy, while others prefer organised chaos.
We therefore need to be careful, and not assume our hoarder has a psychological condition. Perhaps they need a cleaning lady to maintain standards. Perhaps it is time to tell the child to tidy their room, and move their schoolbooks away from the heater.
Did the Compulsive Hoarding Begin with Food?
It’s equally important to note what the person is accumulating. Perhaps there are things they could genuinely use in future. Possibly they are gifts people gave them they simply do not want. But they may also conceal something more serious. If a hoarder is stashing, not eating food, they might have anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Is There an Element of Kleptomania in This?
We should also wonder where the hoard comes from. Kleptomania is a mental health condition where a person feels an uncontrollable urge to steal things. In a child this can be an innocent desire to accumulate stuff in their magic, secret world.
However, this is a totally different thing with an adult who should know better. It can be worth going through their collection because the syndromes do have overlaps in the sense of desiring to accumulate things. And moreover, both conditions can spill over into affecting their ability to enjoy their daily living.
A Hoarded House We Cleared © Avery Associates
Does the Hoarding Interfere with Daily Activities
Picking up on the previous thought, compulsive hoarding becomes something requiring intervention when it interferes with social activities. Hoarders defend their collections with zeal. They may refuse admission to others for fear someone will try to take them away.
This can reach a state where they seldom leave their homes, where clutter surrounds them to an increasing extent. The situation can degenerate to a point where safety and hygiene become a risk. Sadly though, it may already have become too late to intervene.
When Compulsive Hoarding Becomes Serious
Friends and relatives, and parents of small children for that matter seldom intervene until compulsive hoarding begins to interfere in daily living. However, at this stage they may discover the hoarder does not see their lifestyle as a problem.
They are more likely to believe they are ‘doing the right thing’ by preserving items that may come in handy later. Their friends may conclude far too late, that ‘you can take a hoard out the house, but you cannot take the habitual habit out the hoarder.
Is There a Cure for Compulsive Hoarding?
The short answer is that’s as improbable as changing a person’s personality. However, if you could intervene before compulsive hoarding begins to take over completely, there are possibilities you could consider after analysing the situation carefully. One thing’s for sure though you will most likely require professional support.
- Speak to your doctor or a social worker at the Council office
- Follow their advice by gently advising your hoarder they need help
- You won’t gain their voluntary cooperation until you convince them
- Discuss the options including medication and cognitive therapy
- If you are successful, suggest starting with a house clearance
How Avery Associates May Be Able to Help
Avery Associates offers a house clearance service throughout the South of England. Our local representatives are thoughtful people who like to help. They never enter a cluttered house when the hoarder is present. To do so would be simply too stressful for all concerned.
If you would like to consider the opportunity, then please call our project coordinator at 0208 640 00 44, or 0800 567 7769. If you prefer, you may also write to info@averyassociates.co.uk and we’ll be there.
This Customer Review Says It All
Our aunt was a recluse and hoarder. She died leaving two properties in London that were dilapidated and completely hoarded. Being out of the country and in USA put a huge amount of stress on us to deal not only with her funeral arrangements, but how to find important documents amidst the piles of trash and clear her properties. That’s where Jeff of Avery Associates came to the rescue. We highly recommend them to anyone dealing with a loved-ones passing and the challenges it causes. K Anderson
