A View on Compulsive Hoarding in London
Compulsive hoarding in London has got more attention recently as people become more aware of this secretive and debilitating condition, and its now coming to light that London has hundreds of secret compulsive hoarders.
It is quite common for people to worry that they may be affected by compulsive hoarding now that there is more awareness of the condition. After all, many of us are guilty of holding onto our personal items longer than necessary and not reusing or recycling them as much as we should.
As a London house clearance company we are able to see there is a big difference between casual hoarding and compulsive hoarding and the vast majority of us are not compulsive hoarders.
A Nation of Hoarders
Many people hoard objects on a casual basis. If you have something that you never use, you may want to hold onto it in case one day you need it. Or perhaps you have something to which you have attached a sentimental value such as an old school report or an invitation to a wedding. These are valueless in themselves but important to you, and for that reason you may find it hard to throw them away.
But this is normal behaviour and very different to the behaviour of those suffering from compulsive hoarding should remember that with compulsive hoarding, everything gets a value attached to it, no matter how small or useless it may be. An old scrap of paper, an empty can of beans, bills, old newspapers – things that many of us would see as nothing more than junk are collected and stored away.
It is the inability to throw things away that makes the difference between casual and compulsive hoarding. Sufferers of compulsive hoarding cannot throw anything away no matter how irrelevant it is. They attach value to all their items and keep hold of them no matter what they are.
Compulsive Hoarding is a Mental Condition
Although some of us may have more tendency to hold onto our belongings for longer, most people are not affected by a mental condition as in the case of compulsive hoarders.
Although not completely understood, compulsive hoarding is thought to be linked to OCD, and it is completely different from the casual hoarding of items. Once you have seen the inside of a property of someone affected by compulsive hoarding you will see quite clearly that the conditions are a lot more extreme than anything you might be used to.
People who are severely affected by compulsive hoarding often live in conditions which are simply uninhabitable to many. There are so many objects that they can only move around through thin passageways, and the filth can be overwhelming.
Compulsive Hoarding is Different from Casual Hoarding
Although you may have a habit of hoarding old belongings in your home, this does not necessarily mean that you are affected by compulsive hoarding. We are now seeing lots of cases of hoarding, and this serious condition affects the lives of the sufferers, their families and even their neighbours. But most of the people who like to keep hold of objects in their homes are not affected by compulsive hoarding at all.
Do you have a property affected by hoarding ? Need a house clearance ? Call Jeffrey Avery for confidential advice on 0800 567 7769
