Drowning in junk: Hoarding called a public health issue
Filed under: Chronic Disorganization, Clear the clutter, Healthy Habits, Home Organization
CNN photo of a home in Texas that became so bad that Adult Protective Services had to intervene.
Hoarding is becoming an increasing public and personal health issue. On August 5, 2010, CNN reported on a recent tragic story of an 82-year-old woman who died in her home, but rescue workers were not able to get in the home due to trash and clutter piled up to the ceiling. They had to drill a hole in the roof to get into the home to retrieve the body. CNN reporter Madison Parks says:
“They and others like them are hoarders, people who amass excessive numbers of possessions and don’t discard them. In extreme cases, hoarders’ obsession with junk has led to fires, attracted vermin, endangered their families, neighbors and themselves to the extent that experts describe it as a growing public health problem.
Hoarding has become so frequent that a growing number of cities have formed task forces to bring housing, elderly services and health departments together to address the cases.”
As a Professional Organizer since 2005, I can attest to this. In the past two years I have seen more extreme cases of hoarding, which has led me to join the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization to receive additional training and resources.
Fortunately, TV shows like Hoarders on A & E are bringing this health issue to the forefront.
The article also mentions that psychiatrists are considering including Hoarding in the Mental Disorders Manual.
I will let the CNN article tell the story.
Here are a couple of books on the topic that I and others in my field, highly recommend. These, and other books on hoarding are available at Amazon.com
I read this book early in my career to learn more about how to help one of my hoarding clients
Authored by 2 renowned experts in hoarding - David Tolin & Randy Frost
I welcome anyone who reads this to share their story with me. Talking about it, even anonomously, can be the first step to getting help.
Originally posted 2010-08-23 10:21:03. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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Wow! I am admittedly disorganized to a certain degree. I have a small pile of clothes I’ve worn once that can be worn again (t shirts etc) and soaking crusted food off a baking dish just makes sense to me. But I have started watching the Hoarding TV shows and am fascinated, no mesmerized by the sheer volume of miscellaneous ‘necessities’. I’m always amazed when they show the after shot of a beautiful wood floor that’s been hidden for who knows how long.
I am glad that people like you can help people come out the other side of this. I am the mom that takes a rake and trash bags into my 15 year olds room!