Where Hoarders Can Go For Help

There has recently been a spotlight directed on a dirty little secret hidden behind closed doors. With the popularity of the A&E television show "Hoarders" and The Oprah Winfrey Show's episodes on hoarding, the general public is seeing a phenomenon that professional organizers have long been familiar with: Compulsive Hoarding.

According to the Institute of Living, a mental health facility based in Connecticut that has a program specifically for hoarders, "compulsive hoarding is a common and potentially disabling problem, characterized by the accumulation of excessive clutter to the point that parts of one's home can no longer be used for their intended purpose."

If you have seen some of the hoarding episodes I referenced above, that's putting it mildly. In many cases, the homes of hoarders have become so congested that the hoarders are at risk of losing their children, their pets and even being evicted from what sometimes becomes condemned property.

Contrary to what some people assume, hoarders are not "lazy" or "just messy." The hoarding disorder affects up to 2 million people in the United States and is often accompanied by mental health issues such as ADD, ADHD, chronic disorganization, and obsessive-compulsive disorder to name a few.

While my company, Creative Order, only takes on mild hoarding cases (find the NSGCD clutter hoarding scale here), I have seen almost all ends of the hoarding spectrum. In the more extreme hoarding cases, it is more appropriate for me to refer these clients to professional organizers who have had very specific training on hoarding and chronic disorganization from the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD).

Here are some sources of help for hoarders and their loved ones:

HELP WITH HOARDING

• National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization- www.nsgcd.org. Find a clutter hoarding scale, a list of organizers who are hoarding experts and have been certified by NSGCD, and answers to lots of frequently asked questions about hoarding
  
• National Association of Professional Organizers. www.napo.net. Find a professional organizer in your ZIP code range. Hoarders should be sure to check the Hoarding box under the Special Populations category when doing your search.
  
• Hartford Hospital's Institute of Living Anxiety Disorders Center. www.harthosp.org/InstituteOfLiving/. Find information about the mental disorders that are often associated with compulsive hoarding along with a quick online self-assessment.
  

SUPPORT GROUPS

• Online Self-Help Support Groups for OCD Hoarders. www.ocfoundation.org
• Children of Hoarders. www.childrenofhoarders.com
• Squalor Survivors. www.squalorsurvivors.com
  

BOOKS

• Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding by David F. Tolin, PhD, Randy O. Frost, PhD.
• ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau, PhD
  
• Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg
  

For lots more resources for hoarders, I invite you to go to professional organizer Geralin Thomas' site at http://metropolitanorganizing.com. Geralin has been featured on A&E's Hoarding show and has compiled an excellent hoarding resource list on her site.

If you or one of your loved ones is a hoarder, please consider seeking professional organizing and mental health assistance before the situation becomes a health and safety issue.

Peter Walsh's Tips for an Organized Life

Along with 800 other professional organizers from around the world, I recently geeked out at the 20th annual National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition in Reno. While there, I had the opportunity to meet professional organizer and author, Peter Walsh. You may recognize him from his popular television show "Clean Sweep" or from his recent amazing Oprah shows where he worked with hoarding clients.

Besides being a genuinely nice and HILARIOUS person, he may be one of the most passionate advocates of organizing that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. During his keynote speech, he shared his thoughts about clutter and our overabundance of stuff. Here are a few Peter gems that I wanted to share with you guys:

• "We need to redefine our relationship with our stuff." Be willing to let go of what is not serving you. Opening up your space opens up room for more blessings.

• "Reevaluate your materials." People buy stuff but they are really just investing in the promise the stuff claims to bring. Homes are filled with stuff and littered with promises. More can be achieved with less.

• "When you heal a home, you heal something deeper." Having too much stuff is often why clients call professional organizers for help. But it's not really about the stuff. It's about all of the emotions that accompany the stuff.

• "Bring mindfulness to decisions in life." Be mindful in the moment. Ask yourself, "Does the decision (to buy or keep something) fit the vision that I have for my life?" If your vision is a space that is calm, functional and organized, will having or keeping this thing help the vision or hinder it?

• "Organization is the path to incredible freedom." I believe with all my heart that this is true.

You can find more about Peter Walsh at his web site. And be sure to check out his new hilariously titled book, "Does this Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?"

Hoarding Causes Car Accident

Last week, a car crash in the Cape Cod area was discovered to have been caused by falling mounds of trash...from inside the vehicle. The Ford Focus was completely filled with trash from floor to ceiling. The 53-year-old driver said that trash fell onto the gas and brake pedal, causing her to lose control while backing out of a parking space. Fortunately, no one was hurt as she crossed three lanes of traffic before crashing into another vehicle and stopping at a nearby gas station.

Like most cases of hoarding, it doesn't end there. Concerned about the state of her vehicle, the police later went to the woman's home and found similar conditions. According to a news story, they found three cars full of household items and debris. Additionally, her front door was bowed out due to the amount of stuff in her home. In the end, the police helped the woman move out of her home because they didn't think the house was safe. Steps are now being taken by the town's Health Department to have the home condemned.

Cases like these are due to a psychological condition known as hoarding. If left unchecked, it can obviously create a real safety risk to the person with the condition. If you or anyone you know may have this condition, please seek help among your local mental health providers. Additionally, you can go to the National Association of Professional Organizer's website, www.napo.net, and search for Professional Organizers in your area who are specially trained to work with folks who suffer from chronic disorganization challenges.