English: Compulsive hoarding Apartment Deutsch: Wohnküche eines Messies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hoarding is now recognized as one of the problems that has severely affected the society. Compulsive hoarding is when a person accumulates excessive quantities of clutter. To make things clearer on how it has turned out to be a problem is that these clutters that are being accumulated by the sufferer usually use the entire area of the house to the extent that it is no longer conducive for living or staying.
The areas of the house are usually occupied with the entire muddle and the people living in the place could no longer move freely because of it. But the disturbing situation is when the condition has already turned out to be a safety of health hazard.
Many house fires have been attributed to keeping clutter that triggered the fire and many illnesses and health conditions have also been linked to accumulation of clutter in the home that becomes a venue of bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens.
Hoarding lean towards to become worse over time but the problem is that the hoarder himself does not have a clue that he is suffering from such a condition. The hoarder usually sees their habit as something normal thereby rationalizing every hoarding activity they do. This lack of consciousness makes the situation even worse.
One way we can help a hoarder deal with his condition is by allowing him to realize and be made aware of his certain habit. Awareness has to be brought to the person. When a hoarder becomes aware that the habit is no longer healthy for himself and the people around him, he will acknowledge the need for a change and help. There are many ways a hoarder may be made aware of his doings; if a loved one or a family member has to do this, a gentle yet firm talk will do, or if the hoarder pays rent for a certain place, the owner of the house or the apartment may call the attention of the hoarder and reprimand him, this will result to the hoarder taking steps to avoid getting kicked out of his place. These interventions are usually enough to get the attention of the hoarder and have them implement lifestyle changes. However, if the condition is severe, enforcement by housing authorities may be done in order to avoid causing probable dangers to other people.
There is actually no outright cure for compulsive hoarding but therapeutic interference targets to reverse the hoarding progression until such time that it develops controllable; and the person is already able to retrieve his home and the space surrounding it that he had once lost due to his hoarding habit.
Compulsive hoarding may be controllable and easier to deal with if you get the cooperation of the person; and one sure way to get his cooperation is making me understand his condition without judging him. A hoarder needs all the support he can get from his family and loved one as this condition could be difficult and stressful for him.
Related articles
