Hoarding Versus Collecting

Do you consider your stuff to be more important than you are? I hope not! That is how many Hoarders feel. I am often asked about Hoarders and hoarding. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Hoarding is a Psychological Disorder. APA describes Hoarding as people who excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of are parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their space to live and work in.
 
The APA lists these symptoms:
 
Specific symptoms for a hoarding diagnosis include:
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• Lasting problems with throwing out or giving away possessions, regardless of their actual value.
• The problems are due to a perceived need to save the items and to distress linked to parting with them.
• Items fill, block and clutter active living spaces so they cannot be used, or use is hampered by the large amount of items (if living spaces are clear it is due to help from others).

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization is another good resource to educate yourself about Hoarding. Check out or download their Clutter-Hoarding Scale. Simple Solution Organizing works with chronically disorganized clients. We do not work with Hoarders. There are Professional Organizers that specialize in this discipline.
 
There is a big difference between being disorganized, chronic disorganization, being a Collector and being a Hoarder. Many people casually say, “I’m a Hoarder” and they definitely are not. See below a couple of photos that I pulled off the internet. 1 is a photo of a Hoarding situation and 1 is a photo of a Collector.
 
I am a Podcast Junkie and recently listened to a Savvy PSYCHOLOGIST episode: How to Help Someone with Hoarding Disorder. Podcast #269. It has a lot of helpful information that can help Hoarders and families of Hoarders. Elaine Birchall with Birchall Consulting, is the Expert on the episode listed above.
 
There are a lot of great resources to help people who are struggling with Hoarding. Finding a Psychologist who specializes in Hoarding is highly recommended.

Adele Gross
Simple Solution Organizing LLC
Adele@simplesolutionorganizing.com
706-714-1314