It is rather important to comprehend first, “who are hoarder is” and “what a hoarder situation may look like’’, before venturing into “when it is appropriate to call a clean-up crew for a hoarder situation”. A good number of people are unfamiliar with the term “Hoarding” as a psychological disorder. So what is hoarding?
Hoarding is a psychological disorder that makes people accumulate/keep numerous items around them with no intention of disposing of them. Just like the name implies, a hoarder is someone who likes to hoard items around his home, office, or anywhere he or she stays. This mental disorder can be both saddening and frustrating for family members or individuals who live with them, as they always leave a cluster of things around, making it difficult to move around freely and exposing inhabitants to a host of hazards and diseases.
Let us provide a clearer picture of what the home of a hoarder would look like, for a better understanding of the situation. Imagine going to visit a friend that you haven’t seen for ages only to enter his/her house and you are faced with piles of boxes, papers everywhere, old bags and clothes, old shoes that are clearly past their best days, an old box of a black and white television set, spoilt radios, old magazines from the 80’s, a cluster of old bottles of drinks covered in dust and cobwebs. With this image in mind, you would automatically feel uncomfortable and would probably leave sooner than intended.
Often, people may find it difficult to differentiate a collector from a hoarder. However, there is a clear distinction between both, a collector may have a specific focus while a hoarder doesn’t. Hoarding is also attributed to (OCD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and anxiety, people who have a problem with disposing of used items or items that hold no more value, are mostly known to have encountered a traumatizing situation.
For an individual to receive help, he must first accept that he/she is sick. Likewise, a hoarder constantly hoards things. He/she must first accept that what he or she is doing has a negative effect on him and the people around him, and he/she needs help to get out of the situation, clear up his things and organise their life. Hoarders should not be forced into disposing of items they do not have a need for, to avoid a relapse, rather it is essential that they get professional help and people around them are sympathetic to their situation.
With a good knowledge of this psychological disorder and having to sort professional help for the individual, with his/her consent. It is time to clear out the house and re-organize the house together. Often times the number of boxes, cluster of books, papers, equipment’s, piles of rubbish e.t.c would determine if is necessary to hire a clean-up crew for the hoarder situation or not.
In a situation where the pile of boxes and cluster of items are not massive, you can talk to the individual, ask them questions about how they feel about certain things, then you can clean up with them, while assuring them of your confidentiality.
In an alternative situation where there has been a massive accumulation of items, it is rather important that you call in a professional. Piles of rubbish may have resulted in a hazardous situation to the house, such as a toxic smell. An infestation of rodents and insects, which should rather be left to professionals with the right equipment for handling such a situation.
Contact our office for all HoarderClean up work in Phoenix AZ.
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