4 Causes of Hoarding… and How to Stop This Habit
Hoarding is horrible! There have been cases of elderly women living alone with unnecessary stuff and hundreds of animals due to hoarding. This habit also makes people hoard over 115 dogs at home. So, what are the main causes of hoarding, and how to stop this habit?
But the most important question is this: Who cleans up after hoarders? This habit affects 14 million Americans and turns their otherwise tidy homes into unsafe, cluttered spaces. But we at BioClean clean up after hoarding situations, especially when a hoarder dies or needs to be moved to a nursing facility. So, call us if you want us to clean up after a hoarder.
Let’s look into the major reasons behind hoarding to help you understand this problem.
Emotional Attachment and Loss
When we dig into the causes of hoarding, we should not forget that it’s a disorder, i.e., a mental health condition. Hoarders hold onto things because the idea of losing things scares them. In some cases, a spouse’s belongings or an old pal’s letters can feel like anchors to happy memories. Getting rid of an ex-girlfriend’s garments will trigger anxiety and stress; it may feel like losing that person all over again. This problem leads to clutter!
But hoarding clean up is necessary because this clutter (caused by hoarding) may lead to a lot of health risks, especially when this hoarding causes the emergence of biohazards.
Anxiety and Fear of Needing Things Later
The fear of needing things later can also drive people mad and turn them into hoarders. What if I need this someday? This question messes with a person’s mind and makes them keep things like empty boxes, old clothes, broken appliances, etc., i.e., stuff we normally call trash. The best way to get rid of this problem is to break the cycle with self-motivation.
Start decluttering and getting rid of things you didn’t use in a full year. If something does not work or is large enough to be kept at home, you can either throw it away or donate it. You can also rent a self-storage facility to keep things you can’t seem to simply give away.
Call your local hoarding services to make sure your house is free of contaminants…
Perfectionism and Decision Overload
Perfectionists like to hoard stuff because nothing’s bad enough to discard. They want to fix things and end up with too many projects. Too many choices will make them not take action and let the pile grow without checks & balances. We at BioClean can’t cure perfectionism (we are not doctors), but we can take care of decomp cleanup on your behalf!
Mental Health Problems (OCD/Depression)
One of the major causes of hoarding is a mental health problem. This problem can be OCD or ADHD. Trauma or depression can also turn ordinary people into hoarders. The chemistry of your brain can make the act of letting go painful; it may even hurt you physically.
That’s why you should look into professional help for hoarders in your family. Psychiatrists can diagnose and prescribe meds to help hoarders overcome their obsession with useless items. SSRIs will help with OCD-related hoarding, while CBT specialists will train new habits for recovery. That’s how hoarders grow comfortable with the idea of letting things go…
Curb the Causes of Hoarding with Proper Medical Care
Hoarding is a habit that stems from actual pain. But recovery can happen one step at a time. A hoarder’s family & friends play a major role in recovery by offering help without judgment. You should avoid “clean sweep” surprises, however; these methods backfire as they tend to make the hoarder uncomfortable. Contact mental health professionals to get a plan.
These plans often look like this: you tackle one room every week. If the hoarder is an elderly person who has died or been taken to a nursing facility, you can clean up their apartment by calling local hoarding cleanup services. We at BioClean are always ready to help you!
