Hoarding is a complex disorder that causes people to compulsively collect things. It’s a deep psychological issue.
Once you’ve seen compulsive hoarding up close, it’s natural to wonder whether or not it is a mental illness. Your psychological health does contribute to hoarding behaviors in more ways than one. Hoarding itself can also have a severe impact on your emotional wellbeing.
Compulsive hoarding is a mental illness that causes people to acquire and keep a large amount of objects. It causes distress for everyone involved.
We take your psychological health into account during every hoarding cleaning service we offer.
If you’re trying to help a hoarder recover, you should consider their mental state too.
What Is Compulsive Hoarding?
Compulsive hoarding is a complex behavior that can be difficult to treat. It’s a disorder related to several mental illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders.
But it’s also more than simply the result of a mental illness— compulsive hoarding has its own psychological characteristics that are distinct from other mental health issues.
It’s possible for compulsive hoarding to exist without any other symptoms, or for it to appear alongside other mental health issues like depression or bipolar disorder.
Additionally, while the causes of compulsive hoarding aren’t entirely understood yet, research indicates there may be some genetic factors involved in developing the condition.
Compulsive hoarding can be treated with professional help—but there are so many factors that contribute to this behavior and its severity varies from person to person.
Your loved one needs their treatment to be tailored specifically for their unique situation in order for it work effectively on both short-term goals (like cleaning up your home initially) as well as long-term goals (like making sure your home stays clutter-free).
Compulsive hoarding is an excessive inability to discard or recycle unused, unneeded, and unwanted items.
The way you view the world is a reflection of your mental health and personality. This can be most easily seen in how you live your life.
While it’s often considered as an extension of poor housekeeping or laziness, compulsive hoarding is actually a complex mental disorder that affects many people around the world.
It’s not something that can be solved overnight. Compulsive hoarding requires time and effort on both sides—the person suffering from it and their loved ones who want to help them get better at managing their home life.
If you are worried about your own behavior around possessions or someone close to you is struggling with this issue, try not to stress yourself out too much.
There are resources available to help everyone involved understand what compulsive hoarding means for them as well as ways they can work together toward improving symptoms over time.
The Role of Trauma in Compulsive Hoarding
Compulsive hoarding is a complicated problem for loved ones to cope with and understand, but it can be even more difficult for those who suffer from it.
Compulsive hoarding involves an overwhelming need for order, perfectionism, and an inability to discard items that are deemed useless or no longer needed.
It may not feel like these things go together for you. But the things that hoarders compulsively collect give them a sense of control over their lives.
Apraximately 12 million Americans are affected by this disorder, making it one of the most common mental health problems today.
While there is no cure for compulsive hoarding yet, you can help your loved one learn the healthy habits they need to live a normal life.
Trauma plays a big role in the development of compulsive hoarding disorder.
People who hoard may have experienced early childhood traumas such as neglect, abuse, or loss due to death or illness in the family during childhood years.
This type of trauma can cause hoarders to become reclusive and distrustful of others.
They cling to their personal belongings as a coping mechanism.
Help for Compulsive Hoarding
There is no cure for compulsive hoarding. But that doesn’t mean your loved one cannot get the help they need to overcome their struggles.
A combination of the following treatments can help you manage compulsive hoarding:
- Talk to a mental health professional. They can help you diagnose the problem and work on your loved one’s hoarding behavior with a longterm plan that addresses their trauma.
- Get help cleaning the house. Working with a hoarding cleaning service provides you the resources and expertise you need to clean up the home safely and effectively.
- Provide ongoing support. Don’t just force your loved one to clean up and throw things away one time. Be there for them so they can continue to work through their challenges.
Hoarders911 is the best hoarding cleaning service in NYC. Our experts work with your loved one every step of the way to help jumpstart them on the path to recovery.
We develop personalized plans no matter what your situation, and we never judge.
Call today for a free assessment: 718 627 5781
SERVICES WE OFFER
JUNK REMOVAL
CLUTTER CLEARING
HEAVY DUTY CLEANING
PEST EXTERMINATION
