Help for Hoarding Disorder

Are you or a loved one surrounded with an excessive amount of belongings in your home or place of work?

An overabundance of stuff may be encroaching on your ability to function easily in a way that space was originally intended to be used (e.g., preparing meals in a kitchen, eating at a dining room table, relaxing with family or guests in a living room, taking a bath or shower in a bathroom, sleeping comfortably and dust-free in a bedroom)?

Could one or more areas of your home or office be unsafe due to various hazards that may involve: slipping, tripping, falling, bumping into things, piles toppling on top of someone, exposed electrical wires, faulty plumbing, etc.? 

What about cleanliness? How much and how often are you able to dust, vacuum, mop or wipe the surfaces and floors?  Do others who enter your cluttered spaces let you know by their expressions that it is difficult to breath in these spaces due to dust, mold or animal waste not adequately dealt with?

Perhaps you feel ashamed or embarrassed to have visitors over.  Maybe you also struggle with depression and/or anxiety.  

All or a combination of of these factors are signs of a hoarding situation at some level.

But not to worry. SOS has helped people at all levels of the hoarding scale. A smart first step for anyone living in a hoarding environment would be to get educated about what this disorder is and how to best treat it:  The FIVE levels of hoarding.

After getting educated, here are other ways you can help a loved one who exhibits hoarding tendencies: