For many people, hoarding is an ongoing issue that they cannot help. It may start off as a little collection that soon turns into multiple piles of unnecessary items that hinders their everyday lifestyle. Now that’s a clear cut difference between a simple collector and a hoarder. Many hoarders start off as collectors but when those collections begin to suffocate someone’s home, car, office space etc… it’s no longer a collector’s issue. When collecting is done with purpose or as a hobby, it normally never turns into hoarding. Most collectors keep their limited space in mind and never let their collections interfere with their everyday lifestyle. They tend to follow an “out with the old, in with the new” mindset which allows them to continuously collect something they love, while disposing of older items so that collecting doesn’t become an issue like hoarding.
The thing about hoarding, on the other hand, is that it’s less of a hobby or a purposeful collection and more of an issue. While many may know they struggle with hoarding, they often lack the motivation and support to correct this problem which just leaves room for their hoarding to continue. A very popular TV show by TLC called “Hoarders: Buried Alive” allowed many viewers like myself to be exposed to the extremities of hoarding. In some cases, on the show, people hoarded items that piled up from the floor to the ceiling. They couldn’t even walk through their own homes without stepping on large piles of rubbish. They hoarded items that they had no intention of using and items that they hadn’t used in decades. Some cases were so extreme that the hoarder even had rotting items hidden in these piles of clutter, creating a smell so unbearable. No one wants this in their home, not even the hoarder themself. The mess is apparent, the smell is noticeable, and they are suffocating in their own piles of junk.
So how does the hoarder even allow it to get this far? Well hoarders are still people. They’re just people who have difficulty in letting things go. Even if these items are harmful to them and they don’t plan on making any use of these items, they still tend to bring them home and captivate them with no intent of letting them go. People who hoard seem to be filling a void they have with items- lots of items. A lot of hoarders have dealt with a great loss in their life whether it be a pet, a relationship, a family member. They have dealt with a loss so significant that they’ve never gotten their closure or never over passed it so they start collecting to the point of hoarding because it brings them a sense of fulfillment or pleasure even if its for a short amount of time.
The first step to help someone you may know with a hoarding problem or even yourself is by seeking help. Contact https://cleanoutexpress.com/hoarding-cleaning-services/ for same day hoarding clean up!
