Hoarding Therapy

Hoarding is a mental health disorder where people acquire an excessive number of items and store them haphazardly. This usually results in an unimaginable amount of clutter having little or no monetary value.

This disorder is difficult to treat. More because hoarders either do not see it as a problem or have little awareness of how this is affecting other people’s lives.

It’s crucial to encourage people with hoarding disorders to seek therapy. Their difficulty in discarding objects will cause them loneliness and mental health problems and pose a health and safety risk. If untreated, this problem will probably never go away.

Why Is Hoarding A Problem?

Hoarding disorders can be a problem for multiple reasons. It can control the person’s life, making it difficult for them to move around their house. It can cause his relationships, work performance, and personal hygiene to suffer. They are also at risk of trip and fall accidents. Fire risks and blocked exits can also not be overlooked.

Therapy for Hoarding Disorders

The primary treatment for hoarding disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The therapist will talk and try to analyze why the person is having difficulty discarding things away and why the clutter has built up.

This is paired with practical tasks and a workable plan. The hoarder agrees to take the responsibility to clear the clutter from their home. The therapist will support and encourage them for this change. The main aim of this therapy is to improve the person’s decision-making and organizational skills and urging them to clear the clutter.

The therapist won’t throw away anything but will guide and encourage along the way. They will identify and challenge the underlying beliefs that contribute to hoarding disorder. The person will gradual become better at throwing things away, learning that nothing terrible happens when they do. They will also become better at organizing items they insist on keeping.

By the end of the treatment, the person will not have cleared all their hoardings, but they will have a better understanding of their problem. They will have devised a plan for themselves to build on their successes and avoid falling into their old ways.