Addressing a Hoarder’s Behavior and Helping Them Declutter

Hoarding is a disorder that makes it difficult for an individual to part with items that others consider useless—they think otherwise. If a person has a hoarding problem, they will be unable to get rid of things even if they’re of no use.

One important thing to note is that hoarders are not collectors who are just displaying their possessions; they cannot decide what they want to keep and what they want to discard. They cannot make a plan to move their items to a safer and more organized location. If you have a hoarder in your family, you may have to take action.

Below are tips to help your loved one clean and declutter.

1. Start With a Plan

Working with a hoarder is quite different from working with a person who has self-control. You should start the decluttering process with a plan. Get a medicine box, a roomy plastic container, a large trash bag, and boxes. Then, label the boxes for each room in the house.

2. Work on One Room at a Time

Staying focused will be the key to success when working with someone who has a hoarding problem. You should not be too hasty and spend all your time cleaning the living room while letting the bathroom get messy. Keep your focus on one room at a time.

3. Gather the Hoarder’s Belongings

You can collect the hoarder’s personal items as well as the stuff occupying the entire house. Then, label the box or the container and place it in a room out of view. Make sure you get it out of the house and store it somewhere safe.

4. Remove the Hoarder’s Stuff

Items that are deemed useless should be removed from the house immediately. Make sure you don’t throw important things away. Let your loved one do the sorting and separating so they feel that their emotions are considered throughout the process.

5. Encourage Your Loved One to Donate the Items

You can donate to thrift shops and charities as a way to encourage your loved one to part with their items. This will allow them to realize that they’re not going to miss their belongings and that they still have an ample amount of things to keep.

6. Reward Your Loved One

Rewarding your loved one after every successful decluttering sweep will keep the momentum going. It will also help boost the person’s self-esteem and make them more prone to making sacrifices.

Who Can Help?

If you think you can no longer handle the hoarding problem of a loved one, you may seek help by getting in touch with a local community organization. The organization could be a community mental health organization or an adult daycare center. Your best option is to look for someone who has experience handling hoarding cases. Even if they can’t provide the necessary assistance, they could direct you to a professional who can help.

Conclusion

Getting rid of a hoarding problem isn’t an easy task, but it’s not impossible either. The first step is to accept that the problem exists. Then, follow the steps mentioned in this post to help your loved one deal with it.

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