If you know someone who suffers from a hoarding disorder you may feel overwhelmed not just with the amount of waste there is but with the emotions that come with it. It is not every day that you are faced with the effects of a hoarding disorder and it can often feel like you don’t have the knowledge to address these issues. It can be frustrating when the person suffering is unable to see that there is an issue with the amount of items in their home. However intervention is needed particularly if their home is unsanitary and unsafe due to the amounts of collected items being stored.

To begin with it is a good idea to educate yourself and understand why people hoard and how it can be triggered. Understanding the disorder can often help you to talk to the sufferer to explain the situation and hopefully make improvements in the home. It is important to remember that hoarding is a symptom of complex mental health issues and it isn’t that the sufferer is simply choosing to live that way. To many people throwing items away is a simple and easy daily task, however for suffers of the disorder it is a comfort to keep these items no matter what their future use is.  Items that you may feel are clearly rubbish or waste become obsessively required by the sufferer and will be kept safe in the home to the detriment of their living or health conditions.

There are different levels of hoarding from mild to severe, however early intervention is best to help prevent the hoarding of items from becoming out of control. If you need help with a person who you may feel is suffering from a hoarding disorder, suggest booking an appointment with their GP who can arrange counselling and other therapies that will help with their mental health problems.  Your local council’s Adult Social Care service should also be able to give sound advice and provide contacts for local groups or registered charities who will be able to support the sufferer.

Dealing with the clutter itself can be extremely overwhelming particularly with people who are living in unsanitary conditions where biohazards are present in the home. Help is readily available from companies such as 24 Seven Trauma Clean who are able to carry out a hoarding clean up service for you and take away the burden. Simply take photographs of the rooms effected and email them to [email protected] for a free no obligation quotation. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have over the telephone – call a member of our friendly office team on 0203 640 8247.  Rest assured that all of our team members are professionally trained and experienced and will deal with your enquiry with sensitivity and discretion at all times.