Just as autism was little understood just over decade ago and is now known as a spectrum of disorders Compulsive hoarding is similar and belongs to the Obsessive compulsive Disorder group better known as OCD. Other types of obssesive behaviours are excessive cleaning and handwashing

Compulsive hoarding may be difficult to diagnose, firstly because the person who has it does not acknowledge they have the problems. Secondly the sense of shame attached ot it and the shame for family members. In my personal experience hoarders can be irrational and extrememly defensive and have other behaviour problems such as anger management.

According to Oprah's website there are 2 million people with compulsive hoarding as a problem in the US (unsure where these statistics come from). In the UK i am not aware of any statisitcs.

Oprah

Oprah's show may have ended but her website is sitill live. 6months ago i was pleased to see Oprah covering the topic of hoarding. Today i was impressed with the number of resources. It didn't just sensationalise hoarding by showing peoples homes but scratched beneath the surface with articles addressing that important question why people hoard. Dr David Tolin says it is a serious mental health issue and has given 12 top tips on How to Overcome Hoarding.

 I hope you find the resources here useful.

yvette writes

Decluttering and letting of stuff is a lot more than just action and chucking things out of the way its an emotional journey for the hoarder.

Organisation is a skill that needs to be developed and taught. You are  not born knowing how bes to stay organised. Its not just about buying more storage space,  its about being aware that all this excess material things are actually draining your energy time and money. Overcoming the mental barriers is the first battle. Once this is done a plan on how to get rid of clutter and how to prioritise needs to take place. Yvette writes is a website which gives tips on how to declutter and improve your organisation. I have been receiving newsletters which have good visualisation techniques to help people decide how to declutter. There is also a mini course  "Get Myself Organized" where you can receive emails for 7 days. I would recommend it to anyone not just hoarders or people who live with hoarders.

Please visit Yvette writes.

I have not been paid to recommend the website i just like to share good tips to help others.