Hoarding is a sensitive issue for those who suffer from it. It is recognized as the inability to part with material objects due an assumption that they will be needed in the future. But most of these objects are not useful things, rather they are trash, or too many of one thing. These people who hoard assume that the objects that they gather and posses are worth far more than they do.
Emotional & Psychological Effects of Hoarding
Many of these people who suffer from hoarding do so as a result of a tragedy: natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tornadoes that result in the loss of everything will drive them to later hoard, to make up for what they lost. They become terrified of losing their possessions and so never get rid of anything. The damage that is done psychologically due to this condition is tremendous- many people are stuck in an era. They cannot move on for the fear of losing their possessions; they do not get out to socialize, their families become alienated as the hoarder traps himself into his own personal dump site.
Health Risks of Hoarding
Objects can range from everyday trash piling up to unimaginable amounts, to clothing, objects they compulsively buy because of cheap price, or even objects they collect that gets far too out of hand. Often these hoarders endanger themselves- the possessions they hoard take over their homes, all of the living space so that can stack up to dangerous heights that can topple over at any moment and crush the inhabitant. They take over bedrooms, chairs, floors, the entire kitchen so feeding himself becomes a challenge to a hoarder. The home itself becomes destroyed as insects and roaches infest the house, rats and mice breed under the accumulated piles. Pets have even be known to be crushed under the piles. The wood of the house becomes rotten, termite-ridden, critter eaten. Carpets are soiled. Fireplaces become infested dumping grounds. The whole house is eaten alive by the crushing weight of hoarding.
Sarasota’s Accutech Restoration understands these problems of hoarding and are here to help. After such tragic events as Katrina and other daily disasters hoarding has become a spreading epidemic. TV shows broadcast about hoarding to educate the general public. Suddenly there is a light on hoarding that had been a very private struggle up until now. But Accutech Restoration can do something about it. We understand that it is an addiction that needs help to be broken. We have people in Sarasota, Bradenton and Longboat Key areas at the ready to save hoarders and their families from being dragged down under.
Hoarding Warning Signs
If you think there may be someone you love who is hoarding but are not sure, read over these symptoms to see if maybe they may be at risk:
- A reluctance to return borrowed items, clutter from hoarding obstructing living areas and the daily functions required to carry on life
- The acquiring of unnecessary large furniture
- The inability to discard unnecessary items
- Any distress caused by the act of hoarding.
Even if a person does not seem to have their life overrun by the clutter, but you notice these signs growing stronger, reach out. Better talk to them before their disorder goes out of control. Hoarding is a mindset. But it is stoppable.
Accutech Restoration has expert staff available to clean things up and get life back to normal.