5 ways to stop hoarding behaviour
Hoarding behaviour is so familiar to many people that it is not easily perceived as a disorder.
It is characterised by a persistent difficulty in discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value, often resulting in cluttered spaces.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, people with hoarding disorder tend to show distress if attempts are made to make them part with the large number of items they are hoarding.
A graduate, Charles Ehioje, described his hoarding disorder as a compulsive need to keep empty plastic bottles.
“I didn’t think I had a problem until my girlfriend walked into my kitchen and gasped when she saw a stack of empty plastic water bottles in a corner. She was the first person to make me realise it was not normal to hoard valueless items,” Ehioje told our correspondent.
For many other hoarders, the items they hoard include clothes, books, newspapers, letters, receipts, containers, iron scraps, and damaged household gadgets.
Experts agree that hoarding ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, it may not have much impact on one’s life, while in other cases, it seriously affects daily functioning.
On the extreme side, however, hoarding is hardly hidden as it results in cramped conditions in the homes of individuals who suffer from it. Their countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, stairways, and all other surfaces are usually piled with stuff.
A mental health expert, Abiodun Olusoji, explained that most people with hoarding disorder may not see it as a problem, so getting them to take part in treatment can be challenging. However, with much enlightenment, sufferers could find the help they need.
Here are ways to stop hoarding behaviour:
Seek awareness
Olusoji noted that low awareness about hoarding disorder causes it to be misunderstood even within families. He stressed that being a mental health disorder, a clear understanding of it can help friends and loved ones to be empathetic.
“There is a vital need for people to be enlightened. Educating yourself about hoarding disorder is a crucial first step in helping your loved one.
“People who don’t understand the nature of the disorder will think hoarding is a choice or a personal failing on the part of the hoarder, but it’s a problem, and they need our support,” he explained.
Communicate properly
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Also speaking on how to help sufferers of hoarding disorder, a mental health expert, Kelechi Okwaraji, advised against the use of judgmental language, as people who hoard often experience a degree of shame about their situation.
“When you are communicating with a hoarder, avoid using a term like ‘junk,’ because they will most likely consider the piles of magazines in their room as a ‘collection.’
“You can explain by pointing out that having such a large ‘collection’ may negatively impact their health, and you are willing to support them to get better. Most people are more eager to listen to you when you patiently explain how they can beat a habit rather than judging them from afar,” Okwaraji said.
Check for enabling factors
Olusoji further explained that some loved ones enable hoarding disorder in sufferers by storing their items or helping them pay for their debts due to hoarding.
He noted that people willing to support hoarders to recover should examine if their own behaviour has encouraged the issue rather than solved it.
“Don’t clean up after your friend or loved one who is a hoarder. This is indeed very tempting because the more you do that, the less motivated they will be to address the problem themselves,” he advised.
Offer motivation to change
Many people who hoard have been observed to struggle with decision-making and often need motivation to change.
“Offer to work together at their pace. It’s also important not to tell your loved one what they should or shouldn’t discard, as it is important that the person who is hoarding maintains a felt sense of control,” Okwaraji stated.
He added that support givers should focus on safety concerns and emphasise harm reduction as a result of hoarding as a means to motivate them to be willing to change.
Go for counselling
“If you suspect that your friend or loved one has a hoarding disorder, it is helpful to seek counselling from mental health professionals. They are trained in the evaluation, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders,” Olusoji advised.
Okwaraji also urged people suffering from hoarding disorder “to go for mental health evaluation so they can assess the hoarding disorder” and help them break the behaviour.
