You May Be A Hoarder If... Clutter And Junk Removal

While we might make light of our own tendency to accumulate things, we know hoarding is no joking matter. However, even excessive clutter can be a real problem.

You may not be an actual victim of hoarding disorder, but some people are especially prone to keeping and accumulating belongings and unnecessary goods. Or what our friends and family may uncharitably refer to as "junk."

Hoarding Disorder and Excessive Clutter

 The official website of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) describes hoarding disorder: 

"People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces."

And they go on to make the distinction between hoarding and legitimate collecting. 

Unlike collectors of various items, those with hoarding disorder will save random items and store them haphazardly. In most cases, they tell themselves and others that they only save items that they feel they may need in the future, that they think are valuable, or that have sentimental value for them.

It's believed that many hoarders also feel safer being surrounded by the things they save.

The APA states that,

"Hoarding disorder occurs in an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population and often leads to substantial distress and problems functioning. Some research show hoarding disorder is more common in males than females. It is also more common among older adults--three times as many adults 55 to 94 years are affected by hoarding disorder compared to adults 34 to 44 years old."

The good news is that although you may have a bad habit of holding on to things, or letting all your stuff pile up throughout your house, you really only have a small chance of having a disorder.

Especially if you are a young female!

However, even if you are not a clinically diagnosed hoarder, an overabundance of junk in your house and garage can be a real problem. Too much stuff sitting around or piled in corners can create real health and safety concerns, such as fire hazards, tripping hazards and even health code violations.

So, what can you do?

Desist, Declutter, and De-Stress

Like any other bad habit or trait, the long-term solution is to stop doing whatever it is you're doing that is a problem. This is a two-part step really: you must desist, or stop, adding to the piles, and then you must get rid of things you already have. Lots of it.

For example, according to Dawn Nadeau, writing for Good Housekeeping, the real first step was giving herself permission to let things go.

And, as she notes in her article,

"This is tough for anyone, but it's a crucial step in regaining control over your stuff. I was really honest with myself, and resolved to not beat myself up over getting rid of (or donating) things we didn't need — even if they were in good shape. When you start to think of your things as part of an ecosystem for your life, it becomes easier to pare down to only the stuff you really love."

Like anything in life, however, there is a bit of room for compromise.

For example, you may not "need" to keep those tickets to the Hootie and the Blowfish concert you went to back in 1994, but if it was a date with your later spouse-to-be, then you should.

And all the wonderful artwork from the kids for the last twenty years? Those can be photographed or even scanned to be kept in a digital or virtual album and the originals gracefully disposed of.

Fortunately, there is a veritable cottage industry in decluttering advice and tips being offered on the Internet. For example, a quick Google search for "declutter your home checklist" brought up over 1,260,000 results. Getting guidance is simple - doing the hard work of actually getting rid of stuff is not.

BUT...! Once you've committed to staying clutter-free and have cleared out everything you no longer need or want, you will experience a huge reduction in stress. 

It seems that just the mere presence of material belongings brings a certain level of stress with it. And the thought of losing things, having to store things, and feeling as if you need more things, all adds up to an unnecessary and even unhealthy amount of stress. 

So, what do you do with all the things you've decided to get rid of?

Stop the Hoarding and Remove the Clutter With the Pro Team!

No matter how much junk you've accumulated in your home, or how long it's been there, Junk King can quickly come to your location to provide you with efficient, safe, affordable, and eco-friendly junk hauling services.

We make it easy for you to dispose of your excess junk or extra-large trash items.

And, if you need our services several times during a clean-up or decluttering project, or just one time, our hauling professionals will ensure that all the junk and debris is out of your way so that you can get on with your life.

We can be at your home in mere minutes, so call us today!

Our team is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of all your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

And one of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle most of the material we pick up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865).