Hoarding is more than just keeping a few extra things. It’s a recognized disorder that affects anywhere from around five million to upwards of 14 million people in the United States. The reason why this is such a large range is that many people never get diagnosed with this disorder. This is because when people think of hoarding, they imagine houses stuffed full of junk. That’s not always the case, though. Just like with many other disorders and conditions, hoarding does range from mild to very severe. 

For those who have more severe hoarding tendencies, an intervention may become necessary at some point. That’s when the hoarder’s loved ones have to come in and clean out the house. What do you do with all of this trash? The solution is to give Junk King North Texas a call. Our crew is used to dealing with large jobs, including hoarder houses. 

What Is Hoarding?

Compulsive hoarding is a diagnosable condition that may seem easy to recognize—the person irrationally keeps things. However, it goes much deeper than that. At its core, hoarding isn’t about keeping things. Instead, it’s a fear of getting rid of them. The hoarder may experience everything from slight trepidation to physical illness just at the thought of throwing away something. Those on the mild side of hoarding can often push through the fear, especially with the help of a therapist. More severe cases, though, often need more help. 

Many hoarders don’t understand that their hoarding is a problem. They may have entire rooms full of stuff, but to them, everything has a purpose, and there’s a reason why they’re keeping it. Someone may keep every resealable food container they’ve ever bought, which seems excessive to most. However, to that person, they’re saving these containers to store leftovers. They don’t see a problem with what they’re doing, which is why it can be so hard to diagnose hoarding and get the hoarder the help they need. Part of that help will likely include calling Junk King North Texas. There’s often just too much for your city trash bins to handle.

The Symptoms of Hoarding

Because it’s a complex condition, there are different symptoms of hoarding. Some people may save everything, while others may actually go out of their way to acquire items they believe they need or that will be useful. For example, some people may purchase several dozen packages of toilet paper at a time so they have plenty in case they can’t get back to the store. They do this every time they go shopping, though, and soon they have over a hundred packages they’re “saving.” This is also motivated by fear, but it’s not a fear of getting rid of stuff. It’s a fear of needing something and not having it.

As the hoarding continues, other symptoms begin to appear. The hoarder’s home will begin to fill up with stuff. Entire rooms can become full from floor to ceiling, wall to wall. There’s no way to even get into the room, let alone find specific items in it. Some hoarders start out with a very organized stockpile of stuff, but over the years, they are more likely to become disorganized simply because they don’t have the space to keep things tidy. 

Eventually, the hoarding creates an unsafe environment. There may be old food and other trash scattered among the items. The kitchen and bathroom may be so full of stuff that they can’t be used. Stacks of hoarded stuff may become unstable and topple over, breaking things or falling on someone and injuring them. When it becomes unsafe to live in the house, something has to be done. Junk King can help you clean out the home so your loved one can live there without worrying about getting buried under a tower of old newspapers.

Is it Hoarding or Collecting?

People who are very averse to keeping anything they don’t need may accuse someone of hoarding when what they’re really doing is collecting. If you’re a minimalist or just have no need for anything that doesn’t serve a purpose, it can be easy to see collecting as hoarding. Collectors, however, typically want very specific items. They keep these items very organized, have a catalog of what they own, and often proudly display them. People may amass very large collections, but they can also tell you why they have each item, its worth, and interesting facts about it. 

Hoarders, on the other hand, tend to keep anything and everything. They’re disorganized, and they eventually lose track of what they have. Usually about the only thing they can say about items they have is that they will be useful one day or that they were on sale. They don’t display any of these items because they aren’t worth displaying—they’re common household items or junk. 

Animal Hoarding

One unique and horribly sad type of hoarding is animal hoarding. Some hoarders start out with a dog or a couple of cats, but before long, they have several dozen. In the worst cases, animal hoarders have had over a hundred animals. They simply aren’t able to care for all of them, and often, these animals are in very poor health. The house often becomes full of animal urine and feces, creating a health hazard for everyone living there. Some of the animals die in the home and are never removed, making it even more unsafe. 

Who is at Risk of Becoming a Hoarder?

Many think that elderly people are hoarders, when in fact, many of them simply grew up during a time when things were scarce. They may save some items like plastic containers because they lived through a time when it wasn’t easy to replace items. However, most of these people don’t hoard to dangerous levels, and they will throw things away if they see that they’re keeping too much. 

Studies have actually shown that most hoarders start keeping items when they’re in their early teens. From there, the condition gets worse as they get older. As teens, they don’t have a lot of space to hoard, so the condition doesn’t usually become very obvious until they’re in their late twenties or thirties and have more room. 

There are a few risk factors associated with hoarding. Those with a family history of hoarding are more likely to develop the disorder themselves. People who are indecisive or anxious by nature may also hoard, either because they can’t decide what to keep or because they’re afraid they will need something as soon as they throw it away. People who go through very traumatic events, such as the death of a loved one or the loss of most or all of their possessions, may also develop hoarding tendencies. They may want to keep everything their loved one had, or they might start hoarding because they don’t want to lose everything again. Sadly, hoarding can be a fire hazard, making it more likely they will lose their possessions. 

Helping Someone with a Hoarding Disorder

When you realize your loved one has a hoarding disorder, what can you do? The first thing you need to realize is what you can’t do. You can’t yell at them or tell them to “just throw stuff away.” If they have a true hoarding disorder, that won’t work. You need to recognize that what they’re dealing with is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It isn’t something they can easily control or just force themselves to deal with. They need to see a licensed mental health expert to work through their hoarding.

They will need their house cleaned out, and that is something you can certainly help with. However, another major thing to avoid is cleaning without their consent. This can trigger a meltdown. While you might love to come home to see that someone cleaned your home, someone with a hoarding disorder won’t. As they attend therapy and begin working through their disorder, you’ll want to work with them to clean their home. In some cases, you may even need to provide them with a place to stay or with finding temporary housing if their home is unsafe. 

When you do begin cleaning out the home, you’ll need to have Junk King North Texas on call to help you deal with everything. We will clean out the entire house if that’s what you want, but we can also take specific items you point out to us. Often, hoarders do still have things they should keep, such as their clothing and furniture. It may be helpful to have Junk King come in and clear out everything you know is garbage, such as hundreds of old newspapers and magazines, so you can have room to sort through things. Then we can come back later and take everything you’ve decided is trash.

Call Junk King Today to Get Started

Ready to help the hoarder in your life deal with the junk that’s built up over the years? Give Junk King North Texas a call today to schedule an appointment. You can reach us at 1-888-888-JUNK or send us a text to 1-737-888-5865.