A pleasant community located in the San Gabriel Valley, Azusa is home to approximately 45,000 people. The economy in Azusa is vibrant and is home to a number of businesses, including:

  • Azusa Pacific University
  • Azusa Unified School District
  • Northrup Grumman
  • City of Azusa
  • Costco

Every month, at least one case arises in which a hoarder is discovered in Azusa. Hoarding disorder is defined as a mental disorder that is identified by a persistent, and sometimes profound, difficulty discarding possessions. This difficulty exists because of a perceived need to save these items, even when objects have no value and are even appropriately identified as trash.

The nature of hoarding typically necessitates the assistance of hoarder property cleanup professional to assist in dealing with the hoarded property. This can include address biohazards that can be present in a residence where hoarding has occurred.

The International OCD Foundation lists a trio of elements that must exist for a person to be diagnosed as having hoarding disorder. (Up until more recent times, hoarding was considered a type of OCD. That no longer is the case. Hoarding is a mental health disorder of its own.)

The three elements of hoarding are:

  • A person collects and then keeps items, including objects of no value whatsoever.
  • These items end up accumulating to a point at which living spaces gradually become unusable.
  • These objects result in profound distress and problems in day-to-day activities.

What’s the Difference Between Collecting and Hoarding?

A reasonable question is how is collecting different from hoarding? In collecting, people keep their objects well organized. In addition, in collecting, people display what they have gleaned.

In hoarding, objects are in disarray. Indeed, trash can be mixed together with items that actually have some value. In addition, objects collected are not displayed. A hoarder is apt to keep what is going on his or her life concealed from others.

What Are the Traits of a Typical Hoarder?

There are some traits that commonly are shared between hoarders. These include that the average age at which a person starts hoarding is about 50. There are hoarding behaviors that can commence when a person is a teenager. However, an actual hoarding disorder typically is not exhibited until an individual is approximately 50 years of age.

The typical hoarder lives alone. Many hoarders have a family member that has also been diagnosed with the disorder.

In the city of Azusa, it is estimated that at least one in 50 residents have hoarding disorder. Some experts maintain that the number of hoarders in Azusa is actually higher. They contend that the rate or hoarding is between one and 20 people.

Thoughts to Keep in Mind When Approaching a Hoarder

If you have a loved one or family member living in Azusa who hoards, you need to keep some thoughts in mind if you want to reach out to them. Above all, you need to bear in mind that reaching out to a person who hoards may not be well received.

In most cases, a person who hoards doesn’t think he or she is doing anything wrong. Rather, they will think that a person who reaches out to them about hoarding is trying to do them harm.

Until a hoarder is motivated in some manner to make a change, odds are he or she will not accept an offer of help. Bear in mind that motivation cannot be forced.

In the best case scenario, a hoarder may be ambivalent about eliminating hoarder items. In most cases, a hoarder will be dead set against getting rid of anything.

Seeking Professional Mental Health Assistance in Azusa for Hoarding

There are a number of mental health care professionals in Azusa that provide assistance to individuals suffering from hoarding disorder. These therapists and counselors include:

Katie Vandervort
777 East Alosta Avenue
Azusa, California 91702
(805) 244-0236

These professionals can assist a person with hoarding disorder in a number of ways. These include individual therapy. In addition, a person with hoarding disorder can access group therapy through these professionals.

The mental health providers in Azusa can also assist in the process of reaching out to a hoarder to help them understand that they have a problem. They assist a hoarder in moving to a point at which they begin the process of eliminating items in their home. They also work with a person with hoarding disorder to begin the process of counseling or therapy.

The Azusa hoarding therapists and counselors also work with family members and other loved ones. These individuals can face emotional challenges associated with a person laboring under hoarding disorder. This includes assisting family members in developing strategies to assist the hoarder in taking steps to deal with a hoarding disorder and its ramifications.