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Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition recognized in the International Classification of Diseases Diagnostic Manual. Mental health experts and researchers have found that 2% to 5% of adults live with hoarding disorder. If you or a member of your family has hoarding disorder, you’re not alone. The condition affects every part of a person’s life, including their health, relationships, safety and finances. At Eco Bear, we’re a veteran- and women-led professional cleaning company offering thorough hoarder property cleaning in Coto de Caza, CA.
What Compulsive Hoarding Is
Compulsive hoarding is when a person collects and keep a lot of items. Some or even all of those items may be of little or no value. Others may recognize them as having no use or being obvious trash. Another part of hoarding is an inability to get rid of things, whether those things are rotted food or broken plates. The third aspect of hoarding is the distress that a person with hoarding disorder feels when they think about removing items or are told that they have to get rid of some of their possessions. Some signs of hoarding disorder are:
- Amount of items makes it difficult to use appliances, stairs or entire rooms of the home
- Clutter is in the way of doors for getting in and out of the home
- Items of importance are lost in the hoard
- Being unable to say no to something free
- Unable to stop shopping or acquiring new items
- Distress about living conditions
- Avoidance of necessary home repairs because of embarrassment
- Social withdrawal and not inviting family into the home
- Financial distress from compulsive shopping or fines related to the hoard
Who Lives With Compulsive Hoarding Disorder
Hoarding disorder can occur in anyone, and it can happen on its own or concurrent with another mental health condition. People who have obsessive-compulsive disorder, general anxiety disorder or depression are more likely to develop hoarding disorder than a person who isn’t living with one of those conditions. A typical hoarder lives alone and is over the age of 50. The signs of hoarding can begin during childhood or the teenage years, but serious symptoms are more likely during the young adult years. By the time a person with hoarding disorder has reached middle age, their accumulation of items may be out of control. People of all occupations, education levels, income levels and backgrounds may have hoarding disorder.
Effects of Hoarding in a Home or on a Property
The accumulation of excessive amounts of belongings leads to serious effects on a home or property. Those effects may include:
- Lack of access to appliances or plumbing fixtures
- Functional problems, such as water leaks or a broken furnace that aren’t accessible to repair technicians
- Structural problems from the weight of the hoard
- Pest or vermin problems from biological materials, trash or rotted food in the hoard
- Intervention by Child or Adult Protective Services
- Civil or criminal penalties from health, building or environmental code violations
- Frustration or anger of other household or family members or neighbors
- Removal of pets from the home by animal control or Humane Society enforcement officers
- Condemning of the home
Why People With Hoarding Disorder Accumulate Clutter
There are many reasons why a person with hoarding disorder accumulates more belongings than what a person without the disorder would describe as normal. Some people feel joy when acquiring a new item. For others, they feel guilty about saying no. A few people inherit large amounts of items, and even though they don’t want them, they can’t get rid of them. Nostalgia, trauma and stress all play a role in acquiring excessive amounts of possessions. Most people with hoarding disorder don’t recognize they have a problem until family members or local authorities intervene. Therapy helps with the treatment of hoarding, and our skilled cleaners at Eco Bear are prepared to handle the clearing of the hoard so that you can have a fresh start in a clean, clutter-free home.
What Makes It Difficult To Get Rid of Clutter
Just thinking of getting rid of clutter may be overwhelming for a person with hoarding disorder. They may form an emotional attachment or feel responsible for each item they own. Some other reasons why people with hoarding disorder may be unable to clean the hoard themselves include:
- Illness, injury or disability
- Denial of the problem
- Unsure of how to start
- Afraid of what’s in the hoard
- Not sure of how to dispose of the hoard
- Desire for items to go to specific people or places
- Not wanting to get rid of what they see as useful or valuable items
- Lack of time or motivation
How Our Hoarder Property Cleaning Company in Coto de Caza Helps
Our hoarder property cleaning company in Coto de Caza works quickly to clear hoards of all sizes. We remove hoards including large amounts of consumer goods, antiques, non-running vehicles, large items, building materials and more. We arrange for proper disposal of biological and medical waste and trash. If items can be donated or recycled, we coordinate it. We clear most hoards within several days, resulting in a property that meets local code and cleanliness standards.
Benefits of Eco Bear’s Hoarder Property Cleaning Services
Eco Bear’s skilled cleaners know that hoarder property cleaning is stressful for people with hoarding disorder. We treat you with kindness and respect. We put safety as our leading priority, and we wear the right protective equipment when handling hoards with pests, human or animal waste, rotting food and other hazards. When we’re done, we leave you with a clean and sanitary home.
