Everybody Hoards
It’s called a reality show for a reason. Experts from A&E's “Hoarders” explain the psychological underpinnings of hoarding, and how to curb the urge
Some collect greeting cards in old shoeboxes, while others have makeup drawers with contents that date back to their days in high school. Whether it’s expired medications or unread magazines, professional organizers and experts on hoarding say that most people collect some form of clutter.
Mass Appeal
No wonder the A&E television show “Hoarders” appeals to so many viewers, says Dr. Suzanne Chabaud, who appears on the show. She is also the founder of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institute of Greater New Orleans.
While there is an important line between clinical cases of hoarding (where the clutter significantly disrupts the person’s day-to-day life, work or personal relationships) and run-of-the-mill clutter collectors, the show’s popularity stems from the fact that viewers can relate to the clinical cases, Chabaud says.
“People realize that there is a little bit of hoarding in most of us. So many aspects of the disorder are present in so many people, but to a much lesser degree,” she explains.
Can’t Take the Waste
So why are people naturally reluctant to part with their possessions? Dr. Robin Zasio, director of The Anxiety Treatment Center of Sacramento, Calif., says that people hold on to things because of the extraordinary attachment they can develop for their belongings and the fear that they will forever regret letting them go.
Zasio, a clinical psychologist who also appears on “Hoarders” and recently wrote the book, “The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life” (Rodale Books, 2011), says that throwing things away can feel wasteful. She admits that even she has pairs of shoes in her closet that she’s never worn and probably never will: “I think, ‘I can’t get rid of these because I paid money for them.’”
Great Expectations
For those who plan on tackling the drawer of pens or every nook and cranny of the garage, Chabaud recommends having a specific goal in mind.
“Establishing unrealistic expectations can lead people to feel defeated,” she says. “Sometimes people delay because they don’t feel like they can do the job well enough in the time that they have.”
In these cases, the perfectionist within must be silenced. All too often, people get caught up in a small decision that cripples the decluttering process.
“People procrastinate and find things to do other than the things that challenge us,” Zasio says.
Zasio suggests setting aside specific times to declutter, without overdoing the plan. A weekend or a whole day may be too much, so start off by spending an hour or two making decisions about what to keep and what to throw away. Begin with the easier projects, and gradually move on to the more challenging tasks.
Learning New Habits
Katherine Trezise, professional organizer and president of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, reminds her clients that while they address the back-log of items they have accumulated, they must also develop new habits and routines to organize the continuous influx of things like mail, books and groceries.
“The root cause of much of our disorganization is that we don’t finish what we start. We cook dinner, but we don’t put the dishes in the dishwasher. We open the interesting mail and leave the rest lying around,” she says. “When you do something, take the next step, or the next couple of steps, and finish it.”
Support Structure
For families and friends of those who clutter or hoard, experts recommend adopting a compassionate and sympathetic approach. Zasio suggests sharing concerns, but she warns against nagging and throwing their belongings away, which often only makes things worse.
Tackling clutter can cause stress and anxiety, but Zasio says that the anticipatory anxiety – what people think they are going to feel – may be worse than what they actually feel afterward.
And for those who hit a rut along the way, she recommends thinking about the possibilities for the decluttered space, and the feeling of freedom that accompanies accomplishment. Let the decluttering begin.
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