For those who live with or care for a hoarder, life can be immensely challenging. Understanding the mental health underpinnings of hoarding can help foster a deeper sense of empathy towards those who are compelled to collect and save items to an obsessive degree.
The agency Wellington Guelph Hoarding Response, a collaboration between 25 local agencies, will host a series of workshops for families and loved ones affected by hoarding on three Thursday evenings this month - Sept. 15, 22, and 29, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. each night. This is the first time the workshops have been offered.
Hoarding is a deeply emotional issue, and often influenced by mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, said Emily Gibson, coordinator of Wellington Guelph Hoarding Response.
The condition is quite common in Guelph and Wellington County, with up to five per cent of the population involved in some form of hoarding behaviour. Gibson said the prevalence of it is higher than we might expect.
“If you think of five percent, that’s one in 20,” she said. “That’s a lot of people.”
A snapshot survey was conducted in this area in October, 2013. It found that various agencies were dealing with a total of 95 hoarding incidents in that particular month.
“The research shows us that families really struggle with how to support or live with a loved one who has hoarding tendencies,” Gibson said in an interview. “We thought to pilot these workshops to see if there is an interest and need in the community.”
Hoarding can be a very difficult condition to overcome, and while those close to a hoarder may see the discarding of items as an easy solution, it is not that easy, Gibson indicated. Mass clean-ups are not recommended by Hoarding Response.
Frustration over how to help, and how to cope, can result in family conflict and disharmony. The workshops will offer information intended to foster a more complete understanding of the problem, and skills to help work through the conflict.
“Hoarding is defined as a person collecting enough items that they are no longer able to use areas or rooms of the home for their intended purpose,” Gibson said. T
hat is one of the most troubling aspects of the tendency for those close to a hoarder.
“The impact of not being able to use the home for its intended purpose can be really frustrating for family members,” she said. “And it can be hard to know how to approach the loved one about it in a way that is going to be productive, rather than just causing arguments.”
The workshops, based on a harm reduction approach, will engage participants in a basic understanding of what hoarding is, how to recognize the risks that can accrue from it, and how to employ communication strategies to best address the issue.
There will be presentations by Guelph Fire fire prevention officials, as well as representatives from the Canadian Mental Health Association.
People with hoarding tendencies will typical feel upset about discarding items, and will avoid those feelings by saving items of all kinds. While the clutter can become extreme, those who struggle with the problem are often not troubled by the mess, no matter how unsightly it becomes.
The workshops are free of charge, and will take place at the Guelph Community Health Centre at 176 Wyndham St. downtown.
For more information or to register, call Emily Gibson at 519-836-2332 ext. 108 or email [email protected].
“It’s so important for family members to be empathetic, because I think that ultimately connecting with their loved one and trying to understand how this feels for them is going to be what is helpful in the end,” Gibson added.
