I have a few comments to make on the Thursday and Friday Oprah shows on hoarding. It was a terrific show and Peter Walsh is an amazing organizer and great representative of our profession.
For anyone struggling with hoarding, whether the issue is yours or a family member, here are some important points:
1. Unless the person is in immediate danger, you can not just go in and clear out the house for the hoarder and expect that the problem will be solved for them. They must be led through the process, want to change and agree to therapy during and after the process.
2. It's not about the stuff. The stuff is the end result of their attempts to deal with their problems.
3. You can not win an argument with a hoarder over the importance of an item. They value EVERYTHING the same, whether it be a diamond necklace or a used paper bag. That is part of the underlying problem with hoarding, they can not distinquish what is REALLY valuable and important.
4. Establish the "vision" for the space. Write down words that convey what it is you want the space to be and tape those words to the wall. Anything that does not support the vision for that space does not belong there.
5. Seek professional help from experienced people - even if you can not afford a team of professional organizers, call us, use us to create a plan and get you started. I have listed various agencies that can help in past posts, see: hoarding.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment