I've been introduced thru a mutaul friend to a person who needs help.
Upon entering their home, the person is, in my laymans terms a 5 Alarm hoarder.
Obviously the #1 step is to have the person to be willing to admit they have a hoarding or hoarding related issue and the willingness to accept kind loving help.
I did not watch the show on A & E called Hoarders, but i have gleaned these tidbits so far from Wiki about the show (not necc about all hoarders but the shows hoarders)
In most instances a crisis — such as the threat of eviction or the removal of minor children from the home — prompts the intervention
I have talked to Protective Services about what may or may not be available. I am formulating a plan. Biggest issue is how to get person to accept help without feelling violated.
The Protective Service rep told me hoarders have many rights and that simply calling in will NOT result in the place being cleaned up and may indeed cause the person to isolate even further. Not all cases are the same. So i am going to see what is available. Back to the show, they virtually always used a psychiatrist/cleanup specialist combo. It would appear that will be needed here to.
Did any one watch the shows "Where are they now?" that did a followup?
From wiki:
At the time of its premiere, Hoarders was the most-watched series premiere in A&E network history among adults aged 18–49 and tied for the most ever in the adults aged 25–54 demographic.[5] The premiere was watched by 2.5 million viewers - 1.8 million adults aged 18–49
Rarely do the people fix their mental issue. Some scale back and start living relatively normal American lives. Most just keep piling up crap.
The scenario usually plays out: Person must clean up or else faced with fine/eviction. Family & friends help but cleanup is moving too slowly (Subject wants to keep this & that). So arguments start and family/friends put foot down and start clearing crap. Subject gets mad "Fine. Just throw everything away. Throw me away". Psychiatrist steps in because at this point the subject will not learn a lesson or change.
If the subject doesn't change, then it's just a recurring problem. 1) Clean-up. 2) New junk. 3)Face fine & eviction. 4) Clean-up. 5) New junk etc
My mother inlaw was a hoarder. It's not a destructive disorder that must be "cured". Yes it's bizarre that someone can be so emotionally attached to what the rest of us consider junk/trash. Imo renting/building storage space will be cheaper and more effective than paying a pyshciatrist to "cure" them.
Is it that whale of a gf you have hoarding Twinkies? If so, we can get help for her.
you know damn well that no food item that comes into that rhino's field of vision is going uneaten.
Maybe you should contact the city/county health depts or safety code inspectors ( sorry I don't know what that's called). If either find any violations, that could help incite a realization and some action on the hoarders part.
I did and it looks like a major lead. Rep said they have formed a collaborative (experts to i.d. mental state, cleanup specialist including pest control) since almost always multiple issues are involved. She did not know the exact name and number of the collaborative, i will find that but either way the 1st stop is a report to Adult Protective Services. I cannot do that without telling the hoarder 1st, just can't at this point. I have a plan of how to approach tho.
Rep did warn that the codes, it can be shocking what is allowed. For example the rep relates how people call in on other cases and reported being able to see rats crawling on top of the piled up garbage in X persons house. Guess what? People have the *right* to live that way. So she said codes can be tricky. And she cautioned that if a code inspector comes out and this persons house does not violate any codes, gross as it may be, the visit could unintentionally drive the person into even further seclusion and hoardiness.
So after i contact collaborative today, i will enact plan of how to approach.
This is actually a pretty simple issue. Have some family members hide in the house and dress up like giant shoes or forks. When she walks by, they jump out and beat with with some hoarded items. She will get rid of those particular items. Continue the process until she is too scared to keep anything.
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