Professional Hoarding Removal & Clean up Services
Hoarding removal in Vancouver and Lower mainland
Hoarding is the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, and tangible items regardless of their actual value. Hoarding is a really big issue in north america and is a lot more common that we may think. Not only is hoarding an environmental and physical issue but also has mental effects on the people /& persons involved.
This type of behavior usually has deleterious effects; emotional, physical, social, legal and financial for the hoarder and his &/ her family. For those who hoard, the quantity and volume of their collected items sets them apart from normal living situations. Our teams will be able to distinguish between what is a hoard and what is a healthy living environment. We can filter through materials and help to put aside what may be important to the hoarder, while drastically reducing what ends up in the landfill.
Commonly hoarded items include newspapers, magazines, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, photographs, trinkets, household supplies, food, and clothing. Hoarding can be related to compulsive buying such as "never passing up a bargain". The compulsive acquisition of free items such as collecting flyers or the search for perfect or unique items, which may not appear to others as unique, such as an old container.
Symptoms and Behavior
Someone who hoards may exhibit the following:
- Inability to throw away possessions
- Severe anxiety when attempting to discard items
- Great difficulty categorizing or organizing possessions
- Indecision about what to keep or where to put things
- Distress, such as feeling overwhelmed or embarrassed by possessions
- Suspicion of other people touching items
- Obsessive thoughts and actions: fear of running out of an item or of needing it in the future; checking the trash for accidentally discarded objects
- Functional impairments, including loss of living space, social isolation, family or marital discord, financial difficulties, health hazards
Reasons for Hoarding
People hoard because they believe that an item will be useful or valuable in the future. Or they feel it has sentimental value, is unique and irreplaceable, or too big a bargain to throw away. They may also consider an item a reminder that will jog their memory, thinking that without it they won’t remember an important person or event. Or because they can’t decide where something belongs, it’s better just to keep it.
Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.
Although less often, hoarding may be associated with an eating disorder, pica (eating non-food materials), Prader-Willi syndrome (a genetic disorder), psychosis, or dementia.
Diminished Quality of Life
A lack of functional living space is common among hoarders, who may also live in unhealthy or dangerous conditions. Hoarders often live with broken appliances and without heat or other necessary comforts. They cope with malfunctioning systems rather than allow a qualified person into their home to fix a problem.
Hoarding also causes anger, resentment, and depression among family members, and it can affect the social development of children. Unlivable conditions may lead to separation or divorce, eviction, and even loss of child custody. Hoarding may lead to serious financial problems, as well.
Learn about http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/hoarding-basics/staging-intervention staging an intervention.
Hoarding vs. Collecting
Hoarding is not the same as collecting. In general, collectors have a sense of pride about their possessions and they experience joy in displaying and talking about them. They usually keep their collection organized, feel satisfaction when adding to it, and budget their time and money.
Those who hoard usually experience embarrassment about their possessions and feel uncomfortable when others see them. They have clutter, often at the expense of livable space, feel sad or ashamed after acquiring additional items, and they are often in debt.
Animal hoarding:
Hoarding Resources:
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/hoarding-disorder/what-is-hoarding-disorder - American Psychiatric Association - What is Hoarding?
- http://iocdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Hoarding-Fact-Sheet.pdf - Hoarding Fact Sheet
Our Services: Junk Removal | Garbage Pick-Up | Junk & Garbage Recycling | Estate Cleanouts | Bin Rentals | Hoarding Cleanup
Clutter To Cash offers Hoarding Cleanup Services to clients across Maple Ridge, Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, White Rock, Delta, Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Pitt Meadows, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Tsawwassen, British Columbia.
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