Hoarding in Northeast Ohio

Posted Wednesday, December 8, 2010

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Imagine a home packed so full with stuff that there's barely room to move. The kitchen, the family room, even the stairwells become storage areas. Compulsive hoarders aren't just a reality TV phenomenon. Hoarding is more common than you might think. We'll explore compulsive hoarding in Northeast Ohio and talk about how hoarders can be helped. Do you show hoarding tendencies? Could a child's messy room or that junk-filled kitchen drawer be an early warning sign?

Guests

Bernie Brooks, Licensed social worker, Lake County and Coordinator, Iris Project
Dr. Deborah Koricke, Psychologist and member of the Cleveland Psychological Association

Additional Information

Hoarding: Signs and Symptoms
Animal hoarding in Solon
Cleanup under way at North Aurora ‘hoarding house

Please follow our community discussion rules when composing your comments.

Elaine 10:24 AM 12/8/10

Have you ever reviewed hoarding and its connection to brain injury patients? I am a reluctant 2nd generation hoarder. My mother is one. But, I want to change. Our basement and home office are filled with boxes of books, magazines and paper. Unfortunately, I can’t afford anymore organizers and a series of strokes years ago, has left me unable to focus and concentrate enough to do it on my own. My husband is unwilling to help ‘cause he just wants to throw everything out. I just want to live in an uncluttered home.

Norman 10:25 AM 12/8/10

I have an art studio and my artistic style involves found objects and collage. Frequently my studio is in outrageous disarray, and I’m sure my partner thinks I’m hoarding. The reality is that I collect far more than I create, but in the back of my mind, I’m saving for that “rainy day” when I can get in there and make art.

It’s a really hard line to draw. Any tips on how to know when I’ve crossed it?

Cat 10:34 AM 12/8/10

My youngest grandchild has never been to my home. It is too cluttered. I start to clean up and get overwhelmed. I need help but I won’t let my family help, because they will throw something away important. But I cannot do it alone. My husband and so live with me, and they are pack rats too.

Jackie Smith 10:57 AM 12/8/10

Some cluttered, hoarding-bound listeners have asked, “Who do you call for help.” Home Seller Solutions is a local company that provides de-cluttering and organizing services. We avoid the landfill like the plague, we recycle all the papers, etc., that people hoard, and we make charitable donations of their possessions. We have been de-cluttering and de-stressing in Northeast Ohio since 2007!

Lisa Regula Meyer 10:58 AM 12/8/10

My father in law is a hoarder, and as much as I hate it, my five year old son has not ever been to his grandpa’s house, and he won’t go over there until he gets his place cleaned up. He sleeps in a recliner because the bed and couch are both covered with stuff. We’ve tried getting him some kind of help, but he lives across state (Centerville) and not being local to him, we can’t coordinate any services for him. All of his relationships are suffering, but he won’t/can’t help himself and us children don’t have the ability to help him (one son is in China, another in LA, daughter is a college student at BW, and my husband and I are in graduate school).