Using Hoarding Services to Help Hoarders
Hoarder Help: The Benefits of Hoarding Services
A hoarding situation is often a difficult problem to resolve. That’s because hoarding is a disorder rooted in human psychology rather than a switch that can just be turned on or off. Someone doesn’t just stop hoarding overnight. Because of this, hoarders can stockpile large collections of clutter without even considering what they are doing. At Lug Away, we have gone to clean out hoarder homes and found each and every room of the house filled with junk. However, it’s not our place to judge. Instead, we do what we do best: provide junk removal services so that our clients don’t have to do the work on their own.
Some of the benefits of choosing a professional hoarder clean out service are obvious. Of course, you won’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting on your own. In addition to that, though, junk removal companies are equipped with experienced staff members who know how to appropriately handle potentially hazardous items. For example, hoarding jobs might involve cleaning up trash and even decomposing items. These items promote disease and even pest activity. Hoarder junk removal companies know how to use protective gear and correct practices to clean up these materials without creating any unnecessary risks.
Understanding the Hoarder Psyche
A hoarder is a person, and every person deserves respect and courtesy. Whatever problem any person is experiencing, there was a path that led to that point. For hoarders, this path could have started at any given event in their lives. Some hoard because of their anxiety related to losing important things. Some hoard out of an ill-placed sense of comfort. Others still hoard merely out of habit. How a hoarding problem started is not our concern. What matters is that we provide our clients with the care they need and that we resolve their problem for them.
Need hoarding help for families or friends? If you are not a hoarder, but you want to schedule a hoarder cleanout for someone in your life who may have a problem, don’t just spring the appointment on them. You need to have an intervention with the hoarder first and let them know they have a problem. Then, you need them to understand why hoarding services are necessary. This might even require therapy. The process can be lengthy, but consider the alternative. Imagine being the hoarder, coming home, and finding all your belongings are gone. This will only drive a stake between you and the hoarder—and in the worst possible scenario, cause them to double down on their hoarding habit.
Caring for the Hoarder During Hoarder Services
Even if a hoarder has agreed to part ways with their excess belongings, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for them. During a hoarder clean out, it is important to show extra care to the hoarder. We like to check in on our clients from time to time during our appointments to make sure everyone is still in good spirits. Another way we help hoarders is by handling their items with care. Even if they are saying farewell to them, the least we can do is set them down gently when we load them up in our truck.
A hoarder may also take comfort in knowing that their items aren’t going to waste. At Lug Away, we donate gently used belongings to thrift stores such as the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It helps prevent landfill waste, and it can also help hoarders understand their possessions will live on in someone else’s care.
In conclusion, hoarding services may be difficult for a hoarder, but with proper handling, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world!
