Nearly everyone has seen the TV Show Hoarders and wondered, “how did they get this way?” Most young people would never have imagined themselves growing up to become a hoarder. But after years of tough times in their lives, they find themselves in a situation where they can hardly walk through their own house without tripping over the things they own. Once you become a full-blown hoarder, it is far more difficult to break through to someone and help them live a more normal life.
Hoarding has been classified as a mental disorder. So, while we might use the term to describe someone who is messy, it’s not always the case. Studies suggest that as many as 19 million people in the United States might suffer from a hoarding disorder. Thankfully, people who have a good support system and who seek therapy have been known to get over their symptoms of hoarding. Even so, it’s important to look out for these red flags to see if you’re on the road to becoming a hoarder. And if so, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
40. It’s Not Always As Dramatic As What You See on TV
People with hoarding disorder are not always as dramatic as what you see on TV. Millions of Americans have hoarding tendencies, and the level of severity often depends on how much their family has intervened to help them clean and organize. Most people who will eventually grow up to be hoarders start out being very possessive of their belongings when they’re around 13 years old. As the years go on, you might notice that someone is very messy and disorganized in their 20s and 30s, and they are still very possessive about their belongings. As a parent, you can alleviate this pattern in your own children by teaching them how to share. If they’re an only child, you’ll have to teach them how to share with you and your partner, as well as other relatives. trans
Hoarding symptoms only get as bad as what you see on TV if this person has gone their entire life and well into middle or old age without anyone intervening in their behavior. Maybe they grew up an only child, or were allowed to keep possessing as much as they wanted. Or, they spent a lifetime feeling a sense of scarcity, where they believed they needed to hold onto everything for fear of it being taken from them. There will never come a day when a meticulously clean and generous person suddenly makes a 180-degree turn into becoming a hoarder when they turn 50 years old. This is often a long process with red flags that you can spot along the way.