What is hoarding?

Hoarding disorder is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by excessive acquisition and an inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of the home and cause significant distress or impairment. Hoarding was first defined as a mental disorder in the 5th edition of the DSM in 2013. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.

Seeking help with hoarding

The first step (& usually the most difficult) to resolving a hoarding situation is to ask for help! In hoarding situations, the person or persons who struggle with hoarding tendencies (or who have been diagnosed with hoarding disorder) are best served by both therapy and organizing services. We require all of our clients who have been diagnosed with hoarding disorder to remain in therapy during the duration of our organizing work.

Amy Payne, owner of Lasting Order, is a Certified Professional Organizer© and has taken courses through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization regarding working with people with hoarding disorder and tendencies. She is the only CPO© in the Tri-State area qualified to deal with hoarding situations.

My {mother, father, aunt, friend…} is a hoarder. Can you help?

We are happy to help anyone who desires help. We are unable to clean up a hoarded environment without the permission & cooperation of the person who owns the property and the items needing organization. Organizing the space will only be successful long-term if the person with hoarding tendencies is ready to make a change.

Many times, a well-meaning friend or family member causes more harm than good when attempting to help a person who hoards. The person who hoards walks away feeling worse about their disorder because they felt judged or that their personal space/belongings have been violated. We are trained to assist the client without judgement or harming them. We are a neutral, third-party who is an expert in organizing with no emotional attachment to the situation.

Will you throw away all of my stuff? How does the process work?

Once you have reached out for help and all parties are willing participants, we will do an in home assessment and consultation. The consultation gives us a full view of the scope of work to be done and builds trust with the person who hoards. It is extremely important that trust is strong between the client and the organizing team. No one likes the thought of a stranger coming into their home, judging them and throwing away all of their valuable possessions. We absolutely do not do that! We do not throw anything away without your permission. We assist you with making decisions about what stays & what goes, based on your goals.

The process moves along as fast or as slow as you desire. If there is a firm deadline to get the hoarded environment cleaned up, we can work with that. If the client desires long-term change, we encourage them to slow the process in order to learn the skills necessary to be successful at keeping the clutter away for life. We care about our clients and work very hard to be sure they are comfortable with the process before and during the clean out.

Throughout the process {as needed}, we can refer or set up other resources such as counseling, home repair specialists, trash removal, cleaning services and pest control just to name a few.

If you or anyone you know is ready to take the first step

– asking for help, give us a call!

812-858-2457