Does anyone have a T that treats Hoarding Disorders?

InRealLife45 · Jan 03, 2015, 03:46 PM

I think I need hoarding treatment, lol. My house is out of control. In a huge way. I've tamed my living room, but a corner of the kitchen is literally piled high with art stuff, and my bedroom is full of clothing I need to sort and donate. I just don't know how there's SO MUCH of it all.

Where's Dr. Robin Zasio when you need her!

My holiday break goal was to clean my house by new years which, obviously, is an epic fail. I want a T to come to my house and force me to get rid of stuff.

unaluna · Jan 03, 2015, 04:08 PM

I've done some research on this. Out of necessity! What it all boiled down to was, deep psychotherapy is the "cure". My room and then my apartments have been a mess at least since i was ten years old. What is weird is, i love art and design and clothes - i just cant let myself have these things. THATS what i have to fix, why dont i feel comfortable or worthy or deserving or allowed? Cuz otherwise i keep cleaning and it just doesnt stay cleaned. But now it IS starting to stay cleaned, bit by bit.

InRealLife45 · Jan 03, 2015, 04:11 PM

I just collect **** I want in the moment then later decide not to use but it's expensive so I keep it. And there it sits. Piling up.

ScarletPimpernel · Jan 03, 2015, 05:22 PM

I've never struggled with hoarding, just my home being a mess. For me, it was because I'm obsessed with organization, and if I can't do it perfectly then I don't do it at all. So with depression comes the lack of energy, therefore my home looked like it exploded.

I was talking to an ex-T about it. I told her putting away clean clothes was the worst for me. She asked me about it. I explained I organized my clothes by type (dresses > sweaters > long sleeve shirts > short sleeve shirts > sleeveless > sweats > pants > shorts > skirts). Within each type, I organized it by color (thankfully I have always owned 90% black clothes). And btw, my clothes are still organized like that

The problem was that each type of clothes has a specific color hanger assigned to it. If I ran out of a specific color, I'd have to reorganize everything. My T simply looked at me and asked: "why don't you just use the same color of hangers for everything?"

It actually helped me a ton! Lol. Now, so long as I have energy, putting clothes away is easier.

Maybe you're T has some ideas to help you even if s/he doesn't specialize in hoarding?

Added note: I used to watch hoarders to motivate me to clean my house

Anne2.0 · Jan 03, 2015, 06:15 PM

What's so special about a hoarding disorder that it needs a specialist?

I get why Hankster sees it in terms of the deep work of therapy, but it does seem any different than any other dysfunction about ourselves or our lifestyles that we want and need to change.

Jan 03, 2015, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anne2.0

What's so special about a hoarding disorder that it needs a specialist?

I get why Hankster sees it in terms of the deep work of therapy, but it does seem any different than any other dysfunction about ourselves or our lifestyles that we want and need to change.

I don't have this disorder, but I do know it's considered a disability in some states. I would imagine someone who has it would need a specialist the same way there are therapists who specialize in eating disorders, trauma, gender identity, etc. You can't just go to any old therapist and expect them to know how to treat it.

Jan 03, 2015, 06:29 PM

Isn't it a particular manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

angelene · Jan 03, 2015, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolagrace

Isn't it a particular manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Yes. But having a T or personal organizer come to your house to force you to get rid of things isn't a quick cure-all. You need extensive therapy.

unaluna · Jan 03, 2015, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolagrace

Isn't it a particular manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

I recently read that the dsm-5 separated it from ocd. It was an interesting distinction, but darn if i can remember it! Something about ocd being repetitive things you are driven to do that keep you from living regular life, and hoarding - is not that. Youre not staying home washing your hands or checking that stuff is unplugged.

The bit about needing deep psychotherapy - the point was that (i read) you couldnt just get like the hoarders tv show to come in and clean up and expect to be cured, because the problem is more internal / psychological, not just external, one and done. I wasnt saying anything about whether or not there are or should be specialists. I just read that they had only seen any success with people in long term therapy, so i was like, okay, then i'm doing the right thing for it, gee who knew

Jan 03, 2015, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lolagrace

Isn't it a particular manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

I think there has been research which shows it might not be a manifestation of ocd.

Hoarding is extremely difficult to treat because people who suffer from it rarely admit it is a problem and you can't really treat someone who doesn't think they need help.

UnderRugSwept · Jan 03, 2015, 07:00 PM

I thought this link was interesting...

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) - Hoarding Center

Jan 03, 2015, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anne2.0

What's so special about a hoarding disorder that it needs a specialist?

I get why Hankster sees it in terms of the deep work of therapy, but it does seem any different than any other dysfunction about ourselves or our lifestyles that we want and need to change.

Um, it seems therapy that helps most involves a therapist who will come to your house and work with you there and how many therapists will do that?

UnderRugSwept · Jan 03, 2015, 07:10 PM

And the DSM-5 has Hoarding Disorder listed seperately:

http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Obsess...ct%20Sheet.pdf

unaluna · Jan 03, 2015, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puzzle_bug1987

Um, it seems therapy that helps most involves a therapist who will come to your house and work with you there and how many therapists will do that?

I have photographed every corner of my apartment and shown it to my t. That in itself is interesting. It brings him into the space, and it gives me perspective. I do before and after pics when i have an after to show.

I cant imagine my t sorting thru my stuff! Or sitting with me while i do it. He moves too fast. I like to take my time. He doesnt need to see my stuff. Whoa why am i freaking out??!!

BonnieJean · Jan 03, 2015, 08:28 PM

No he doesn't, H. And that you've control over him not seeing your stuff.
.
Almost any show on Hoarders I've seen involves the hoard being a compensation or adaptive behavior for dealing for some type of loss or the inability to process that loss in a meaningful way.

angelene · Jan 03, 2015, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsewhere

And the DSM-5 has Hoarding Disorder listed seperately:

http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Obsess...ct%20Sheet.pdf

So I was wrong! I'm a hoarder and I have OCD. Guess I'll have to make a small edit to my signature.

Topiarysurvivor · Jan 03, 2015, 08:37 PM

[QUOTE=Anne2.0;4189549]What's so special about a hoarding disorder that it needs a specialist?

It is now a separate category in thr DSM now I believe. And I think It woukd be good to have a therapist who had some experience with this, if not someone who specializes. There is hoarding , and then behavior that has all the characteristics of hoarding, but different reasons for it beginning...

I found a personal organizer online- there is a professional orgazization for organizers who specialize in hoarding and chronic disorganization and ADHD. She has worked with me for about a total of 6 days over the ladt year. i have made major progress. It wasn't till I shared this experience with my therapist that i felt she took notice.

Topiarysurvivor · Jan 03, 2015, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelene

So I was wrong! I'm a hoarder and I have OCD. Guess I'll have to make a small edit to my signature.

It was only separated out last May. Do you like having a separate diagnosis? Does it make sense?

Topiarysurvivor · Jan 03, 2015, 08:49 PM

My therapist did have a helpful thought which
I use on myself sometimes - she asked me if I thought most prople attached so much meaning to objects .

There is an interesting book - I think titled something like " Boarder Hoarders" . About just that - people have hoading like behaviors but not the whole issue, and those who find themselves having to weed through way more stuff , usually because of deaths or divorces , than they can possibly handle. I ended up with the contents of 3 different BIG house in my 1500 sq feet last year . i already had packrat tendencies, and had a lot of trouble letting go if things that belonged to family members, art or building supplies. The last was learned from my parents, who went through the depression - lots of factors.

Get help!! Don't be embarrassed ! So hard to actually do, I know.

Anne2.0 · 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puzzle_bug1987

Um, it seems therapy that helps most involves a therapist who will come to your house and work with you there and how many therapists will do that?

I disagree that there is any conclusive scientific evidence that "house" therapy is best for hoarders.

Anne2.0 · Jan 03, 2015, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topiarysurvivor

It is now a separate category in thr DSM now I believe. And I think It woukd be good to have a therapist who had some experience with this, if not someone who specializes. There is hoarding , and then behavior that has all the characteristics of hoarding, but different reasons for it beginning...

There is experience and there is specialization. In my town with 200,000 people, a large university with a top clinical psych program, a social worker program and more than 100 therapists, there is no one who advertises on psych today as having a specialty in hoarding. So these folks are SOL ?

I just disagree that every disorder listed in the DSM V needs its own specialist. I think that therapy is less of a science and more of an art, and too much specialization isn't always a good thing, especially in a problem that has many potential sources and manifestations.

sabby · Jan 03, 2015, 11:31 PM

The OP's question is "Does anyone have a T that treats Hoarding Disorders?".

The OP was not asking if one believes there should or shouldn't be a T who specializes in hoarding. Please, let's keep the posting supportive to the subject of this thread.

Thanks!

InRealLife45 · Jan 04, 2015, 12:38 AM

[QUOTE=Topiarysurvivor;4189731]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anne2.0

What's so special about a hoarding disorder that it needs a specialist?

It is now a separate category in thr DSM now I believe. And I think It woukd be good to have a therapist who had some experience with this, if not someone who specializes. There is hoarding , and then behavior that has all the characteristics of hoarding, but different reasons for it beginning...

I found a personal organizer online- there is a professional orgazization for organizers who specialize in hoarding and chronic disorganization and ADHD. She has worked with me for about a total of 6 days over the ladt year. i have made major progress. It wasn't till I shared this experience with my therapist that i felt she took notice.

Can you link me to their website?

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