The Important Differences Between Cluttering And Hoarding
Hoarding and cluttering are not the same things, but many people think they are, in fact, there is a big difference between the two. You see, when someone hoards, they have no way to think rationally if an item should or should not be thrown away, since it is easier to just keep everything than make such a decision, so they do and thus hoarding begins.
What Makes Hoarding and Cluttering different?
Lots of people have clutter problems, which is when the person allows clutter to pile up over days or weeks and does not clean it as they go along. The difference with someone that just clutters is that they do not have a fear of giving away unneeded items or throwing things out. They do not obsess over their things and have no emotional attachment to their items, but they simply are unorganized even though they know how to fix the clutter in their homes, they continue to clutter and then eventually declutter.
Psychological Reasons for Hoarding
Psychologists have recognized triggers in people that tend to hoard and why people allow the hoarding to get so out of control. The characteristics that psychologists have recognized in hoarders include:
* Hoarders tend to live alone and are single
* The things they hoard have an emotional meaning and they can become attached to the items
* Regular cleaning often is no longer able to be performed as the hoarding and cluttering gets out of hand they can no longer find the bathroom floors or counters
* Dishes tends to be dirty and overflowing out of the sink, which draws bugs and ants
* It seems many hoarders also have pets and when the clutter grows so high, they can no longer clean up after their animals, which of course makes the living conditions less than healthy
* The house the hoarder lives in often smells poorly due to it being unclean and pets not cleaned up after
When You Recognize Hoarding
If you have recognized you have a hoarding and clutter problem you are in a far better place to get help because many hoarders cannot admit they have a problem. If you have been hoarding for years and your home is not easy to move about in, you would do best to call in the professionals to have it professionally decluttered and cleaned.
Final Thoughts
If you have a problem with hoarding and clutter, realize that you are not alone and there is help out there that can come in and make your home livable again. Once you get the clutter out, then you can find the tools you need to learn why you hoard and how to prevent it in the future so that you can have a clutter-free home.
About the Author
Interested in more information about hoarding and cluttering then visit our website for more free articles and a free mini-course. We have written some unique articles on many areas of hoarding and cluttering - especially how to declutter your house, rooms and more. Visit us now here: http://www.RidClutterNow.com
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here