I was having a conversation with a new friend who was curious to know more about HALO. “How do you know whether someone’s home is cluttered, whether they’re just a great collector or an actual hoarder?” she asked. What a great question, I thought to myself, hoarding vs clutter. Let’s break it down.

Every now and again we have a client who will protest their hoarder status suggesting that their home is just cluttered or that their hoarded items are merely part of a collection. However, there are key differences between clutter, collecting and hoarding. 

Hoarding vs Clutter

It is considered normal to have clutter around our homes. Clutter refers to when items around our living spaces become disorganized and may accumulate where they do not belong. For example, in our house our kitchen island seems to be the first place for clutter to appear. Keys, bills, the remote, a stray water bottle, hair elastics, a roll of tape, sunglasses, and the list goes on. Each of these belongings has a place where they are supposed to be but through the hustle and bustle of the holidays especially, they are less likely to find their way “home”. This clutter is a nuisance but is not harmful to our family.

Collecting

I have an Italian friend (living here in KW) who had the opportunity to visit her extended family in Italy back in 2006. She has an uncle who through his career and into his retirement collected salt-water shells. In 2006 his collection was one of the biggest in Europe (despite living in one of the smallest apartments she’d ever seen); he had over 100,000 shells. Each was individually tagged and categorized – he had built shelves and storage drawers which neatly lined the entirety of a small office in his home. He also had custom built shelves and boxes in their garage. To complement his collection he had ledgers with records of when he acquired each piece, its name, and classification of shell among other information. He is a great example of a collector. Each shell, each collection possession, is part of a larger set of items and storage and display of his collection did not impede any active living areas in his home.

Hoarding

In the homes of our clients with hoarding disorder we see a few unique characteristics that set them apart from cluttered homes or collectors. Hoarded items generally do not have a specific theme and often are not acquired by our clients in a planned fashion; it can happen excessively in many shapes and forms. These items take over their living spaces and prevent these rooms and areas from being used the way they were intended – this ends up affecting our client’s ability to cook, eat, relax, sleep and even move freely through their homes. Our clients report that they are not able to get rid of anything and not adding to their hoard causes them to feel distressed. One reason HALO is called in to help is because the state of their home impacts the safety of the people within it (and sometimes the safety of others in surrounding homes as well). Many of our clients with hoarding disorder find it difficult to recognize that they have this disorder and to ask for help because they have such strong feelings and reasons behind why they acquire items and let them sit around their home.

Signs of Trouble: When To Get Help

If you or a loved one are wondering when it might be time to call HALO or a company like us, here are some questions you can ask:

• Do your items prevent you from having people over?
• Does acquiring your items prevent you from having enough money for other essentials like food, rent/ mortgage, clothing or paying your bills?
• Are you unable to move freely through your living spaces due to the buildup of items?
• Do your items cause conflicts between yourself and others in your home?
• Do you have a strong urge to save and/ or acquire new items?
• Are you unable to discard or donate items even if you know they have no value?
• Do you feel emotionally distressed when thinking about discarding things?

If you answered yes to any of these it does not mean that you are a hoarder or that you have hoarding disorder, but it does mean that you may want to reflect on the role these items have in your life and if you need someone to help you. 

Clutter is normal but if your clutter makes it hard for you to carry out normal life or creates unsafe living conditions you may have transitioned from clutter to hoarding; this often happens gradually.

Remember that no matter what stage of clutter or hoarding your home happens to be in, HALO is here to help. We focus on who you are as a person and work alongside you to accomplish your goals – no matter how small or big. You are a whole person, you are worthy of respect, you are in control and we are happy to walk with you towards a healthier version of yourself.