The Secret Lives of Hoarders

217 Pages·2011·4.37 MB·English

by  Matt Paxton

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Foreword
Introduction

Chapter 1 - WHAT IS HOARDING?
Chapter 2 - WHY PEOPLE HOARD
Chapter 3 - WHERE TO BEGIN
Chapter 4 - THE PLAN: LAYING THE GROUND - WORK
Chapter 5 - THE PLAYERS: RECRUITING A TEAM
Chapter 6 - THE CLEANUP
Chapter 7 - STAYING CLEAN

EPILOGUE
RESOURCES
Acknowledgements
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
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Copyright © 2011 by Matt Paxton

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Paxton, Matt.
The secret lives of hoarders : true stories of tackling extreme clutter / Matt Paxton with Phaedra Hise.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN : 978-1-10151488-7
1. Compulsive hoarding—United States—Case studies. 2. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. I. Hise, Phaedra.
II. Title.
RC569.5.H63 .P398
616.85’227—dc22
2011002678
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specific needs. For details, write: Special Markets, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New
York, New York 10014.
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I dedicate this book to my wife, Sarah. Very simply, you are everything to me.
Thank you for falling in love with a penniless trash man who said he was writing
a book. You are an amazing mother and wife and you are gorgeous. I love you.
Matt

For Lily, my junior hoarder.
Phaedra
FOREWORD
Compulsive hoarding is more than just a hot topic in the media today. It is a
long-neglected disorder that plagues millions of people. It is manifested in
multiple forms, from hoarding dolls to animals to food, and has multiple causes
and outcomes. Hoarding is complex and frustrating for everyone it affects, and it
takes away human potential for a safer and more rewarding life.
Hoarding is not a private concern. It affects husbands, wives, companions,
parents, children, best friends, neighbors, and animals. It sometimes involves
expensive public services, such as code enforcement, fire and emergency
services, disability benefits, and legal resources: all supported directly or
indirectly by public funds. We are all touched in some way by this growing
problem.
Hoarding tendencies often get worse after a traumatic event, and without
intercession mild hoarding becomes more severe; it is just a matter of time.
Unless someone reaches out to the hoarder, the disorder continues to grow like
bacteria in a weakened body. Treating compulsive hoarding is a unique
challenge. Unlike other addictions such as using drugs or alcohol, acquiring and
keeping objects are behaviors necessary to maintain daily life. It can be difficult
to determine when that normal behavior crosses the line into hoarding.
Families of hoarders are often asked, “Why didn’t you do something to stop
this?” or, “How could you allow your loved one to live this way?” Usually the
truth is that they tried and were shut out, sometimes permanently exiled from the
hoarder’s house. Hoarders often feel threatened, unloved, harassed, and
misunderstood; family members feel rejected, ignored, or scolded; neighbors
feel annoyed, unsafe, and alarmed. Nobody seems to know what to do.
The Secret Lives of Hoarders is a compelling and compassionate guide to this
disorder. Matt Paxton brings understanding and empathy to hoarders and their
families who are fighting the battle against clutter, and he knows what it takes to
minimize its assault on human life. He is a person of heart and practicality who
knows how to reach hoarders and their families. He has learned how to involve
public, community, and professional services. He recognizes that hoarders are
often victims of an internal process that leaves them helpless when they don’t
have the benefit of involvement from professionals and a loving, supportive
family. He understands the characteristics that hoarders have in common as well