TEMPE, Ariz. – Hoarding — it seems like such an odd problem — people who just refuse to throw anything away. But it’s a problem that’s growing and can even be very dangerous. There are reality TV shows about hoarders, and it’s nothing to laugh at either. It’s an addiction to stuff — a mental condition that could be putting the hoarders’ lives at risk in more ways than one. There is a difference between being messy and having a mental illness, according to professionals who have seen the problem time and time again. “Hoarding has just become an explosive thing over the last couple of years,” said Debbie Meyer, of the Arizona Hoarding Task Force. Meyer moves seniors and their things to smaller locations later in life, which means a house that was once a home can turn into a hoarding nightmare. But as the items pile up around the hoarder, who buys in bulk in an addictive fashion, Meyer said the hoarder is very likely a victim. “A traumatic experience — death, divorce, child dying, child being incarcerated — so they become hoarders because it’s their safety, and instead of food, it’s their safety,” Meyer said. But safety from stuff might be creating a different kind of danger — combustible materials. Tempe Fire Department, for example, has had to fight at least four hoarding-related fires in the last six months after too much mess on top of furniture began to burn. “A sofa, chairs, tables (should be in a home) — not stacks of newspapers and other combustible materials that normally get thrown away, but are still in the house, stacked lots of times all thTEMPE, Ariz. – Hoarding — it seems like such an odd problem — people who just refuse to throw anything away. But it’s a problem that’s growing and can even be very dangerous. There are reality TV shows about hoarders, and it’s nothing to laugh at either. It’s an addiction to stuff — a mental condition that could be putting the hoarders’ lives at risk in more ways than one. There is a difference between being messy and having a mental illness, according to professionals who have seen the problem time and time again. “Hoarding has just become an explosive thing over the last couple of years,” said Debbie Meyer, of the Arizona Hoarding Task Force. Meyer moves seniors and their things to smaller locations later in life, which means a house that was once a home can turn into a hoarding nightmare. But as the items pile up around the hoarder, who buys in bulk in an addictive fashion, Meyer said the hoarder is very likely a victim. “A traumatic experience — death, divorce, child dying, child being incarcerated — so they become hoarders because it’s their safety, and instead of food, it’s their safety,” Meyer said. But safety from stuff might be creating a different kind of danger — combustible materials. Tempe Fire Department, for example, has had to fight at least four hoarding-related fires in the last six months after too much mess on top of furniture began to burn. “A sofa, chairs, tables (should be in a home) — not stacks of newspapers and other combustible materials that normally get thrown away, but are still in the house, stacked lots of times all the way to the ceiling,” said Tempe Fire Investigator Mike Kuehl. “Literally, hoarders have been found buried under their stuff, and it’s very, very sad,” Meyer said. This is a real problem, and there are support groups, as with any addiction. Online: Arizona Hoarding Task Force: www.azhoarding.come way to the ceiling,” said Tempe Fire Investigator Mike Kuehl. “Literally, hoarders have been found buried under their stuff, and it’s very, very sad,” Meyer said. This is a real problem, and there are support groups, as with any addiction. Online: Arizona Hoarding Task Force: www.azhoarding.com
Watch the video here: http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/health/hoarding-could-be-harmful-to-you-and-your-home-05082011
