How Does Hoarding/Excess Collecting Impact Asthma?
Hoarding can range from mild to severe. Sometimes, it may not affect your life, but other times it can make it hard to function in your house or apartment.
What is hoarding?
Mayo Clinic defines hoarding as having a hard time throwing things away because you think you need to save them. You might be upset with the thought of getting rid of things. And you might slowly save a huge number of items and not notice how big the piles are getting.
How did those piles get so big?!
Hoarding can make it hard to use your house if you only have a small pathway to get from room to room, and piles are taking over your stove, sink, countertops, bed, etc.
Symptoms of hoarding are:
- Having a hard time organizing
- Avoiding or delaying decisions, and trying to be perfect
- Feeling a need to save items and getting upset by the thought of getting rid of them
- Buying and keeping too many things that you can't use right now and you don't have room for it
- Ongoing hard time throwing out or donating things (no matter how much they cost)
When the house or apartment fills up, your clutter can spread to the garage, yard, shed, or car.
Those piles may not bother the person who lives there, but the family or friends might worry.
How is hoarding different from collecting?
People who collect model cars, stamps, or other items carefully search for specific items. The collections are clean, organized and displayed in a way people can easily see the collection. They usually aren't cluttered, don't cause distress, and don't stop people from using areas of their house.
Hoarding is when you have unorganized piles of clothes, paperwork, sentimental items, food, trash, and books. The piles crowd your walkways and living areas, making them hard to use. Like not being able to sleep in your bed due to piles taking up the room.
You may think your piles are yours, and no one else should worry about them. But did you know that when you live in a house or apartment with lots of piles, it can be a health hazard?
When is hoarding a health hazard?
Disorganized piles with food or trash can cause health hazards. You can have an infestation of mice, rats, and cockroaches. Cockroaches can cause food poisoning, allergic reactions, and even asthma attacks. Yikes!
Wild rodents can cause hantavirus, a severe lung disease that can be fatal. Double yikes.
You can also trip and fall over piles of things you have saved. If you get hurt when you fall, you might not be able to get back up again. And rescuers may not be able to get to you.
Piles of papers, books, etc that block heat vents can be a fire hazard, and blocked doors or windows can make it hard to escape if a fire starts.
Hoarding can also cause mold when the air can't circulate through the house.
Animal and human urine and feces can cause high levels of ammonia to build up, and can harm people with heart of lung problems like asthma.
Treating hoarding disorders
People who hoard can also have anxiety, depression, and social phobia. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has put hoarding under the umbrella of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
The person who is hoarding may not see a problem, but friends and family may worry and see the unhealthy living conditions.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) can help. It's a type of talk therapy where a trained therapist can help the person who is hoarding. Spending time talking about behaviors, thoughts, and emotions can help the person to manage their piles of belongings. They can learn about organizing, decision making, sorting and throwing away, or donating items.
It can also help to learn relaxation techniques.
Support from family and friends can help the person as they cope with their hoarding disorder. It will take time, but each small step can make the house or apartment safer and healthier place to live.
Keep supporting them and hopefully they can make small changes in their house or apartment, which may help their asthma.
Hugs,
Andrea
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