The Rise of a New Disease: 4 Real Health Hazards of Hoarding

This is a guest post written by Dixie Somers. Although this blog shares in her opinion, the staff of this blog does not endorse any products or services that the guest poster may be providing.

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Hoarding is a newly recognized disease. Most of us have know what hoarding is because of the show on TV. But hoarding is much more than entertainment. It’s a real disease. Hoarders get so attached to their possessions that they can’t let go no matter how much it affects their well being or that of others. Their compulsive behavior causes them to isolate themselves, lose living space, have marital or family problems, and experience health and financial problems.

 

Acquiring Diseases

Storing hoarded items cause so much clutter that makes it becomes almost impossible to clean. This can be a pile of paper, rotting food, empty containers, or even animals. Because of this obsession, hoarders forget about maintaining the house and regular cleaning habits that most people employ. These lead to unsanitary living conditions that may increase risk of acquiring diseases, especially if the person is hoarding animals and is failing to clean up after the animals in the home. Acquiring the disease from rotting food, animal feces, or unsanitary living conditions is a real health hazard that hoarders can face.

 

Injuries

One danger that may be encountered due to excessive clutter is tripping or falling over a pile of objects. These may block hallways, doorways, or regular passage ways, making it hard for people to navigate in their home. Aside from this, they may step on broken glass or metals that may cause injury. They may not be able to see dangerous things under stacks of items. Moreover, when stored items are piled too high, they may fall and harm someone. Piles of hoarded items often prevent people from coming in a house or a particular room.

 

Poor Nutrition

Hoarders live in a world of their own and they often neglect to eat the proper food at the right time. Hoarders also might not have access to healthy foods because their piles of junk get in the way of preparing the food. Hoarders often don’t clean up after themselves, creating more piles of junk. Malnutrition is a concern for some serious hoarders. Hoarders often become obsessed with their piles, neglecting everything else in their lives.

 

Mental Health Problems

They are unable to socialize, organize, solve problems, or make decisions, which can all be made worse by their increasing piles. Often, they have delusions plus feelings of anxiety, depression, and fearfulness. Hoarders often need more help than family members can offer, so it is helpful to consult a professional for most people struggling with a serious hoarding problem. Hoarding is a legitimate mental problem, and it should be treated as such by all those wanting to help a hoarder.

 

One of the best solutions to hoarding is the use of a storage unit. Decluttering a hoarder’s home by throwing away the trash in the piles and storing the less important but necessary items in a storage unit, like Corona CA storage units. As they pack up and throw away some of their stuff, they are slowly detaching themselves from these possessions, letting go of their emotional attachments.

 

Author Bio

This article was written by Dixie Somers on behalf of extraspace.com. For more information on storage units in Corona, CA, visit their website at: http://www.extraspace.com/Storage/Facilities/US/New_Mexico/Albuquerque/501524/Facility.aspx

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1st image: Dixie Somers || 2nd image: BuzzFarmers

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