Hoarding Awareness Week 2021: What is hoarding?

To kick start Hoarding Awareness Week, we thought it would be useful to define what hoarding is and how you can support someone who hoards.

Mind, the charity, have a great resource which explains hoarding, including possible causes and how a person can access treatment and support.

It also includes helpful tips for people who hoard, for professionals and for friends and family members of people who hoard.

In addition, the International OCD Foundation have created several videos about hoarding, including what it is, the difference between collecting and hoarding, causes and signs of hoarding, help for family/friends/carers of people who hoard, and managing hoarding in the time of Covid-19.

These videos are short and provide a useful insight into the topic and how you can respond to hoarding behaviour. You can view them here: Hoarding Disorder - YouTube

Alternatively, the NHS has created a webpage about hoarding.

This page is useful as it goes into possible treatment options for hoarding in the UK, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and advises how the treatment can be accessed. It can be viewed here: Hoarding disorder - NHS (www.nhs.uk)