Downsizing: The Politically Correct Term for “Get Rid of Your Junk”!
We recently saw a program on families who have problems with hoarding and I was thankful that throwing out unused stuff is not one of my issues. But I have known people, even family members, who have this legitimate, serious problem and know how embarrassing and frustrating it can be for everyone in the family.
The program I watched was reassuring as it showed families dealing with the problem. Just my opinion, but I don’t see hoarding to be a source of embarrassment any more than one of a number of other illnesses. I’m not a medical professional and going out on a limb to say that hoarding is a type of mental illness. However, in spite of the pain, frustration, fear, even loss
resulting from various illnesses, there is no shame in an illness itself. Help is available if and when an individual is ready for the help and hopefully there will be a friend and/or family member to provide additional support.
We felt encouragement on behalf of several different individuals to see families who found different psychologists to help them and their loved ones work through the underlying causes of the hoarding issues and provide support
for the individuals asking for help.
Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company
Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
www.50andholding.info
I am a realtor in Venice Florida and have witnessed hoarding on many levels. The emotional attachment to things can run deep and the cause can vary. Some individuals have lived though the depression era where you just didn’t throw things way. You recycled them-eventually. Professional help could be the answer for some severe cases. I have always thought the hoarder might be able to let go if these things could find another worthy home. For example one of the most obvious ways of downsizing is to have a garage sale and turn the items to cash- hopefully not to buy more things. Another option is to donate items to the homeless, especially clothing. If possible visit a shelter first hand, thereby seeing the need for themselves. In our area there are several individuals who feed the homeless in a county park and they gladly distribute clothing at the same time. Homeless people have no way of washing clothes and therefore go thru them quicker than you or I would. This new spirit of giving and witnessing the good it will do could turn the tide and begin a positive new outlook. It is just a thought.
Serving Venice & Sarasota County