How to Help Hoarder in Your Life to Let Go

Are you at your wits’ end with a family member or friend who is a hoarder? It can be an emotionally charged and frustrating situation for everyone involved. Do you want to know how to help hoarder, but don’t know how? Here are some tips on how to get started.

Talk to your loved one about their feelings and what is driving them to hold on to everything

Having a supportive friend or family member to talk to can play a vital role in helping someone who hoards get their home organized. Discussing the feelings and thoughts that may be driving the person to hold onto so much is an important first step. When talking, it’s important to focus on understanding and getting to the root of why they are feeling like they need to keep everything. Listening without judgment will show your loved one you care and will help them feel more comfortable in expressing themselves honestly. Having helpful conversations and emotional support can go a long way in reducing stress and ensuring a successful clean-out process is underway.

Help them to see that they can still keep the things that are important to them without hanging on to every single item

Working with a hoarder to help them clean out their home can be an emotional and challenging task. Keeping in mind that many hoarders feel safe and secure having their items, it’s important to approach the process with sensitivity by helping them to realize that they can keep the things that truly mean something to them without retaining every single item. Through patience, understanding, and open communication, you can empower your friend to take control of their lives and find space for the things they truly cherish.

Work with them to create a plan for decluttering their home, bit by bit

Working with a hoarder to declutter their home can seem like an impossibility, but breaking the task down into smaller, more manageable pieces can be a great way to move forward. Establishing a plan of action with them and making sure to keep it manageable – such as starting in one room and taking just an hour or two each day – will help them feel empowered and in control of their own space. Reaching out for additional help if needed by talking to therapists or specialized cleaning services can also go far in taking on this daunting task. If needed, contacting a junk removal service can also help, as they can take care of bigger objects or bigger projects and can help with the more significant efforts. Making sure that the one you’re helping is involved in every aspect of the planning process will give them ownership over their home, setting them on the path to rebuilding a sense of security within their space.

Be patient and understanding as your loved one goes through the process of letting go

Working through a hoarding situation is an emotionally-challenging task, and it’s important to be understanding and patient with your hoarding loved one. Wondering how to help hoarder? It often takes time for them to feel comfortable enough to let go of items they feel attached to or possessions that make them feel secure and safe. What may seem like a simple conversation about discarding unwanted things for someone else can be incredibly difficult for someone accustomed to hoarding. With patience, compassion, and a supportive attitude, most hoarders can eventually look through their items more objectively and decide which ones belong in the keep pile and which should be discarded. Working together with patience and understanding makes it possible to successfully clear out a hoarder’s home.

Offer support and assistance throughout the entire process

Supporting someone you care about through the process of cleaning up a hoarded home can be an emotionally taxing experience. One essential focus should be to ensure that both you and the hoarder have a support network to help provide needed comfort and understanding throughout the entire process. Offering practical help, whether it’s through hands-on assistance with clean-ups or finding additional resources for the person dealing with hoarding, can help to assure them as they move forward. Building trust during this period is also important to ensure success, as communication and collaboration are key. Working together towards a safe living environment is possible when it is done within an atmosphere of support, patience, and understanding.

If you have a loved one who is a hoarder, it can be difficult to know how to help hoarder in the best way. The most important thing you can do is to talk to them about their feelings and what is driving them to hold on to everything. Help them to see that they can still keep the things that are important to them without hanging on to every single item. Work with them to create a plan for decluttering their home, bit by bit. Be patient and understanding as the hoarder goes through the process of letting go. Offer support and assistance throughout the entire process. It can be terribly difficult, but it’s likely that you can be the means through which they can return to a more healthy lifestyle.