3. See the stories submitted by Children of Hoarders and other family members. In 2006 when this site started, stories from others in hoarding situations (especially COH!) were hard to come by. Now, especially with all the media on hoarding, that is no longer the case. We asked site visitors to submit their experiences if they chose, so others could see they aren’t alone. (We no longer ask for them, but feel free to send yours in if you’d like us to post it.) READ TRACY’S STORY Watch a video made from story excepts here.
4. Do you have Doorbell Dread and/or anxiety at having guests come over? Don’t worry, lots of other COH do too. Here are some tips to help with that. Do you isolate ? Feel guilty ?
5. You can join the COH Yahoo Group only for Children of Hoarders (spouses of COH are welcome too) and talk to others in the same situations, get advice, vent, share, learn, grow. Please, *only* apply to join this group if you are a COH or spouse of a COH. Our unofficial theme song: Bless The Beasts & The Children Former bedroom of a daughter of a hoarder
6. No, no, no-it's not a house filling up with trash! Click here , for the Story Behind Our Logo
7. A & E HOARDERS Fans A & E Hoarders site Watch Missed Episodes & Deleted Scenes A & E’s Hoarders Facebook Group New A & E Community Discussions Former A & E forum community archives HOARDERS on Twitter HOARDERS Discussion Forum on TWOP HOARDERS Show Digital Room Tour Buy A&E HOARDERS Episode DVDs
8. Books and DVD’s to learn more about hoarding See all books and DVD’s about Understanding Hoarding in the COH Site library
9. New book released Feb. 2010 about a teen COH and the challenges she faces:
10. Have you seen the movie, “My Mother’s Garden” * made by a daughter of a Hoarder? *Link to the Mymothersgardenmovie.com site is currently not working. You can purchase the full movie DVD here.
11. Read about Dr. Phil’s show; “ A Secret Inside-Extreme Hoarding ,” (he mentions the COH website in it):
12. Help the COH Site stay online with your donation. We are going into our 5 th year online and only exist through very appreciated donations from our visitors (no advertising): “ Skeleton in my mother’s closet. Really.” -photo courtesy of Daughter with a hoarding mother
13. Read the article, “ I Grew Up In This Mess,” featured in the August 2007 issue of Marie Claire Magazine where members of our Yahoo support Group were interviewed for the piece: (pdf-Portable Document Format)
14. Note: Any links that refer you to helpinghoarders.com are no good It’s just an ad site now-it used to be a domain for a site we (childrenofhoarders.com) maintained, but it was snatched up by an advertiser when the domain name expired and we don’t have the extra cash to buy it back from them. Thank you to all our visitors who take the time to report the broken links they find to us!
15. New informational DVD about Compulsive Hoarding, by Dr. Renae Reinardy, one of the therapists featured on A & E’s HOARDERS program:
16. Looking for a cleaning company who cleans hoarded homes in your area? Visit: www.hoardingcleanup.com to view their national database of companies. (not affiliated with this site, but we appreciate this service they are providing!)
17. To Learn more about Compulsive Hoarding, visit these highly regarded websites:
19. Looking for tips and advice shared by other COH on recovery from growing up in this environment? Join us as we plod our way through the Healing Forest: Books about recovery from dysfunctional childhood’s, recommended by COH Support Group Members:
20. Suggestions on things to show your hoarding loved one to open up a dialogue with them: Go to advice sent in by family members Go to How & When to help from various sources From Professionals: • New England Hoarding Consortium, June 2006 Newsletter ( pdf ). Page 5 gives some suggestions on how to talk about it with a person that hoards. Articles to pick a few to print for them? • Misc. Articles/Literature • General news stories about compulsive hoarding • Fire Hazards and hoarding Do they have a computer? • Online videos about hoarding to show them • Online audio about hoarding for them to listen to Other: • Remaining anonymous • Books to get them about Hoarding • Videos to order for them about Hoarding • Websites with compassion for them to explore • Inspiration » Tools for self-help Suggestions on things to print & show your parent-pick a few?: 107 Reasons Why People Hoard -sent in by those that do. A collection of posts from Squalor Survivors on " How To Start", or " Paper and Mail ". Posts from the Messiness & Hoarders Yahoo Group (with the permission of group owner or moderators) Fact Sheets about Hoarding A story about a nun who hoards, "Sister Elizabeth" "Saving The World " by Fred Penzel, Ph.D Is Compulsive Hoarding a Genetically and Neurobiologically Discrete Syndrome? American Journal of Psychiatry Sanjaya Saxena, M.D. Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Obsessive-Compulsive Hoarding Sanjaya Saxena, M.D. The American Journal of Psychiatry, June 2004 Brain region identified that controls collecting behavior "The UI team studied 86 people with focal brain lesions - very specific areas of brain damage - to see if damage to particular brain regions could account for abnormal collecting behavior." -Medical News Today, 12/04 Compulsive Clutter-In Depth Doctor Interview» (Sanjaya Saxena, M.D., Psychiatrist) Ivanhoe Broadcast News Interview February 8, 2007
22. (Enlarge to “Full Screen” to view this page) About & Understanding Compulsive Hoarding: Understanding Compulsive Hoarding Read Introduction to Hoarding. (pdf) Read Hoarding 101. (pdf) Read Hoarding from the Inside Out. (pdf) Read How & When to Intervene (pdf) Hoarding vs. Cluttering Fact Sheets 107 Reasons why AnimalHoarding Articles /literature to learn more What is anthropomorphism ? What does perfectionism have to do with it? Online videos /audio to learn more How is it classified as a disorder? Is it OCD? Genetics Results of genetic study 2007 Selected Research Abstracts Research Books: Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding- Author . Review. Buried in Treasures book . Workbook . Review . Therapists Guide for Hoarding. Chapter 1 . Review . COH Bookstore , books about hoarding & for COH Measurement Scales: Degrees of Squalor by Squalor Survivors Compulsive Hoarding Rating Scale by OCF (pdf) Treatment, Doctors, Self-help for Hoarders: Is there a cure ? How is it treated ? What to expect in treatment Where is it treated? Finding a therapist: ADAA , ACT , ABCT , OCD-LA OCD therapist list from Obsessive Compulsive Fndn. Attention Deficit therapist referrals For/help for, those that hoard: Do you think you have a Hoarding problem? Self-help tools for compulsive hoarders. 5 Stages of Change for Compulsive Hoarding Rating anxiety levels for Hoarders ( SUDS ) Cost-benefit analysis for Compulsive Hoarding Dysfunctional Thought Record Inspirational quotes for Compulsive Hoarders Questions to ask self while decluttering "Saving The World" article Support groups & treatment centers for Hoarders Anxiety disorders help links Online support groups , websites, books,for Hoarders
23. (Enlarge to “Full Screen” to view this page) Additional reading, videos: NE Hoarding Consortium newsletters: 2006, 2007 (search for online) Chapter 23 about Hoarding Readers Digest article 2/07, U.S ., Australia , U.K . ABC Medical Mysteries 1/07 News stories about Hoarding. Archives . (Stories no longer added to database (since 2008), so many other sites keep track now.) Oprah Show "Inside The Lives of Hoarders" 11/07 The Learning Channel videos: " Help I'm a Hoarder! “ From leaders in research: Q & A with mental health professionals Face Your Hoarding Tendencies teleclass DVDs Gail Steketee, Ph.D., online video -about hoarding. Sanjaya Saxena, M.D., video : Neurobiology of Hoarders Misc.: Firefighter Discussion forum: Compliance , " Collyer Mansions" Gift Giving Ideas for a person who hoards. Video . Links to others sites to learn from: links . (List not updated since 2009-there are so many now!) Peter Walsh talks about children of hoarders How Not To Raise A Hoarder Hoarding Presentations (Mass. Housing): Addressing Health & Safety Concerns of Hoarders Addressing Tenancy Preservation Needs Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Interventions Hoarding: Reasonable Accomodations /Court Involvement What it is, Indiv . & Public consequences, intervention How to talk to someone with a hoarding problem
