How to tell the difference between hoarding and clutter
It's the time of year when we accumulate the most stuff. When we do, people often throw around the word "hoarding." But it turns out it's a frequently misunderstood term.
Therapist Jayme Kolbo spends time helping people who are stuck with piles and often stuck in their homes.
"I think the biggest one is that everyone with hoarding disorder is just like, lazy or disorganized. A lot of times, people with hoarding disorder are have a lot of difficulty with executive functioning," Kolbo said. "It's not laziness, it really is these behaviors of excessive acquisition, so buying things excessively, feels really good. It's self-reinforcing. And it just becomes excessive and too much and interferes with functioning of the home."
The difference between clutter and hoarding, Kolbo says, is that hoarding impedes use of the space.
Katie Fetterly knows the difference. She's an avid collector, but knows there's a line. She's experienced hoarding through family.
"Their home was packed. had enough clutter to fill 730 yard dumpsters. Think of the biggest garage sale you've ever seen and then double it," Fetterly said. "It's really difficult to get someone to let go unless they have the willingness. You can't say, 'Hey, come on, throw it away.' No, you can't, because things have meaning to people."
Kolbo says she helps her clients identify the reasons it is difficult to get rid of their stuff.
"The work that I do in therapy with clients, is identifying those reasons, letting them speak to why is this thing difficult. What's behind that," she said. "This clothing is like a human kind of and if I get rid of it, I'm just, like, getting rid of this thing that gave me warmth."
Kolbo says there's a spectrum from clutter to hoarding, which is an official mental disorder.
"There's estimates of, like, 2 to 6% of the population, but actually that's probably a lot higher, because it's so hidden," she said. "It's the rule, not the exception, that there's usually another mental health diagnosis. A lot of times, individuals with hoarding disorder will have some type of trauma in their past. There can be, like ADHD, executive functioning kind of difficulties and then anxiety."
While clutter can be powerful, so can the human spirit.
"There's hope and there is healing, and there's community, and people are so not alone in this," Kolbo said.
The Minnesota Hoarding Task Force has resources for people who struggle with hoarding and their families.