This Hoarder Finally Got Help

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

For many years my husband and I lived with his terrible secret: He was a hoarder.

Some of his early signs of hoarding were:

* He experienced a lot of indecision, anxiety and procrastination when trying to throw something away.

* It took him hours to clean out something like a closet or chest of drawers. He would often stop in the middle of the project and begin doing something else.

* He rationalized keeping worn-out clothes and shoes by saying that he might need a particular item some day or that eventually he would sell it in a garage sale, which never happened.

* He had trouble throwing away magazines or newspapers after finding an article or story that he believed he might need someday.

* He kept old, broken and worn-out electronic equipment.

* He bought two, three or even four of the same items at the same time, saying he wanted backups.

* Perhaps one of the deadliest signs of things to come was when I told him that it was either me or his junk. He did make an attempt to sort out and get rid of things, but in the end there was nothing to get rid of; things had been simply hidden in an empty nook or cranny.

After his problem became full blown, we could not have family or guests visit us, and repairmen were not welcome because of the embarrassment of what they would see. Rats, mice, a few snakes and millions of bugs moved in with us. We had to walk through the house in little trails between waist- or even shoulder-high piles of clutter. Our home, now a mega flea market, was a terrible fire hazard, unsanitary and very depressing.

He finally agreed to professional help, which included medication and cognitive behavior therapy.

He began to improve gradually and started the long process of change. We found out that as many as 2 million Americans may be hoarders.

Please pass this on to your readers in hope that it may help someone who is a hoarder and wants to change.

— A reader in California

Dear Reader:

Thank you for sharing this information. There is hope for hoarders who admit they have a problem, want to change and seek professional help.