Hoarding – Another addiction

I watched a great documentary the other evening regarding a daughters struggle with her mother’s addiction to hoarding.   To me, it gave a very balanced view of the mental torment an addiction can have on both the addicted person themselves and the family members.  We often think that issues we have are our own and we don’t really reflect them onto others.  In some addictions because we keep them secret this can be especially so.

However with this addiction to hoarding where literally every room and surface in the multi-floored house was crammed full of, in even the hoarders perspective, mostly “tat” it is more obvious how it affects our nearest and dearest.  Other addictions are not so obvious and as other addictions are mostly about “I” and not “Us”,  little consideration is given to how our family and friends are coping with it.  This perpetuates the isolation an addicted person can feel and adds to the frustration and loss that their friends and family feel.    Sadly, as in the documentary, help can only be given when an addicted person wants and accepts it.  Again, sadly, this is often a long way after reaching the easier way back.    By dealing with a problem before it gets too out  of hand it can make a huge difference to recovery time.