This article was co-authored by Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO® and by How.com.vn staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A.. Marty Stevens-Heebner is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and Founder of Clear Home Solutions, a home organizing and senior moving management company based in Southern California. Marty is the President of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), with certifications in Senior and Specialty Move Management, Professional Organizing, and Aging in Place. Clear Home Solutions was the first nationally accredited firm in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Marty is the first Certified Senior Move Manager (SMM-C) in the United States and has been acknowledged as a Hoarding Specialist and ADHD Specialist through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. Marty also hosts How to Move Your Mom (and still be on speaking terms afterward), a podcast dedicated to later life and all its idiosyncrasies. She received her B.A. in History from Cornell University and an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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Hoarding is officially recognized as a mental health disorder characterized by an excessive buildup of belongings that leads to a cramped, unorganized, and unhealthy living space. But while hoarding tendencies may have some common characteristics, the severity of someone’s hoarding disorder can vary greatly. Keep reading to better understand the 5 levels of hoarding and learn common symptoms of hoarding disorder. If you suspect someone you know to be suffering from hoarding disorder, or if you think you may have hoarding tendencies, this article can act as a baseline as you look further into hoarding disorder and its effects.
Things You Should Know
- The most mild case of hoarding disorder (Level 1) is characterized by light clutter that doesn’t drastically affect daily life.
- Level 2 marks a sharp descent from Level 1's clutter and includes unpleasant odors and non-functioning electrical or plumbing systems.
- At the turning point (Level 3), the clutter in a person’s home takes over both the interior and exterior, and they can no longer use spaces for their intended purposes.
- In the most severe cases (Levels 4 and 5), hoarding can result in an uninhabitable living space that poses serious risks to a person’s health and safety.
Steps
Expert Q&A
References
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/assets/ICDPublications/C-HS/ICD%C2%AE%20C-HS%C2%AE%202021%20Full%20Version.pdf
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356056
- ↑ https://hoarding.iocdf.org/about-hoarding/is-it-hoarding-clutter-collecting-or-squalor/
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356062
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