Hoarding Ice-Breaker Form-Free Resource

Hoarding Ice-Breaker Form – Because life's too short for your health to be ruled by hoarding, clutter or disorganisation

Many people feel too embarrassed or stigmatised to talk about how unwell they feel because of issues related to clutter, disorganisation or hoarding behaviours, or how much it’s adversely affecting their lives.

If they have have nobody to talk to who they feel they can trust, it can become such a problem that homes become dysfunctional (eg. without heating or hot water, limited/no access to a toilet, etc) or unsafe to themselves and others (eg. others living in the property or neighbours) due to fire risks; slip, trip or fall hazards; mould or infestations (eg. mice, bed bugs, etc).

They may have so many possessions that they rent off-site storage units; store items in gardens, sheds, etc, or end up sleeping in their car. It can tear families apart, and if people become so unwell they are admitted to hospital, it may not be possible to discharge them because their home is too unsafe for them to return to; this can lead to other patients having to wait for beds to become available (known as “bed-blocking”).