Support for compulsive hoarders

There is very little support available for clutterers and compulsive hoarders. We've done the research and below is a summary of what we've found.

Self-help support groups
On-line support groups
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
General information on the web
Professional hands-on help
Books to read

Please contact us if there is anything you can add to this list.

Hoarding self-help support group in the UK

Currently, there is only ONE self-help support group in the whole of the UK. Run as part of OCD Action, it is professionally led by Satwant Singh who is a nurse consultant in CBT and Mental Health and a specialist in this field. He is donating his time and the meeting is open to those with obsessive hoarding issues, their families, friends and carers.

We been along to a meeting as observers and found a warm welcome along with a constructive and supportive atmosphere.

The group meets from 6 - 8pm on the last Wednesday of the month in East Ham, East London. More details on the OCD Action website.

Online support groups

For hoarders:

Yahoo H-C. For hoarders with OCD and a strong desire to improve their living spaces. To remain an active member you must post actions and responses
Yahoo Messiness and hoarding. A group of over 2000 members for whom hoarding is a significant problem and who want to change.
Yahoo Declutter support. Friendly on-line support for clutterers
Stepping out of squalor

Their families and friends:

Children of Hoarders. A support group for adult children of hoarders and their spouses.
Yahoo Friends, family of hoarders and clutterers. Small anonymous group
Yahoo Friends of hoarders.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Few CBT practitioners in the USA have any specialist training in compulsive hoarding and we are not aware of any specialists in the UK.

There is a directory of CBT therapists at CBT Register UK, some of whom treat obsessive compulsive disorders.

General information on the web

There are a number of websites on the internet that provide information and support for hoarders and their families.

Children of Hoarders - contains a wealth of information and videos
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation
Institute of Living
Squalor Survivors
Possessed. This is a short documentary film by Martin Hampton which is about four people with compulsive hoarding disorder.
Hoardhouse - compulsive clutter in New York, by a team of young journalists
Understanding compulsive hoarding - sadly not maintained at the moment.

Books to read on compulsive hoarding

We can only find less than half a dozen books written on the subject of compulsive hoarding. Three of these have been written by the same authors.

Reading these books make the treatment seem straightforward. It is not. Read our reviews of books on compulsive hoarding.

The are dozens of books written on the subject of clutter and disorganisation, most of which originate from the USA. These have lead to the development of new terms to describe clutterers and hoarders such 'messie' and increased use of the traditionally term used in the US 'pack rat'.

Many of our Cluttergone clients find these books of little help as they are aimed at people who just want to 'get organised' and find 'storage solutions' rather than any basic, realistic, practical help.

We've also reviewed the best books to read on decluttering on the Cluttergone website.

Professional hands-on help

If you are ready to clear your clutter and think that you would benefit from some hands-on help, do visit our other website www.cluttergone.co.uk.

Our team of professional declutter and organise consultants cover much of the UK from the West Midlands, through London and the South East and across to the West Country.