If you want to know more about Hoarding Disorder then consider reading this enlightening book,  Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. In my work I hear about the topic of hoarding every week: a client worries that she is a hoarder, or a prospective client jokes that he appears to hoard, or a client debates the definition of hoarding, or someone refers to a popular TV show about hoarding. I am not qualified to diagnose someone as having Hoarding Disorder but I often feel the need to convey information about Hoarding Disorder in order to satisfy my clients’ desire for more knowledge on the subject. Therefore, I revisited this book to become more knowledgeable about what hoarding is and what it is not in order to inform and work more effectively with my clients.

 
(This post is a review of the book, it is not meant to teach the details of hoarding nor how to work with someone who has Hoarding Disorder. An upcoming post will address some of those issues. For more information about hoarding consult the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, which offers a free Clutter Hoarding Scale publication and/or search for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V)  published by the American Psychiatric Association to learn about the criteria of Hoarding Disorder.)
 
The Stuff book is a compilation of case studies of people with Hoarding Disorder that the authors detailed from their professional work as professors and researchers of psychology. Frost and Steketee describe the lifestyle, living situation and psychological process of their many study subjects who exhibit Hoarding Disorder. The cluttered homes and spaces are described in detail. Conversations and thought processes of hoarders are recreated (direct quotes from discussions with hoarders in some cases) to try to understand the behaviors. The book describes how relationships are strained and, in fact, broken by this disorder. The authors offer possible causes of hoarding such as background (nurture), genetics (nature), traumatic events, and brain health. In each case the authors researched how the hoarding came about and how it progressed. Attempts at reducing the clutter by various professionals like social workers and professional organizers generally failed to fix the problem and often made the hoarding behavior and living situation worse. The authors found that the hoarder must be included as a participant in the decluttering process so that he learns as a result of the process how he might alter his hoarding behavior in the future.
 
On the positive side, through the observational descriptions, the reader gains great insight into hoarding disorder. And, in that respect, the book fulfilled my expectations.  Anyone wanting to learn more about hoarding in general will find this insightful. Undoubtedly, hoarders and their loved ones will identify with some descriptions in the book. On the negative side, though each hoarding situation is unique, after a while the pattern emerges and feels repetitive. The book does not offer direct help in the form of checklists, or helpful questions to ask but it does provide the names of some helpful books and self-help groups. There is an extensive reference list of scientific studies, websites, books, and papers.  It is definitely more of a scholarly work than a self help book. But, if you want to get a sense of how people live with Hoarding Disorder and how difficult it is to live with someone who suffers from it then this book is a good place to start.

I often come across organizing books on clients’ bookshelves that were purchased in an attempt to get organized. Many clients give a little laugh, “Well, I guess that didn’t work” and hand me the book thinking I might gain better use than they did. This does happen - I sometimes adapt ideas for other clients, pass the book along or grab personal insights to improve my own home. One such book I recently came across was Living Organized by Sandra Felton. (Living Organized: Proven Steps for a Clutter-Free and Beautiful Home, by Sandra Felton, 2004, Fleming H. Revell, Grand Rapids, MI.) It is a typical organizing book in that it describes personalities, strategies, maintenance and the psychology clutter. As an organizer, these books as a whole rarely offer anything new that I have not seen or heard before. However, there were two outstanding sections I found helpful both personally and professionally. Below is an overview of the book with my favorite sections noted.
 
Living Organized is set up in six parts. Throughout there are stories, quizzes and letters from real situations. In the first few parts, many detailed descriptions help the reader understand the Messie concept, confirm their own personality type, and find hope for change if they are a Messie (or living with one.) A Messie is a right brain dominant, creative person who oftentimes struggles with clutter. There are good descriptions of Messies and Cleanies; right brain versus left brain dominant personalities; history of housework; and the response of family members to a Messie and his/her clutter. Also here is the first outstanding section of the book: the phenomenon that right-brained, creative people are most comfortable keeping their childhoods alive via memories and mementos. Childhood pictures and memorabilia are not just parts of the past but are real, living treasures of the present for Messies. These physical things are kept to remind the owner of his/her creative, impulsive, idealistic, fun-loving nature. These personal characteristics are integral to a Messie's nature and so are the belongings. Efficient management and storage of these things become extremely important. Subsequent chapters describe such space saving ways to organize.
 
Part four attempts to teach how to declutter a home. There is the briefest instruction on how to clear clutter. I doubt most Messies could even get started by reading this book. At one point the author says, “Let us assume that your house has come under a moderate degree of organizational control.” I wondered, how did that happen without more step-by-step guidance? More importantly, the motivational piece for decluttering is also in short supply. Perhaps the author’s pioneering Messies Anonymous support groups fill that purpose.
 
On a positive note, (if you get your house clutter free) the cleaning chapter is a bit more useful. It describes three levels of cleaning: big stuff, little stuff and congealed stuff and how to tackle each type. There are motivational notes for Messies to make their cleaning faster and easier.
 
Another chapter gives general organizing hints. It reminds the reader that he/she must make decluttering an everyday activity not just an occasional one. There are standard solutions for problem areas common to every home. The author teaches basic organizing principles such as defining the uses for each room, locating like things together, eliminating duplicate tools and storing supplies close to where they are used.
 
The last parts of the book describe home design and decorating. These make up the second outstanding area. I found inspiration in the author’s guidance to come to terms with the energy of your home. She describes the haphazard way many homes are put together, without much thought to consistency or appearance. Making a home cohesive and attractive is possible even if the occupants have very little design ability. Moreover, the author does a great job helping the reader find his/her personal style and how to begin to apply it to the home. She describes little actions (and includes a question/answer section) that eventually, over time improve the feel of a home.
 
An interior designer has written the section on decorating and design. This is a hands-on, entertaining set of instructions based on the MAGIC ROOM method. It teaches how to find your personal style and how to achieve it in a methodical fashion. The result, they say, is a room that you deserve. It includes decorating scenarios as examples of faulty decorating. It describes step-by-step tasks to identify your preferred colors, textures, ideas and objects. If anything were to work for me, this would be the system. I can imagine following it and getting a home that reflected my personality perfectly. The designer further points out that individualized decorating improves mood and physical well-being. I was so happy to see that this section also cautions the reader to be practical in choosing colors and fabrics: nothing that will get dirty fast, ruined quickly or be hard to maintain.
 
The value of Living Organized for me consisted of the outstanding features above. Other readers may likely find different reasons to value the book. Overall I found it motivational and worth the time.