There are several ways to begin the process of rehabilitation for hoarding and squalor behaviours. Many of them can be done independently.
Reading Resources
The resources below give further insight into collecting tendencies and may help instigate the desire to further embrace change:
- Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding (Tolin, Frost and Steketee, 2007)
- Hoarding and Squalor – A practical Resource for Service Providers (Department of Health and Human Services, 2013)
- Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding and Compulsive Acquiring (Tompkins and Hartl, 2009)Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding
(Neziroglu, Bubrick and Yaryura-Tobias, 2004) - Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Therapist Guide (Steketee, 2006)
- Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board: Hoarding and Lethal Fire Risk/Risk Reduction Advice
Support Groups or Programs
Support groups and programs can assist with the management of excessive collecting and unsanitary living conditions by providing daily tips and practical challenges to progressively help people work towards collecting experiences, rather than collecting things.
Buried in Treasures Support Program
The Buried in Treasures Support Program follows information outlined in the book: Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding, (Oxford University Press, 2013,) and offers discussion, practical exercises, and alternative therapy strategies. The program can be bulk billed under the General Practitioner referral program.
For more details please consult with the following organisations:
Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic)
Swinburne University: Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring Support
