Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost & Gail Steketee

I wish I’d read Stuff by Randy Frost and Gail Steketee a long long time ago. Because it’s the first book I would have always recommended, and it is now the first book I will always recommend, to anyone who thinks s/he/they may have hoarding challenges, or to anyone who has suffered the impact of knowing a person with hoarding tendencies.

Because this is the most compelling book I’ve ever read for teaching people with acquiring habits, and the people around them, that they are not alone, not deliberately evil, not unintelligent, not lazy or any of the other horrendous stereotypes.

They are in need of help. They are troubled. They are facing a horrible struggle to learn healthier sensibilities concerning their possessions.

Their efforts can earn results. People with collecting behaviors can reduce their accumulations and learn to organize what they keep. There are resources for their support, from Buried in Treasures groups to therapists to self-assessment and self-help tools. There are also resources for their loved ones, such as Children of Hoarders, and the broader communities affected by their behavior, for example hoarding task forces.

If you think you need help, don’t give up trying to find it.