Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop

by Fugen Neziroglu, Patricia B. Perkins, Jose Yaryura-Tobias

Although the much-satirized image of a house overflowing with National Geographics and infested with cats may make us chuckle, the reality of compulsive hoarding is no laughing matter. The most common reason for evictions in the US and a significant risk factor for fatal house fires, compulsive hoarding is a treatable condition related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by the acquisition of possessions that have little or no value, which the sufferer, often referred to as the saver, has great difficulty discarding.

This book, the first ever written for savers and their families, provides an overview of compulsive hoarding and how it relates to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It discusses hoarding broadly, offering readers perspectives on the physical, behavioral, and value-oriented aspects of the condition. You can use its assessment tools to help decide why you or your loved one hoards. Skill-building exercises help you determine how to beat the hoarding problem by addressing issues that often underlie compulsive saving. Even though this is fundamentally a self-help book, it contains a frank discussion about the need for professional help in some hoarding cases, how to find it, and what medications have been proven effective for savers.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Dr. Neziroglu is a board certified behavior and cognitive psychologist, specializing in Anxiety and Obsessive-
Compulsive related disorders, and is a pioneer in the research and treatment of Body Dysmporhic Disorder. She received her Ph.D. in clinical, school-community psychology from Hofstra University and completed her post-graduate work in behavior and cognitive therapy at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is Board Certified in Cognitive and Behavior Therapy from the American Board of Behavioral Psychology (ABBP) and in Clinical Psychology fr5om the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). She is a Board Member and a Fellow of ABBP's Academy. She is also a member of many national and international societies and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. Dr. Neziroglu is Full Professor at Hofstra University, Department of Psychology and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at New York University.
Dr. Neziroglu is the co-founder and clinical director of the Bio Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, New York. At the Bio Behavioral Institute, she provides direct services, supervises all assistant psychologists and psychology interns, sponsors man

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of three books I got from the library to better understand and learn how to respond to a relative that hoards. The book is short and clearly written yet packed with tons of observations and information that were very useful. Most of my "ah ha!" moments while reading and skimming through the book had to do with me and my cluttering tendencies and the personality characteristics that go with it. This book also contains a concise section on cognitive therapy and how to use it. Man, I want to go clean my closet now.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had some very practical suggestions on how to tackle the problem. One thing that stood out to me was that no matter how much you might want to do the process for someone else, it needs to be their decision in order to be effective.

[Jennifer Kronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked what I read here and I think it would be very helpful for someone who is aware that hoarding is a problem for them. I do not know if it would work for someone who is in denial of the issue though.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and have struggled since age 7 with the simple instruction of "Clean your room." While I've never been diagnosed with hoarding or as a clinical "hoarder," the issue of "having too much stuff" comes up in most people's lives and tends to have just a DASH of nuttiness in mine.

I first found and read this book over a decade ago (perhaps 2006?), but I found myself needing a refresher course. What better time than 2020, Year of the Plague Rat, to clean house?

My sister tells me Goodwill stores have announced they're not accepting any donations at this time because we Americans have done too much cleaning, purging our homes since quarantine and contact restrictions began! That's... kind-of amazing, actually. I'm finally following suit, I guess? In any case, I am VERY pleased with my progress (as are my relieved family and friends).

Thus I would highly recommend this book to you or a friend who might be struggling with how to handle the chaos of their lives and create a healthier, more aesthetically pleasing environment at home or work (if applicable).

The guide to overcoming your compulsive hoarding (or understanding the hoarding behaviors of your loved one) covers evidence-based treatments, evaluates the positives and negatives of each, contains exercises (homework!) for you to put into practice what you're learning, and IS WRITTEN BY DOCTORS, NOT CELEBRITIES IN THE CULTS OF PERSONALITY.

That's a big plus in my book:

I loathe pseudoscience, placebos, "essential" snake oils, and other bullshit. My bachelor's degree and overall college experience bias me strongly against that kind of bullshit. Fortunately, this is not that.

While this book is NO GUARANTEE and does not suddenly, magically cure the problem, nothing does that - and I think it's an unrealistic expectation of people who have criticized and negatively rated this book. Be realistic and do your homework (on yourself, on your home), and you will see a difference in your quality of life.

Hell, I did - and thank God for that. (You should see my "before" and "after" photos.)

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful observations but seems outdated. Since hoarding now has its own diagnosis (separate from OCD/OCPD) and a lot more research has been done since the time of its writing 20 years ago, I wonder how much of their data and treatment plan would change. Also, this might be good for a highly motivated hoarder, but I’m not sure how effective it would be for someone who struggles to focus or with other executive functioning skills.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate some of the beginning chapters and the outlining of some of the reasoning behind hoarding behavior.
I think it is a helpful read for children or other relatives of hoarders.
I will keep this book because of those conceptual ideas about 'why' that is lays out very well. Perhaps it was the first book I have read to do so (though maybe just by order of books read and not by being a stand alone, hard to say without more reading).
As other reviews have stated, it will only be helpful for a hoarder actually cleaning up if they themselves recognize the behavior and want to change.
I think the 'conditions that can lead to hoarding' will be expanded over time with more research. I found that mentioning ADHD only in passing, and in the middle of the book, not the beginning - to be a major oversight.
There are also times when the book's tone could use some tweaking to avoid losing people through the language used.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very clinical, but does a good job of showing that there are shades of gray when it comes to OCD, OCPD, and hoarding. The 3-and-a-half box technique looks interesting, though it doesn't really provide enough guidance about how things fit into each of the boxes. A reader could just put everything in the "Save" box and be no better off. I feel that the authors did do as much as they could to motivate the reader to start decluttering, though they emphasize throughout the book that the reader should seek professional help.

[Ann Kucera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding helps you decide if you have a clutter issue or a hoarding issue. A clutter issue can be reversed with changes in your habits. Hoarding may require treatment as a disorder. This book gives clear examples of hoarding and exercises for overcoming compulsive hoarding.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a friend I'm working with that has hoarding tendencies and he asked that I read this to help understand his situation. I learned a lot more than just about hoarding while reading. It opened my eyes to a lot of struggles people go through.

[✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight]

Not actually a hoarder or compulsive but do like things that take up space such as real books and real CDs and LPs. With my own space limited, I thought I might pick up some hints.

[Kuljinder Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book insightful and full engrossing stuff

[Lauren Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Fugen Neziroglu and colleagues at her Bio-Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, NY, USA wrote Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop in 2004. Her book is tremendous potential self-help for people who suspect they have, or know they have, hoarding disorder. She offers step-by-step, carefully designed, vigorously tested, achievable exercises for her readers to guide them from initial self-assessment through to maintenance of cleared spaces. The book could benefit from being updated as a new edition: for example, the DSM-5, (a reference work used by clinicians to standardize diagnoses of mental challenges) which had not been released in 2004, classifies hoarding disorder in a newer light than referred to in 2004. And I admit some of her language made me uncomfortable: Dr. Neziroglu refers to "hoarders" and "clean" spaces. I prefer "people with hoarding disorder" and "cleared" spaces. I also believe Dr. Neziroglu missed an opportunity to teach people about other resources available to them, such as Professional Organizers and ADD/ADHD coaches. But in fairness, she may have written this book with an assumption that her readers might find it difficult to get extended help for whatever combination of emotional, physical and/or financial causes.

Please put this book on your "Must Read Soon" list if you are concerned that you have hoarding disorder. You may find an answer. I borrowed a copy from a library: you don't have to have a physical copy to let yourself use its value.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, this is the best book on hoarding that I've read. I went through it in essentially one sitting. The writing is simple and to-the-point. This book goes into how to tackle an overwhelming task and makes very clear what rules are to be followed. Although I haven't done the exact things written in the book yet, it did goad me into getting rid of a bunch of stuff I knew I had to deal with and have been avoiding for years. So that's big.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has good practical suggestions.

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with hoarders and decluttering, so it was an OK little book.

[Elaine Reinhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book. Very thorough and inspiring for the individual going through this. Thank you good reads for winning this book.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

good info for those w/hoarding tendencies &/or trying to understand them.

[Ta0paipai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave it a 4 because it is actionable.

[Lauren Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Fugen Neziroglu and colleagues at her Bio-Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, NY, USA wrote Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop in 2004. Her book is tremendous potential self-help for people who suspect they have, or know they have, hoarding disorder. She offers step-by-step, carefully designed, vigorously tested, achievable exercises for her readers to guide them from initial self-assessment through to maintenance of cleared spaces. The book could benefit from being updated as a new edition: for example, the DSM-5, (a reference work used by clinicians to standardize diagnoses of mental challenges) which had not been released in 2004, classifies hoarding disorder in a newer light than referred to in 2004. And I admit some of her language made me uncomfortable: Dr. Neziroglu refers to "hoarders" and "clean" spaces. I prefer "people with hoarding disorder" and "cleared" spaces. I also believe Dr. Neziroglu missed an opportunity to teach people about other resources available to them, such as Professional Organizers and ADD/ADHD coaches. But in fairness, she may have written this book with an assumption that her readers might find it difficult to get extended help for whatever combination of emotional, physical and/or financial causes.

Please put this book on your "Must Read Soon" list if you are concerned that you have hoarding disorder. You may find an answer. I borrowed a copy from a library: you don't have to have a physical copy to let yourself use its value.

Lauren Williams, Certified Professional Organizer(R), Owner, Casual Uncluttering LCC, Woodinville, WA USA

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book stands in for a therapist and tries to help the reader/hoarder understand their self-harming ways of thinking before offering some strategies on how to get rid of the clutter and improve their lives and the lives of those nearest to them.

That's good insofar as it goes. However...

There is more than one explanation for why people hoard, and the book offers only one. It also has nothing to offer someone who has built up a hoard over a long period of time, basically through neglect and indecision. It is extremely unlikely that such a person will be able to apply the book's advice.

Nor can such a person achieve such a reversal (from neglect to self-discipline that lasts for months) by themselves. While it is great for a hoarder to achieve this turnaround by themselves and hence build up their confidence and self-esteem, it is far beyond the reach of many.

There were a lot of good, practical steps advised for those who can find the strength to utilize them.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

helpful book, though the hoarders are an aunt and an uncle and i wonder if they have bigger problems right now, believe it or not, so i am going to bide my time and wait until my cousins end up dealing with the mess.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

this addresses some of the psychological and precognitive triggers for hoarding in a compassionate but straightforward way.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing guide to overcoming an extremely bad habit. If you have hoarding issues, then this'll be the last thing you buy on impulse.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short book written for the person who hoards and who wants to change their own behavior. Not sure if this will actually work, but good information for me as a professional organizer.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about the issues behind hoarding and then goes in to detail with ways that you can eliminate (or at least reduce) your hoarding tendencies.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do we all have so much stuff? The answer is here!