Dear Annie: I am a retired psychotherapist and read your column daily. I am writing in response to someone who is “torn and tired” whose mother wants to downsize but is having a hard time letting go of an overflowing house. I think you missed an important issue in your answer. It turns out that the mother may be suffering from hoarding disorder. My daughter alludes to this in her letter, and if it’s true, this will change the situation more than cleaning up. It is important that this family understands what hoarding disorder entails.
There are professionals who can help a person with hoarding disorder if they are willing to seek and accept help. Understanding the disease can also be very helpful for families. — Compassionate Clinician
Dear caring people: Thanks, and a few other readers too! — Thank you for pointing out this very important difference. Hoarding is recognized as a legitimate mental health diagnosis in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and absolutely should be treated as such. This mother would greatly benefit from professional help, as you mentioned, in addition to the support of a loving and patient family.
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