We can say with assurance that just about every hoarding situation includes masses of paper, whether bills, newspapers and magazines, junk mail, information that never got acted on or filed, offers, bank statements, you name it. This is not to say that people with hoarding disorder are the only ones who have trouble dealing with the overwhelming amount of paper that floods our mailboxes and our homes daily. However, in a hoarding situation the amount of paper is usually so huge that it literally hampers the usability of the rooms in the hoarder's home. We've all seen photos of "pathway" homes, where narrow passages wind through the clutter, much of which is piled to the ceiling. But paper hoarding can be even more disturbing to the hoarder if it's scattered around in, say, an office, where it literally "screams" at the hoarder to "pay attention to me!" This worsens the mental clutter that is the constant curse of those with hoarding disorder. The process of clearing paper clutter can be quite complex, because the type of paper is very important in the clutter clearing process. Newspapers, magazines, and junk mail usually—although not always—have less severe emotional hold on the hoarder's psyche than do, for instance, unpaid bills, personal correspondence, insurance or bank statements, etc.—paper that is directly connected to the hoarder. After working with the hoarder to enable him or her to be willing to part with the "non-personal" paper (newspapers, junk mail, etc.), much of the paper hoard can be cleared relatively quickly. Then comes the part where each paper must be looked at, until the hoarder feels comfortable allowing us to sort similar items. For instance, if we're uncovering lots of bank statements, we'll work with the hoarder until he or she trusts us to handle other types of statements, and the sorting can proceed much more quickly. In addition, much paper clutter consists of unfiled material. Although a clutter clean-out usually doesn't involve setting up new filing systems, or using existing ones, to file papers, this service can be contracted separately, as a part of follow-up remediation, with an organizer specializing in filing systems. Likewise, follow-up organizing in other paper-handling strategies, such as for storage of old records that can't be discarded, can be an extremely helpful part of remediation after the clutter clear-out. As overwhelming as paper clutter can be, it can be dealt with in a way that allows us to keep it under control. It's a learning process, one that affects our lives in so many ways.
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AuthorMichelle Quintana Featured Service Information
• Hoarding Clearout Saves More than "Stuff" · Why Clients Hire—and Trust— Clutter&Hoarding Pros · Levels IV & V Clear-Out · Is My Loved One a Hoarder? • After the Clean-Out • Animal Hoarding • Decluttering for the Elderly • What Is a Hoarding Clean- Out? • Hoarding vs. Clutter • Hoarding Help in Orange County • Hoarding Help in LA County • How to Choose a Hoarding Clean-Out Company • Why a Junk-Hauling Service Is NOT What You Need! • Paper, Paper, Everywhere! • Are You a Concerned Third Party? • Estate Clearing for a Loved One—You're Not Alone • Clearing a Hoarded Estate During the Holidays • Where Do You Fit In? • Deep Cleaning a Cleared Estate • "That's okay, we have insurance . . ." • Planning to Sell Your Hoarded Estate? • In-Home Assessment for Hoarding Remediation-- Second Step to Success • Is Your Relative's Home Red-Tagged? • 7 Simple Step to a Successful Estate Sale |