When we hear the word ‘hoarder’, we often think of TV programmes where piles of stuff fill every corner of someone’s home. The people featured will accumulate and hold on to all manner of peculiar and seemingly pointless items. However, these are extreme examples and often paint an unrealistic picture of what living with hoarding disorder is actually like.
"TV programmes about hoarding aren’t always helpful because hoarding is not a lifestyle choice, a moral failing or even poor housekeeping," says Jo Cooke, director of Hoarding Disorders UK. "It is a mental health disorder."
