Causes Of Hoarding

Prince William County forms hoarding task force

Anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 Prince William County residents could be hoarders, said Neighborhood Services Coordinator Patricia Reilly.

And because there are varying degrees of hoarding, public safety and other issues could arise if the problem goes unchecked.

With that in mind, the county has created a hoarding task force. The task force is made up of various county departments and agencies like Neighborhood Services, Fire & Rescue Department, the Community Services Board and the Health and Social Services Departments.

The taskforce has met twice this year and will likely continue to meet periodically to further define the issue of hoarding and how to combat it, said Reilly. Reilly said the ultimate goal is to educate the public about “what is acceptable and what is not acceptable” and provide them resources to help themselves or their loved ones.

Various departments, in particular fire and rescue and neighborhood services, have the opportunity to see the conditions of homes almost on a daily basis. Anecdotal information coming back from some of these departments led the county to examine the particular nature of hoarding and what could be done to address it.

As a result, this information was shared at the county’s Community Maintenance Task Force. Ultimately, the problem was deemed important enough to have its own task force.

The process also works in reverse where firefighters and EMS now know in advance of hoarder cases should they be called to that home.

“Sometimes fire and rescue is on hand to help remove someone from a building because the lady was unable to get out of the room herself,” Reilly said.

Studies have shown that anywhere from two to five percent of the U.S. population are in various states of hoarding. Reilly said it’s crucial that even mild or moderate hoarding be identified early so there aren’t potential risks to homeowners, neighbors or even public safety officials.

Just in the last two months, seven of eight complaints registered to the county regarding potential hoarding have been considered valid, said Reilly. In some of those cases, residents have been evicted due to the conditions of their homes.

Reilly said television shows on hoarding in recent years have shed more light on the issue of hoarding and the drama it causes between family members and friends. Because of the popularity of some of these shows, Reilly said county staff is now “getting complaints where people are saying the word ‘hoarding.

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New York City, 2008- ASPCA'S Humane Law Enforcement agents arrived on the scene to find over 20 Pomeranian dogs in a couple's one-bedroom apartment. The canines were severely matted and the apartment was covered with filth and debris. The couple insisted that the animals were well cared for, despite physical evidence to the contrary, and refused to surrender them. It is not clearly understood why people become animal hoarders. Early research pointed toward a variant of obsessive-compulsive disorders, but new studies and theories are leading toward attachment disorders in conjunction with personality disorders, paranoia, delusional thinking, depression and other mental illnesses. Some animal hoarders began collecting after a traumatic event or loss, while others see themselves as “rescuers” who save animals from lives on the street. “Historically, a person who collected animals was viewed as an animal lover who got in over his or her head, but the truth is that people who hoard are experiencing a total loss of insight,” says Dr. Randall Lockwood, ASPCA Senior Vice President, Forensic Sciences and Anti-cruelty Projects. “They have no real perception of the harm they're doing to the animals." In the majority of cases, animal hoarders appear intelligent and clearly believe they are helping their animals. They often claim that any home is better than letting that animal die. In addition, many hoarders possess the ability to garner sympathy and to deceive others into thinking their situation is under control. They often are blind to the fact that they are not caring for the animals and to the extreme suffering they are inflicting. A dysfunctional childhood is correlated with a disordered attachment style. This can result in a controlling pattern of relationships, such as compulsive caregiving, as an adult. In this behavior pattern, a person selects someone with a sad or difficult life, and provides care obsessively, irrespective of whether the care is wanted or needed. This kind of behavior often characterizes the caregiving style of animal hoarders. New York City, 2008- ASPCA'S Humane Law Enforcement agents arrived on the scene to find over 20 Pomeranian dogs in a couple's one-bedroom apartment. The canines were severely matted and the apartment was covered with filth and debris.