Trusted Adults
The first thing you can do is to talk to a trusted adult in your life. When you have someone you can truly trust, that person can be an invaluable partner in helping you figure out options.
Resources by State
In some cases, the organizations listed on the Resources by State pages may be geared toward a group you are not necessarily a part of, such as individuals in foster care or the disabled community. However, if the ideas and advice presented could be helpful to youth outside their target audience, those resources may be included.
Nationwide Resources
Social Media Support
| Web Site | Support Resources | Cleaning Resources |
|---|---|---|
| r/ChildofHoarder r/Hoarding r/Hoarding Wiki r/Hoarding “I have a hoarder in my life – Help Me!” Quick Start Kit | r/CleaningTips r/ufyh | |
| Adult Children of Hoarders Children of Hoarders, Inc. Healing from Hoarders | ||
| Minor and Youth Children of Hoarding Parents | Children of Hoarding Parents Online Support Group for ages up to 21 |
Books
This list of books was built from recommendations of those who have gotten help from them. The list is not all-inclusive.
| Title & Author | Description |
|---|---|
| Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost, Gail Steketee | Acclaimed psychologists Randy Frost and Gail Steketee’s groundbreaking study on the compulsion of hoarding, “Stuff invites readers to reevaluate their desire for things. (Boston Globe). |
| Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding (Treatments That Work) by David Tolin, Randy Frost, Gail Steketee | Written by scientists and practitioners who are leaders in studying and treating hoarding disorder, this book outlines a program of skill-building, learning to think about possessions in a different way, and gradual challenges to help people manage their clutter and their lives. It also provides useful information for family and friends of people who hoard, as they struggle to understand and help. |
| Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring by Michael A. Tompkins, Tamara L. Hartl | Many people who hoard understand the extent of their problem and are open to help. This book is not for them. Digging Out is for the concerned and frustrated friends and family members of people who do not fully accept the magnitude of their hoarding problem and refuse help from others. If you have a friend or loved one with a hoarding problem and are seeking a way to guide him or her to a healthier, safer way of life, this book is for you. |
| Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop by Fugen Neziroglu, Jose Yaryura-Tobias | 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. |
| Children of Hoarders: How to Minimize Conflict, Reduce the Clutter, and Improve Your Relationship by Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D., Katharine Donnelly, Ph.D. | Using mindfulness, acceptance, assertiveness, and validation skills, this is the first book written specifically for adult children of hoarders that focuses on the interpersonal effects of hoarding. Inside, you will learn to communicate with your loved ones in a way that minimizes conflict, while still dealing with the logistical and organizational issues that arise when living with or witnessing hoarding behavior. The book also includes tips for reclaiming living space, strategies for ensuring that the health and safety of residents are not compromised by the hoarder’s living conditions, and organizational tactics for sorting through the clutter after the death of a parent who hoards. |
| The Secret Lives of Hoarders: True Stories of Tackling Extreme Clutter by Matt Paxton, Phaedra Hise | An engrossing and sometimes unsettling look at extreme clutter, but one that helps hoarders, their families, and their friends to find meaning in the chaos. |
| The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Robin Zasio | In The Hoarder in You, Dr. Zasio shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show Hoarders, including some of the most serious cases of hoarding that she’s encountered, and explains how readers can learn from these extreme examples. She also shares psychological and practical advice for de-cluttering and organizing, including how to tame the emotional pull of acquiring additional things, make order out of chaos by getting a handle on clutter, and create an organizational system that reduces stress and anxiety. |
| The Hoarding Handbook: A Guide for Human Service Professionals by Christiana Bratiotis, Cristina Sorrentino Schmalisch, Gail Steketee | This user-friendly guide provides tools to assess the problem, to coordinate and delegate tasks among helping professionals, and to work directly with reluctant hoarders and those affected by the hoarding. |
| Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect by Jonice Webb, Christine Musello | This informative guide helps you identify and heal from childhood emotional neglect so you can be more connected and emotionally present in your life. |
| Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki | Sasaki modestly shares his personal minimalist experience, offering specific tips on the minimizing process and revealing how the new minimalist movement can not only transform your space but truly enrich your life. |
| Coming Clean: A Memoir by Kimberly Miller | Coming Clean is a memoir; a story about recognizing where you come from and understanding the relationships that define you. It is also a powerful story of recovery and redemption. |
| The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. | “Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding and treating traumatic stress and the scope of its impact on society.” -Alexander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies |
| Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by Dr. Mariel Buqué | Weaving together scientific research with practical exercises and stories from the therapy room, Dr. Buqué teaches listeners how trauma is transmitted from one generation to the next and how they can break the cycle through tangible therapeutic practices, learning to pass down strength instead of pain to future generations. |
| Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma by Pete Walker | If you felt unwanted, unliked, rejected, hated and/or despised for a lengthy portion of your childhood, trauma may be deeply ingrained in your mind, soul, and body. This book is a practical, user-friendly self-help guide to recovering from the lingering effects of childhood trauma, and to achieving a rich and fulfilling life. |
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Disclaimer:
Inclusion in these lists is not endorsement.
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