Insightful professional forum presented by Dr. Randy Frost, a leading expert in hoarding disorder

Earlier this month, I attended an extremely inspiring and insightful professional forum, Buried in Treasures: Understanding and Responding to Hoarding presented by the acclaimed Dr. Randy Frost and hosted by the Canberra Living Conditions Network.

Dr. Randy Frost is the one of the world’s leading experts on hoarding disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is widely published and I’m told that he has published more than 160 scientific articles and books on these topics, as well as being the recipient of several achievement awards for work in this field.  It was such an honour and privilege to listen to this inspiring and passionate man.  Read more about Dr. Frost.

I took away so much practical information about hoarding disorder from the forum.

Here are some key points:

• It crucial that we do not touch the belongings of those with hoarding disorder without permission at any time.
• Those with hoarding disorder are generally very smart people with highly complex methods of processing information.
• Those diagnosed with hoarding disorder often use visual mapping and spatial categorisation techniques to remember where they keep things.
• What looks like a pile of disorganised junk or rubbish to us, to someone with hoarding disorder is an organised and systemised collection of treasures.

Hoarding disorder is complex. If you have a loved one that you believe has hoarding disorder and would like to find more ways of supporting them, please read my article on Understanding Hoarding Disorder.