The laws I’ve been referring to are misrepresenting oneself as a licensed medical professional capable of treating medical disorders. Every state in the United States has these laws on the books, so the actual numbers of the laws vary from state to state. For Unclutterer or any professional organizer to say that we treat hoarding is a violation of this law and can be punished in the court system.

Which law is this, Erin? Is it specifically about hoarding? Or is it more about mental illness? Or is it about health in general? Or practicing medicine without a license?

I’m not doubting that there is a federal law that has a direct impact on this situation, by the way, and that you in your role at unclutterer.com would need to be very aware of it and respect it scrupulously, but I’d like to know more.

(I also have no argument with the idea that a professional organizer alone cannot treat hoarding. I see it as analogous to a personal trainer working with a diabetic. The exercise may make it far easier to control the diabetes, but the diabetic still needs to be under a doctor’s supervision.)

John Trosko aka OrganizingLA

Thank you for sharing the information about and link to Hoardhouse.

As a member of both NAPO and NSGCD and an organizer that works with hoarders, I can attest to the fact that I do not treat hoarders, but I do provide a service that addresses the physical realities of the disorder. Chronic Disorganization or CD is not in the DSM (of any number), but it is a way for us to describe the issues that individuals who suffer from it have to deal with. The NSGCD created the Clutter Hoarding Scale in an effort to provide a common language for describing the range of what can be seen in environments created by the chronically disorganized.

Also, there are organizers working collaboratively with therapists to help hoarders who are motivated (and/or being compelled) to change. As David Tolin (co-author of Buried in Treasures) said at the 2007 NSGCD Conference in New Jersey, we are the tip of the iceberg in understanding the disorder. He also pointed out that Hoarding may require its own section in a future DSM.

Thank you.

A professional organizer can work WITH a licensed medical practitioner to help fix the situation in a home, but these organizers are not TREATING Hoarding. A Hoarder should never contact NAPO or NSGCD to be treated for his or her medical condition. A Hoarder should contact a licensed medical facility to receive treatment for the disorder. To suggest that a Hoarder should follow a different plan of action is 100 percent in violation of United States federal law.

Additionally, chronic disorganization and Hoarding are NOT the same thing. Chronic disorganization is not a diagnosable disorder in the DSM-IV. Hoarding is, however, found in the section on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

I apologize for any confusion that may cause.

NSGCD does provide certified training for the Professional Organizing industry. Professional Organizers are not therapists, and a NAPO PO will never claim to be one without having the proper credentials. However, there are many POs certified to work with CD patients, just as there are many certified to work with ADD and other issues.

I refer you to this from the NSGCD website:
The NSGCD offers a five level certificate and certification program to any of our members wishing to advance their skills in this vastly growing area of professional organizing. I also would refer you to NAPOs website for more information on the Certified Professional Organizer testing and certification program (not CD-specific, but another type of industry certification).

Often, a PO will work with a therapist to assist a client. While a therapist is qualified to handle the mental health aspect of CD, an NSGCD-certified PO is qualified to assist the client with the hands-on in-the-home sorting/purging and support that these clients need.

Respectfully,
Gayle

Hoarding is a form of Chronic Disorganization. There is a scale that one can be measured against to determine their level of crisis.

Many times the hoarder needs the “stuff” to feel comfortable and safe, or even how to navigate within their space. It has nothing to do with the monetary value. It is horrible for them to go through having to dumpster it, however this is common as the homes often become fire hazards.

I encourage anyone who is feeling like they need help – or relatives – to contact a Professional Organizer or licensed therapist who has had training regarding Chronic Disorganization. You can find help through the National Study Group for Chronic Disorganization: http://www.nsgcd.org/
One can also find help through the National Association of Professional Organizers at napo.net.

I don’t remember what my “breaking point” was that finally snapped me out of my funk and got me cleaning. What I do know is when I did finally release all of that clutter, I felt like a totally different person–emotionally, physically, mentally. I have peace now when before my life was only CHAOTIC. And when I say life, I mean everything–work, home, thoughts, emotions, habits, etc.

So I’m always curious to watch and read articles about this issue to find out the deeper causes of this illness.

Thanks for the links. I will definitely keep up with the HoardHouse Project.

These situations are truly distressing to me. My best friend is heading down that path of hoarding-dom and it scares me that there is nothing I can do as a friend, except sit by and watch.

The estate cleanup was a major undertaking and a one-bedroom apartment filled up one dumpster and a good portion of a second.

My MIL was well on her way to similar house when we had to move her and my FIL into a retirement community. She had paths through many of the rooms in the house. Trying to empty the crawl space and garage were very difficult because she didn’t want to part with ANYTHING and cried when anything went into the dumpster. It is an agonizing experience for anyone. The only reason that her new home isn’t completely cluttered up is because she can no longer drive. I can guarantee it would be like her old home if she could.