Conquer the Clutter
Strategies to Identify, Manage, and Overcome Hoarding

Why does Cliff, a successful lawyer who regularly wins landmark cases, step over two-foot piles of paper whenever he opens his front door? Why do Joan and Paul ask Children's Services to take their three children, instead of decluttering their home? Why does Lucinda feel intense pressure to hold onto her family's heirlooms, even though she has no room for them? They have hoarding disorder, which an estimated two to six percent of the adult population worldwide experience.Conquer the Clutter offers hope to anyone affected by hoarding. Real-life vignettes, combined with easy-to-use assessment and intervention tools, support those who hoard - and those who care about them. Written by Elaine Birchall, a social worker dedicated to helping people declutter and achieve long-term control over their belongings, the book:Provides an overview of hoarding, defining what it is and is notExplains the difference between clutter and hoardingDescribes different types of hoarding in detail, including impulse shopping, "closet" hoarding, and animal hoardingDebunks myths about hoarding and hoardersExplores the effects that hoarding has on relationships, on work, and on physical and financial healthPresents a practical, step-by-step plan of action for declutteringContains dedicated advice from individuals who have successfully overcome their hoarding disorderThe most comprehensive work about hoarding on the market, Conquer the Clutter discusses special populations who are not often singled out, such as the disabled and the elderly. Numerous worksheets to assist individuals in determining the scope of their hoarding disorder and tackling the problem, as well as over 40 pages of additional resources, are available online at jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/conquer-clutter.