Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop

by Jerome Bubrick

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Author: Jerome Bubrick

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 157224349X
ISBN 13: 978-1572243491

Although the much-satirized image of a house overflowing with National Geographics and infested with cats may make us chuckle, the reality of compulsive hoarding is no laughing matter. The most common reason for evictions in the US and a significant risk factor for fatal house fires, compulsive hoarding is a treatable condition related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by the acquisition of possessions that have little or no value, which the sufferer, often referred to as the saver, has great difficulty discarding.

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. Skill-building exercises help you determine how to beat the hoarding problem by addressing issues that often underlie compulsive saving. Even though this is fundamentally a self-help book, it contains a frank discussion about the need for professional help in some hoarding cases, how to find it, and what medications have been proven effective for savers.

From Publishers Weekly

The Collyer brothers, with their bicycle-, chandelier- and newspaper-packed Harlem apartment, may have been the most famous sufferers of compulsive hoarding (see the recent biography Ghosty Men by Franz Lidz), but this syndrome affects several million Americans, according to the authors of this excellent, easy-to-understand handbook. The authors, two psychologists and a psychiatrist, all experts in treating forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, define the syndrome as "the acquisition and saving of possessions that have little or no value" or a value perceived only by the hoarder, who "has great difficulty" discarding the objects. The book offers case histories showing how damaging the syndrome can be to ones relationships and quality of life, self-assessment exercises and, most usefully, a discussion of treatment options, from self-help strategies using cognitive therapy to outside professional help.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

From the Publisher

Readers learn to:

· Differentiate between hoarding and collecting

· Recognize their type of hoarder

· Overcome the fear that causes one to hoard

· Stop the clutter from taking over

Three compulsive hoarding experts team up to provide the first research-based cognitive behavioral treatment plan to help compulsive hoarders learn to recognize the problem, understand the treatment options, and learn gentle techniques to free themselves of this life-threatening disorder. The first book ever written for compulsive hoarders and their friends and families. This book is written by the foremost researchers and clinicians working with compulsive hoarders

From the Inside Flap

"Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding is an excellent resource for those who suffer from compulsive hoarding behavior. I am most grateful to the authors who have undertaken a most challenging task. This sorely needed book is clearly and compassionately written. The authors demonstrate a firm grasp of the subject matter while providing a wealth of practical information. It is a remarkable achievement." Janet Lessem, CSW, MSW, associate clinical professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University

From the Back Cover

Packed with caring, sensible advice for people who hoard and those who love them, this book offers the first-ever practical, self-help strategy for managing compulsive hoarding. Discover the difference between hoarding and collecting. Explore the types and causes of compulsive hoarding behavior and learn simple, effective exercises and techniques for cutting out clutter and creating a safer, more fulfilling life without hoarding.

"Although there are a number of self-help books on organizing and dealing with clutter, none describe the psychological aspects of the problem. This book is the first of its kind and provides an up-to-date account of what we know about the psychology of compulsive hoarding together with exercises designed to deal with the problem. It will be a useful resource for anyone struggling with a hoarding problem." Randy O. Frost, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Smith College in Northampton, MA

"This self-help book for hoarding is easy to read and includes scores of useful techniques for removing and organizing clutter and avoiding its return. Colorful analogies punctuate the instructions for a cognitive and behavioral program that is practical and systematic. The authors offer basic rules, helpful hints, and good caveats for managing this difficult problem." Gail Steketee, Ph.D., professor of social work at the Boston University School of Social Work and author of Overcoming Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

About the Author

Jerome Bubrick. PhD, is a cognitive-behavioral psychologist who specializes in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and hoarding in children and adults at Bio-Behavioral Institute, Great Neck, NY.

Fugen Neziroglu, PhD, ABBP, ABPP, is a board-certified cognitive and behavior psychologist and leading researcher in the treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, trichotillomania, hoarding, body dysmorphic disorder and hypochondriasis at the Bio Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, NY, where she serves as director. She is also the coauthor of Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding, When Your Child is Cutting, and has been featured on the TLC show, Hoarders. Her books have been translated to various languages.

Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias, MD., is a biological psychiatrist and an internist with over 40 years experience. He has pioneered research in the dopamine theory of schizophrenia and the serotonin theory of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is the author of eight books, seven of which he co-authored with. Fugen Neziroglu.