What possesses someone to save every scrap of paper that’s ever come into his home? What compulsions drive a woman like Irene, whose hoarding cost her her marriage? Or Ralph, whose imagined uses for castoff items like leaky old buckets almost lost him his house? Or Jerry and Alvin, wealthy twin bachelors who filled up matching luxury apartments with countless pieces of fine art, not even leaving themselves room to sleep? Randy Frost and Gail Steketee were the first to study hoarding when they began their work a decade ago; they expected to find a few sufferers but ended up treating hundreds of patients and fielding thousands of calls from the families of others. Now they explore the compulsion through a series of compelling case studies in the vein of Oliver Sacks.With vivid portraits that show us the traits by which you can identify a hoarder—piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders “churn” but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage—Frost and Steketee explain the causes and outline the often ineffective treatments for the disorder.They also illuminate the pull that possessions exert on all of us. Whether we’re savers, collectors, or compulsive cleaners, none of us is free of the impulses that drive hoarders to the extremes in which they live. For the six million sufferers, their relatives and friends, and all the rest of us with complicated relationships to our things, Stuff answers the question of what happens when our stuff starts to own us.
Randy O. Frost Knihy
Compulsive hoarding and acquiring is more prevalent than many realize, often going undiagnosed due to shame or the belief that it isn't a serious issue. Approximately two percent of the U.S. population struggles with this condition, which can be emotionally draining and dangerous. This manual, crafted by the developers of a groundbreaking treatment, presents the first empirically supported CBT program specifically for compulsive hoarding and acquiring. It equips clinicians with essential knowledge and proven tools to assist clients in overcoming their compulsive behaviors. The guide teaches individuals to identify cognitive distortions and employs both imagined and real exposures to develop necessary management skills. Treatment includes home visits and consultations with additional professionals when needed. Homework exercises involve behavioral experiments to challenge beliefs about possessions, creating organization plans, and sorting items room-by-room. This therapist guide, meant to complement the corresponding workbook, features numerous assessment and intervention forms, case examples, and strategies for addressing challenges. Representing the gold standard of behavioral healthcare interventions, the Treatments That Work TM series is rigorously tested and backed by extensive research, ensuring clinicians provide the most effective care available.