Customer Reviews

Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
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This book fills a gap in published information about hoarding. Other excellent books exist for hoarders themselves or for professionals who treat hoarders, but there has not been a book directed at the people whose loved ones hoard. The authors deal with the frustration family members or friends feel regarding an uncooperative person with excessive clutter. In addition to addressing the emotional toll on those around the hoarder, the book educates readers about hoarding, including setting realistic expectations for changing the situation. Particularly useful is the application of harm reduction theory to hoarding. This examines how friends and family can help the hoarder to minimize health and safety hazards. Digging Out presents a comprehensive, easy to read guide for those who are at their wit's end. No doubt it will be a seminal book for working with hoarders.

This book does a very good job clarifying priorities when it comes to clearing the mess of a hoarder (i.e. instead of approaching the situation with a "TOSS EVERYTHING!" attitude, it advocates a "harm reduction" stance, which focuses on maximizing your loved one's safety & comfort over discarding his or her things). It tries to get the reader accustomed to the idea that the hoarder will probably never be as horrified about their living conditions as those around them.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the majority of the book seems to focus on elderly hoarders (that does put a particular slant on the text), which may be positive or negative, depending on the reader. It goes into great lengths discussing the challenges of dealing with a hoarder in the grips of Alzheimer's or dementia or those who have difficulties getting around without the use of walkers or finding their medications in the clutter.

Unfortunately, for people dealing with younger/youngish hoarders, the condescending psycho-babble in the hypothetical discussions is completely off-putting (eye-rolling at times) & would lose any credibility I personally have with my particular hoarder. Additionally, once a "harm reduction team" is gathered (good luck with that), trying to get the hoarder to sign a contract about how to keep one's OWN property is also condescending, intentionally so or not. This book is really a bit better suited for older hoarders (rather than middle-aged or younger ones).

However, these techniques may work for some. Plus, the more flexible "harm reduction" approach over the more staunch "STUFF reduction" method could potentially open more hoarders to purging.

You might need it at a later date. "Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, & Compulsive Acquiring" is a guide for those who want to help their friends and family stop their endless collecting of seemingly useless stuff which leads to more problems than that hoard is worth. With tips on convincing them to give up the hoard and living a life with less weight in the house and on their shoulders, "Digging Out" is a highly recommended advice guide with an important message.

I would have liked more info about how to help a hoarder friend or relative who lives a long distance away. Overall, it's a helpful book, does a good job of explaining the problem and suggesting solutions. I am not sure the "contract approach" is practical for non- professionals. However, I am adding it to my library of books on the subject.

I think this is a terrific book. It not only explains a hoarder's logic, but also gives you a plan of attack that makes sense. It shows how they think completly different about a basic object. I'd highly recommend it, the books allows you to get past the anger/resentment and gives you a deeper understanding of "why" and how you can help. Great!

If you want to convince someone that it will be nigh on to impossible to change a hoarder, this is the book to get them. I read it all, and I got the impression that the effort is not worth the result in trying to help a hoarder. You'd do better to simply lock them up and clean their place without their input. Yes, they'll just go back to hoarding again, but if you're worried about their health, you can do it every few years--if they'll let you--or call the health department.

The book "Digging Out" takes a new, pragmatic tack toward the problem of moderate to severe hoarding behavior. It is written for those who are living with, are related to, or are friends of hoarders and as such is the first book to address their concerns directly. It also takes a health and safety approach that reduces unrealistic expectations while offering a toolbox full of useful techniques. I have used some of the communicative strategies in the book with success and the stress and conflict in my situation has been reduced.

Other reviewers criticize the book for its emphasis on the elderly and/or dementia sufferers. I did not find this emphasis distracting, though I must admit I see my situation inevitably heading in that direction. A more distracting technique was the repeated use of the phrase "loved one" to refer to the hoarder. Writing well is not a matter of search and replace. Nevertheless, I was motivated to finish reading the book despite its occasional formulaic quality.

The book is quite forward looking in its recognition that hoarding behavior might not be confined to OCD syndromes but also include ADHD profiles, which puts it near the leading edge of contemporary research. I wish there had been more in the book that directly addressed the relationship between OCD and ADHD behavior in hoarders. The biggest shortcoming of the book is that conceptually, and in the form of many sample dialogs, the authors assume at least some level of cooperation on the part of the hoarder. Total denial is so common yet so insurmountable that the examples seemed (to this reader) almost cartoonlike. Still, this book has schooled me in a more humane and caring approach toward my own "loved one."

I purchased this book out of sheer aggravation in regards to a friends peculiar habits. So far it has been informative. I am still reading it, slowly so as not to miss a detail that might be the key to unlocking my friend from his bondage to things. I hope to find out a bit more why people get so overly attached to things. If anyone has any good advice out there for me, I'd appreciate the support. Thanks. Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring

This book is very helpful. It gives different approaches from already learned knowledge. I'm glad I bought the book.

The book is in tip top shape but the "Contract" and "Team" approach seems much more applicable to professional help than for the distant family.
I do think it is important to have a few people whom she will let INTO the apartment.
TRUST that you will neither judge nor remove anything but what she has selected seems basic.