Customer Reviews

Hoarding and Clutter (The Infinite Mind, Vol. 167)

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Excellent 2+ hour audio from the radio series. A psychiatrist discusses clutter and hoarding and his own personal hoarding problems, then interviews guest psychiatrists who treat individuals with this disorder as well as persons afflicted with the disorder. It ends with an interview with an individual who specializes in decluttering, and many helpful suggestions for helping either a loved one with this disorder or yourself. Highly recommended!

This short CD (less than 1 hour) is an overview of the various facets of the cluttering and hoarding phenomenon, and would be fantastic for people who are trying to deal with clutterers or hoarders (like your spouse or family member or employee), but not probably helpful for people who know they are clutterers/hoarders already and have already done some self analysis.

The poster who says it is 2 hours is mistaken; I own this, and it is less than an hour. The CD even says so on its face. I felt $15 was steep for this, even if it is a nonprofit organization.

What's on the CD: Real life tales from clutterers. For example, an elderly woman discusses her anxiety in throwing things out, and she is upset that her family got rid of things. Conversely, another man is thrilled when a friend throws things out in his absence. A psych professor, Dr. Frost of Smith college, talks about what this phenomenon is, and how to explain it--is this OCD? or is it a function of depression? is it just a failure to process information correctly, so that hoarders and clutterers can't categorize things sufficiently to organize well or recognize what junk is? Etc. Etc. There is a neurobiologist discusses issues similar to Frost, including medications and heritability, and possible brain damage in frontal lobes of hoarders. Calls are also taken on the show. There is also a feng shui expert...

There is no "How to change" aspect in this cd. If you are a clutterer needing help yourself, there are better things out there. Just skip the interview of Dr. Frost, and buy things written by Dr. Randy Frost directly! According to the CD, he apparently works with Gail Steketee on this issue, so I have included links to Steketee books also. Haven't read those things yet. I can say that the audio CD by Mike Nelson is great (you get a LOT more for your money- he touches on a lot of these psychological issues, anyway, and it is designed FOR clutterers, and to get you motivated to throw stuff out!!!). I also was amazed by Judith Kolberg's book about Chronic Disorganization --she has some truly innovative solutions that are specifically designed to help clutterers and hoarders. I've read a lot of clutter books, and can strongly endorse those last 2.

Conquering Chronic Disorganization
Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life
Stop Clutter from Stealing Your Life
Cognitive Approaches to Obsessions and Compulsions: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment
Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Therapist Guide (Treatments That Work)
Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Workbook

Before I listened to this CD I thought I was just a shopaholic. Once I listened to it, I called everyone I knew to tell them I was a hoarder and I needed to change my ways. It took me a year to finally do something, but once I started moving things out with trash removal companies, charities, etc. I was clutter free and have remained so. I always lived in the future. I will get to this someday I need to save it. I only live in the present NOW and if I am not using it 80% of the time, I do not need it and I do not love it. So out it goes. I highly recommend this CD to people who believe they have a clutter problem, or have family members who do.