We get attached to our stuff. One number should prove that: 38% of Americans report using self-storage units to hold the stuff they don't have room for at home. But then there are the people who continue to hold onto possessions even when their homes get cluttered, crowded, and even impassable in places.
That could indicate hoarding, and Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) offers a in-depth course to help people push away their hoarding behaviors... and some of their stuff. Andra Hollenbeck covers the concept in the latest edition of Mental Health Matters, our joint project with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southern Oregon chapter.
Andra brings in Ellen Denninger, a Behavioral Health Specialist with RVCOG's Senior & Disability Services, to explore how hoarding starts, and how it can be curtailed.