Thursday, November 4, 2010

Recovering Hoarder Finds Help To Get Rid Of What She Collected

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A recovering hoarder said that her addiction nearly destroyed her relationship.

Jodi Miller's emotional attachment to items was not an extreme case. It never led her to get in trouble with the law, but some cases of hoarding end up in Franklin County Environmental Court Judge Harland Hale's courtroom.

"We've been in houses where the cockroaches are so thick that as you approached into the house, they would fall on your head and on your shoulder," Hale said.

Hoarding is an addiction often hidden behind closed doors. The rooms inside homes can be impassable. Belongings may be stacked against the ceiling, 10TV's Shayla Reaves reported.

According to Hale, a jail sentence is rare for someone convicted of hoarding. He said that people are placed on probation. Then, the court helps connect hoarders with groups that assist with the cleanup.

"There is a predisposition often related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression," said Judi Lair, a clinical counselor.

Lair said that hoarding is an addiction that can affect anyone's life..." More

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