The Dangers of Hoarding
Hoarding is a serious condition that comes with even more serious potential dangers. These dangers can affect both the hoarder and anyone who lives with the hoarder or attempts to help in the cleanup process. If you or someone you know is a hoarder, be on the lookout for these potential risks as you encourage them to seek help.
Fires
With items stacked high throughout a space, the risk of a fire increases greatly. That’s because the number of flammable items in the home is higher than normal and if one thing catches on fire, the flames will rapidly spread through the surrounding items. Fires are especially dangerous in hoarding situations because the mountains of stuff make it more difficult for firefighters and emergency responders to put out the fire or enter the home to offer assistance getting out. The piles of items also make it more difficult to escape a fire.
Mold Growth
Mold thrives in dark and damp conditions, which just so happens to be a perfect description of many hoarder homes. Mold is especially common in the kitchen and bathroom of hoarding homes because the space is never cleaned properly, leaving behind food particles and other debris that allow the mold to grow more rapidly.
Unwanted Infestations
All of those uncleaned kitchen and bathroom spaces attract more than just mold, they attract insects too! Bug infestations grow quickly in a hoarding situation and may not be noticed for quite some time since they have plenty of room to hide. Exterminating a bug infestation is nearly impossible until the hoard is removed from the home.
Mental Health Decline
Living as a hoarder not only puts your physical health at risk, but your mental health too. Hoarders often suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more. It’s difficult to achieve mental clarity when the physical space around you is so cluttered. Ironically, many hoarders cope with their declining mental health by hoarding more items, so the cycle has to be broken before real healing can begin.
Health Risks
Living in a hoarder home puts you at a much greater risk of falling or being crushed under a pile of items. If you do suffer a medical emergency in the home, it will be difficult for emergency responders to reach you and administer treatment. All it takes is one misstep and all of those items in the hoard could be the cause of a serious health risk!
Cleaning the hoard is the only way to reduce these dangers and achieve a normal life again. For more information regarding junk removal services for hoarders, contact All Day Junk Removal today!
