Humanizing Hoarding | Jennifer Hanzlick | TEDxBoulder

What do you think of when you see a hoarder? Jennifer will challenge your notions of why hoarding is a widespread disorder and how those living through it need our empathy and care if they are truly to be cured.

Jennifer Hanzlick : Entrepreneur, Speaker and Hoarding Expert. Jennifer is the founder and owner of Clutter Trucker, a hoarding clean out company based in Denver. In 2008 Jennifer was laid off after 11 years in Corporate America and started Clutter Trucker to help those who are suffering from hoarding disorder. She provides education and awareness on the topic of hoarding disorder to the community, non-profit organizations and local government agencies. In 2015 she started the Colorado Hoarding Task Force.

[nurseprac.nikki]

A physician I worked with was the kindest most caring physician I’d ever known. He was a pediatrician. Well known in my area for being the best pediatrician around, children and their parents adored him. His wife also worked in our office and she was equally as sweet. One Saturday night while watching the news a story came on about a house fire and how the wife had tragically died in the fire and the husband had jumped out of the 2 story window but died on impact. It was my boss and coworker. The story went on to say that they were massive hoarders and that had been the cause of the fire. The home was so bad it had to be demolished. Not just from the fire but bc of the hoarding. It was devastating to everyone. We later found out that their son had been killed oversees 12 years prior and that was what prompted the hoarding. So so sad. This man was intelligent, caring, and giving and you would have never suspected. I thank the speaker for this wonderful message. ❤️

[robinlillian]

So few on the internet ever call for compassion. God bless you.

[sandybeach]

I am a hoarder. It started after my father died in 1994. I lost my husband and later my daughter because of my hoarding. My ex husband thought if I loved him enough I would stop hoarding. I did love him and I certainly love my daughter. I do want to get better and I am proactive. I have read different articles on this subject. I have a pdf on a book by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. This book is a workbook for a counselor to use in helping a hoarder. Frost and Steketee have studied hoarding for the last 20 years so they are experts on this disorder/condition. I do think I need to change the way I think to get better. Having people's compassion would help me trust more. Believe me I hate living like this, the shame, the guilt. But with prayer and cognitive therapy, I will overcome.

[KacyPaide]

So well done. Thank you. I'm a professional organizer and have a soft spot in my heart for hoarders. For them to reach out for help is a lesson for all of us in surrendering and taking a difficult first step towards working on whatever it is we need to work on. Not all of our issues are so visible, but many run as deep. Bless you for making the story so personal. Your hoarders are so fortunate to have you.

[loriblank]

My eyes welled up. This is SUCH important work you are doing. I have a de-clutter business and often people feel ashamed at the state their home is in but busy people, life, feeling overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin freezes people into inaction. I LOVE making people feel their power regained - confidence and pride boosted. They want to do the work, they just need some encouragement. I feel extremely blessed to have 'met' you Jennifer. love to you!!!

[MightyMemow]

Bless you for your perspective on this. Thank you for not making hoarders out to be bad people. As a child of hoarders, bless you.

[mammadingo]

If only more people sought the path of compassion.

[wendyhenry]

The one aspect of hoarding I have never read about is the hopeless, “giving up” component. If liife is too overwhelming, and there makes not sense (there is no payoff) for “cleaning up” which seems like a senseless occupation. It all builds up. It’s too expensive to repair. Life becomes hopeless, and the hoarder feels helpless. Hoarding becomes a way of life, especially when it costs too much, or is too difficult, overwhelming, to clean it all up. Shame and fear are the most common feelings. This is passed down from parents to children; difficulty with organizing and planning. *** society ** that’s where it starts.

[tracyclingings]

I’ve ALWAYS Had a super clean house, especially with my OCD, then I started losing everyone 7 years ago. Starting with my husband and most recently my little brother. I’m not a hoarder! I’m in pain from losing so many people!

[sheer]

People like Jennifer Hanzlick make this world a better place and set a remarkable example to other people.

[joygernautm]

I grew up in an extremely messy house that was borderline hoarding house. I remember being extremely embarrassed for my friends to come over. You could never see the countertops in the kitchen, and trying to make a meal was an all day process because you had to try to clean a spot before you could even attempt to make anything. I moved out young, and vowed never ever ever to have a house like that. I keep my house quite minimalist and impeccably clean.
Honestly it’s not that hard to keep a tidy house. Simply pick up after yourself, and have a chore schedule. I have a three bedroom house and it only takes 40 minutes a day to keep it clean all the time.

I know that my mother was quite depressed, and my dad was simply a product of his generation and expected it was a woman’s job to do the cleaning so it just never got done. I think depression is usually the cause of hoarding. I will admit though, growing up as a kid it made me angry that my mom just sat in the kitchen smoking and listening to the radio and rarely did any house work. I would go around and clean things, but nobody would respect the fact that I just cleaned.
Within a few days it was just the way it was before.
As a teenager it made me retreat into my bedroom and never want to leave it unless I was going out with friends. I disconnected from my family because sitting in the kitchen or living room or family room was just too disturbing. I simply could not relax in that house. I remember I would babysit the neighbours kids and use the money to take my own clothing to the laundromat because our washer and dryer never worked properly and they were literally mounds of mouldy clothes all over the floor in the basement where our washer and dryer lived.
I loved my parents don’t get me wrong, but living in that house messed with my head so hard. I didn’t get to have a normal childhood or teen development because I lived in a physically and mentally toxic environment. Sometimes I wonder if hoarders even think about what they are doing to their children.

[theunscriptedsuccessstory]

Everyone struggles. Some more than others. For them hoarding helps them cope. For me it’s working much more than I really should and food. It’s important to remember that at the root of it we’re all the same even though our struggles look a little different.

[misstybyers]

Thanks for your support and understanding!!! I'm in tears because I realized that my self judgement and shame is what is keeping in my own broken life. I have desires of meal prepping, running and having healthy routines, but having a messy and cluttered apartment makes me feel undeserving and overwhelmed. I'm going tackle it right now and get therapy set up asap.

[Shawnne]

Just found this. I have a friend in another state whose house has gotten bad due to many factors. Those around her have not been compassionate, they have become cold and rude to her. She is older and has fallen & broken a hip. She is recovering at this time and she is trying to go through things in her house. She has a lot of cats, also, and loves them dearly, as she couldn't have children. I wish so much that I could help her but alas, she is far away and I have not the means to go out there. I can only help her over the phone. It's a sad situation when one can't try to understand the underlying reasons why such things happen. Good video, thanks.

[lambxxjm]

Jennifer, Fantastic presentation. You treat people like people no matter who they are where they come from, what they look like and what their problems are. You can do no wrong when you do that.  Thanks for being a resource for my people when they are in need. I always find you and your people treat my people with the care and respect that they deserve. Keep up the good work.

[PhoebesWorldProductions]

I’m happy to know there is at least one person in the world who is kind and understanding.
I’m convinced that I’m a hoarder.
Anyway, thank you, this was a good talk.

[atis]

How beautiful. It's all about empathy, understanding, and compassion, isn't it? We're all in this together.

[sometimesvegan]

I just left my parents home near you. They are sweet people. They have the same disorder. I am in fear for their well being but don’t want them to push me away. Mom has before. 😢

[DMRoper]

Good message. I will be a little kinder when thinking about hoarders now. It is a bad predicament.

[brendado]

Thank you for replacing my judgment of hoarders with compassion. Compassion is much more effective than my judgment anyway. I hope that every hoarder can find a compassionate hand up out of the brokenness in their lives.