Hoarding Disorder Treatment Facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Statistics on Hoarding Disorder in Florida

Hoarding disorder is relatively uncommon, with a base prevalence of 2-6% nationally, and adults over age 70 are most frequently diagnosed. Seventy-five percent of individuals have a co-occurring mental health disorder. In family dynamics, mothers were the most frequent sufferers of hoarding disorder, at 76%.

Newspapers, clothing, food, and animals are commonly hoarded items, with hundreds of cases of animal hoarding estimated in the State of Florida. Hoarding can lead to bodily harm, with 25% of deaths from house fires due to clutter. Only an estimated 5% of hoarding cases are reported.

Signs and Symptoms of Hoarding Disorder

There are many hoarding disorder symptoms to be aware of when trying to discern if you or a loved one are suffering from this disorder. Behind the obsessive accumulation of items, there is an emotional component, including distress when faced with discarding or organizing items. Hoarding disorder symptoms often include considerable impairment when trying to function on a daily basis.

Below are some common hoarding disorder symptoms:

• Difficulty discarding or parting with possessions – psychological and emotional distress when faced with the prospect of organizing or parting with an item you have a connection to, regardless of actual value.
• Excessive accumulation of items – excessive saving of useless items, leading to a cluttered living space.
• Inability to use rooms for intended purposes – due to clutter, living spaces may become unusable.
• Strong attachment to possessions – a perceived emotional connection to items, believing they have sentimental value or convincing yourself the items will have future use.
• Procrastination or indecision – stalling or experiencing intense hesitation when faced with the prospect of discarding or simply organizing items.
• Social isolation or embarrassment – individuals living in hoarded spaces may experience embarrassment at the prospect of others seeing the state of their home. This may also lead to potential isolation or difficulty in relationships.
• Difficulty managing daily tasks – becoming overwhelmed when faced with completing basic daily tasks due to the amount of clutter in the home.
• Safety hazards in the home – blocked exits, fire risks, or unsanitary conditions that cause the home to be unsafe or uninhabitable.
• Significant impairment in daily functioning – difficulty with maintaining relationships, employment, or health due to the overwhelming state of the home.

Possessing one or even multiple of these symptoms is not indicative of a diagnosis of hoarding disorder. To receive an accurate diagnosis and access psychological help for hoarding, a mental health professional will have to conduct an assessment. You can take advantage of our complimentary assessment to begin hoarding disorder treatment.

Hoarding Intervention Programs

Hoarding intervention programs are designed to help those struggling with excessive accumulation and difficulty discarding items. Treatments for hoarding disorder combine counseling, skill-building, and practical support to help you understand and alter your behaviors to make lasting lifestyle adjustments.

These programs also address the emotional attachment to objects and the motivation behind hoarding tendencies. They offer a safe space to explore the links between hoarding and anxiety, as well as potential links between hoarding and OCD symptoms. The primary goal of these programs is to create a supportive space to develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Outpatient and Evening Treatment Programs

Outpatient and evening treatment programs are appropriate if you’re seeking hoarding, organizing, and decluttering help but need to maintain your daily routines with minimal interruptions. These outpatient and evening programs utilize a combination of tools involving therapy, skill-building, and sometimes hoarding disorder support groups.

Outpatient and evening treatment for hoarding disorder allows you the flexibility to get the support you need all while accommodating your work, school, or other daytime commitments. While outpatient and evening treatment programs for hoarding disorder treatment are flexible, they tend to have limited availability and are less intensive, requiring more motivation.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Intensive outpatient programs are designed to provide more frequent and intensive care than typical outpatient programs. You don’t need to reside at the treatment center, as you would in an inpatient program. IOPs are highly structured and have a comprehensive approach to hoarding disorder therapy. They usually include a mix of therapies to reduce compulsive hoarding behaviors.

Treatments utilized in an IOP for hoarding disorder might include compassion-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, exposure and response prevention, skills training, and group therapy, among others. IOPs vary in duration based on the severity of your hoarding disorder. The duration of treatment usually lasts from several weeks to a few months, with multiple sessions (three to five) per week.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Day Treatment

For more severe cases of hoarding disorder, a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or day treatment option may work best. PHPs or daytime programs utilize numerous forms of treatments and therapies to address hoarding disorder symptoms. These interventions may involve Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD spectrum disorders like hoarding.

PHPs are more intensive than typical outpatient programs, and because of this, they usually last for a shorter period. Typically, you can expect to spend five-seven hours in treatment multiple times a week. PHPs are a good way to fully engage in therapy and get support on a more concentrated level while not engaging in inpatient care.

Inpatient and Residential Treatment

Inpatient and residential treatment for hoarding are the most intensive hoarding disorder treatment option. You’ll focus entirely on your recovery. In severe cases of hoarding disorder, the home may pose health or safety risks and it may become necessary to leave your home.

Inpatient/residential programs are full time. You’ll live at the facility and receive full access to tools and support, like individual therapy, group therapy, and skill-building sessions to address the root of compulsive hoarding behavior. As individuals who suffer from hoarding disorder are frequently emotionally attached to their possessions, this form of treatment offers compassion as new skills are built.

Online Therapy or Teletherapy Programs

An alternative to in-person therapy, these virtual options may appeal to many who suffer from hoarding and anxiety. The same support is offered as other options, but sessions are conducted online. This can be beneficial, allowing the provider to observe your home and provide practical skill-building in real time. It is considered a less intensive form of hoarding disorder treatment.

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) helps you build compassion for yourself and your experiences. Hoarding can often stem from feelings of shame, self-criticism, or trauma, and CFT targets these underlying emotional struggles. It fosters self-kindness and reduces the intense self-judgment that can perpetuate the disorder. You’ll learn to view your difficulties with acceptance, recognizing that struggles with hoarding don’t define your worth.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT focuses on developing psychological flexibility, accepting difficult emotions, and committing to actions to improve your life. Hoarding disorder involves feeling ambivalence or fear about change. This approach focuses on teaching you to accept emotions, rather than allowing emotions to control your behavior. This acceptance, paired with commitment to change, can be significantly helpful in compassionately treating hoarding disorder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy for hoarding is the most used form of hoarding disorder therapy. CBT focuses on understanding and modifying unhelpful or obsessive thoughts, beliefs, and ritualistic behaviors driving the compulsion to accumulate. CBT is also used in OCD treatment, which can be interconnected to hoarding. Hoarding and OCD both fixtate on obsessive or intrusive thoughts, leading to compulsive behaviors.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, empathetic approach to hoarding disorder treatment. MI focuses on helping you cope more effectively with change and aims to increase your motivation to make changes. In MI, you are encouraged to explore values and goals. Through this, an intrinsic motivation is created, which is often critical to address the complex emotions associated with hoarding.

Group and Family Therapy

Hoarding disorder support groups can be vital to create a community. In group therapy, you’ll find support and commonalities with peers, which can reduce feelings of isolation that are frequently associated with hoarding. There are various kinds of support groups, from talk-focused groups to skill-building groups, to virtual support groups.

Family therapy can also be a useful tool in offering support while undergoing hoarding disorder treatment. It can help to ease family dynamics that can be impacted by compulsive hoarding behaviors. Hoarding disorder can have a significant impact on family dynamics, and family therapy can help both the individual as well as the family as a whole.

How To Find a Hoarding Disorder Recovery Center Near Me

Choosing the right hoarding disorder treatment program for you is very important. There are numerous ways to find treatment programs in Florida, especially in or near major cities. To find facilities that offer treatment for hoarding disorder, read our step-by-step guide.

• Search Online: Use search engines to search for “hoarding disorder treatment in Florida” or “hoarding disorder therapy near [your city].” Including location specifics will help to hone in on the treatment centers closest to you.
• Ask for Referrals from a Doctor or Therapist: Contact your primary care physician or your therapist and ask for a recommendation for a mental health center in your area that treats hoarding disorder.
• Contact Local Mental Health Clinics: Reach out to mental health clinics and psychiatric hospitals and ask if they have hoarding disorder treatment services available.
• Check with Your Health Insurance Provider: Contact your insurance company for a list of in-network treatment facilities and providers in your area that offer hoarding disorder treatments. These same facilities may also treat OCD and anxiety, which often accompanies hoarding disorder.
• Explore Online Therapy Options: Telehealth and teletherapy may offer more availability or flexibility than other options. Connect with local providers or facilities to see if they offer online therapy for hoarding disorder.