Out & About January 2018

Clearing the way

Jo Cooke is a specialist in hoarding disorders and recently published a book on the subject. MARGARET McDONNELL finds out more about the effects of hoarding, the help that is out there and Jo’s philosophy

W hile it is the subject of many television shows and documentaries, it wasn’t until 2013 that hoarding became officially recognised as a mental health disorder in its own right. Despite an estimated 1.2 million people in the UK with the disorder, it remains a taboo subject, with many people embarrassed to seek help. Leading the way forward is Jo Cooke from Thatcham. The daughter of a hoarder, she realised that she had the right combination of practicality, good sense and empathy to help. After a wide-ranging career in human resources, project management, book- keeping and the civil service, Jo set up a decluttering company called Tapioca Tidy and is an accredited member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO). Realising there were many people in serious need of help, she later co-founded a community interest company called Hoarding Disorders UK and has recently published a comprehensive guide to all areas of the subject called Understanding Hoarding to help hoarders and their families. Jo has used her extensive experience of hoarding to collect case studies and suggest practical ways of helping. The book covers every aspect of hoarding disorder, from the factors that trigger it, to who can help a hoarder and how. Chapters in the book include case histories and useful information and tips, plus how to assess the level of clutter. Uniquely, the book shows how therapies such as emotional freedom technique, also known as ‘tapping’ can help.

Jo says: “As well as helping people who are affected by hoarding difficulties, including friends and family members, I felt it was important to raise awareness and provide not only a better understanding of hoarding, but also tools and techniques for those wanting to help. “It’s important too to help reduce the stigma surrounding hoarding. “We have seen drastic means of ‘helping’, such as insisting on a dramatic clearout, that have been damaging. “It is not always possible, for example, for hoarded homes to be cleared out within weeks, as is often portrayed on television. “While I find it enjoyable and satisfying to work with people who hoard, they’ve got to be able to come forward without feeling that they will be judged and subjected to a forced clearout.” It’s not clear what causes hoarding, although traumatic life events could be a contributory factor. Jo attributes her own father’s hoarding to his response to having lived through wartime rationing. Hoarding can range in severity from collecting used yogurt pots, right up to houses that are so full of piles of newspapers and other items, that they can literally be lethal. In some cases, people have been crushed by their belongings and research from the fire service suggests that up to 25 per cent of accidental domestic fire deaths involve hoarding. “It was thought that an intense and concentrated clearout could solve the issues of a hoarded home,” explains Jo. “With the best of intentions, family members and friends often thought they were helping by suggesting an intense declutter.

“Such a strategy can change the home environment temporarily, but will not change hoarding behaviour. “In fact, it is far too traumatic for the person with hoarding difficulties. “Hoarders may feel lost without their clutter, and may quickly refill the space and it’s more than likely that the home will return to an even more cluttered level than before.” Jo’s work also led her to set up a support group that meets at Broadway House, Newbury, on the fourth Thursday of every month, from 7pm to 9pm. One of the participants, Lynn, said: “Jo has proved very motivational, reassuring and supportive and the group provides support and talks from professionals. “People are no longer isolated, and small

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