Do hoarders ever have an awakening and clear out the items..?

[bumblebee1000]

I am trying to encourage my elderly neighbour to clear some items. Home, garden, car, cellar are all full and there are 2 storage units also rammed with stuff. Its sometimes hazardous to walk around her flat as so much stuff on the floors and surfaces. I am vaguely hoping that one day she will decide she doesn't need the boxes of broken china and garden ornaments or mouldy books and moth eaten clothes and just hire a skip....and clear the storage units.....but I dont think this will ever happen.

It's a mental health condition often related to trauma. Hoarders typically enjoy having more space to hoard.

Hoarding is a mental health problem that probably won't just resolve itself, given that it's usually rooted in loss or trauma. I'd say it's highly unlikely your neighbour will have a clear out.

No they don't. It will be someone else (hopefully not you) that will need to get rid of it all once she's gone.

No they don't. My DGM was not a chronic hoarder but because she had a huge house, lots of cupboards, 2 sheds and a garage things were put away. It's only when you opened them up you saw it all. She knew she had too much stuff but she also said it was up to us to clear it all. Which we did.

I would imagine a proper hoarder doesn't see it or realise it's a problem or is paralysed and cannot do anything about it.

No - it’s a serious mental health condition that needs constant support from professionals.

The problem is acknowledged and there is some attempt to remove items but fresh things are just brought home...boot sales...charity shops etc...I see the point about being paralyzed, items seem to be just moved around.

I couldn't make my mother change over twenty years, and so while you are trying to do a really kind and helpful thing, it's basically like trying to push waster uphill. Even when people have weekly intervention from trained medical health professionals it takes years, and then only works 10% of the time.

If you want to do something practical, get your neighbour to talk to the fire brigade. They are very aware of this because there's an enhanced fire risk (trailing extensions etc) and it's not just hoarders who are more likely to die in a fire in a hoarded house, but also fire fighters. In an ideal world, this would be the necessary shock, but even if not it could save a life if they know there is a hoarder in advance.