The experiences included here may not be true for every<\/em><\/strong> child of a hoarder or every family with a hoarding member.<\/p>\n The dynamics in a family can be influenced in many different levels by the hoarding behavior, depending on the personalities within the family and the degree of the hoarding disorder\u00a0and comorbid conditions. Just like all COH\u2122 are unique, so are our families and parents who compulsively hoard. There are many different factors (i.e.-trauma) that can contribute to hoarding and its severity.<\/p>\n We are not going to try and unlock all those mysteries here. We’ll leave all that to the qualified professional researchers.\u00a0\u00a0(Read more about that here:\u00a0DSM-V Planning & Research Website<\/a>) Clearly there is more research, (and funding for research), needed in this area.<\/p>\n This is however, for COH\u2122 to read about experiences\u00a0in childhood and adulthood that they may share\u00a0with others who have a HP (Hoarding Parent.)\u00a0This is also for the general public and\u00a0professionals who work with children,\u00a0to gain a better understanding\u00a0of the COH experience. It seems however, the majority and the most vocal of the adult children seeking support in our online areas have a parent(s) with more extreme forms of hoarding,\u00a0 have been at it a long time (prior to the children leaving the home), accompanied by one or more personality disorders.\u00a0 Again, not all<\/strong>, but it seems, the majority.\u00a0 Not to mention most of these\u00a0HP seem to lack insight into their hoarding behavior being a problem that needs professional treatment and support to manage at all.<\/p>\n So please keep in mind what is written here may not be the rule for all COH\u2122 or hoarders. We want to make sure that is clear, along with the fact we are not mental health professionals. We are COH hoping to raise awareness and support other COH.<\/p>\n Many COH have expressed relating to the\u00a0traits of children of alcoholics; who were unnoticed and misunderstood for a long time, until Janet G. Woititz wrote her first book in 1984 about Children of Alcoholics<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Unending thanks go out to all the COH\u2122 who shared their experiences. We hope this site will open hearts, minds, and homes, with understanding about our parents’ disorder, and about how COH\u2122 are affected.
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\nMost prevalent in our areas of discussion, is the sharing about parents who hoard and seem to have personality disorders along with the hoarding behavior.\u00a0 Please keep in mind while reading this, that some parents who hoard may be nurturing, loving and supportive towards their children and just happen to have the compulsions to hoard things.\u00a0 We might not hear the voices of those COH\u2122 as loudly as the ones who have anger and frustrations to vent. \u00a0Some COH\u2122 report their parents did not start hoarding until they left the home and the “empty nest syndrome” kicked in. We might not hear those voices as much either.<\/p>\n
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\nCongratulations to all the adult children of hoarders for speaking out about the “family secret.”\u00a0 The COH\u2122 growing up behind us will never have to wonder if their families are “the only ones,” like so many of us\u00a0did.<\/p>\n
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